Elaheh Fahimipour; Jamshid Ghorbani; Ghodratollah Heydari
Abstract
Soil seed bank has an important role in vegetation restoration following cessation of disturbance. In this study, the soil seed bank richness and diversity were investigated in semi-steppic rangeland with a history of land conversion into cultivation in Charmahal-Bakhtiari province. Land-use changes ...
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Soil seed bank has an important role in vegetation restoration following cessation of disturbance. In this study, the soil seed bank richness and diversity were investigated in semi-steppic rangeland with a history of land conversion into cultivation in Charmahal-Bakhtiari province. Land-use changes were identified in grassland and shrubland and then were classified into four groups according to the time since abandonment including < 5, 5-15, 15-25 and > 25 years. Aspect was considered in each group. Soil was sampled and seed bank was identified using seedling germination method in glasshouse. Then, seed bank richness and diversity indices were calculated. Results showed that in seed bank the number of perrenilas was greater than annuals. In both grassland and shrubland time since abandonment significantly influenced the soil seed bank richness and diversity. In grassland soil seed bank richness and diversity decreased with time of abandonment but in area with more than 25 yrs of abandonment seed abnk richness and diversity significantly increased. Aspect significantly affected both seed bank richness and diversity in shrubland. North slpoe showed fluctuation in seed bank richness and diversity during abandonment while an increase was found in west slope and a reduction in south and east slopes. In both sites the soil seed bank indices significantly increased shortly after abandonment (<5 yrs) but seed bank richness and diversity showed resilient in >25 yrs in grassland and >15 yrs in shrubland.
Reza Namjooyan; Jamshid Ghorbani; Ghodrat alah heydari; Ghorban Vahab Zade
Abstract
Activities related to the extraction of minerals are one of the factors causing a disturbance in rangelands. Vegetation succession in mining areas depends on the soil seed bank. For this purpose, the soil seed bank was studied in two important coal extraction sites in Mazandaran province to identify ...
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Activities related to the extraction of minerals are one of the factors causing a disturbance in rangelands. Vegetation succession in mining areas depends on the soil seed bank. For this purpose, the soil seed bank was studied in two important coal extraction sites in Mazandaran province to identify and compare seed amount between coal wastes and nearby rangeland as control. Soil and coal wastes samples were taken from 140 plots of 1 m2 in Kiasar coal mine and 115 plots in Karmozd coal mine before the growth season. Samples were kept in a glasshouse for eight months germinated seeds were counted. Results of this study showed that the germination of 28 species in Kiasar and 23 species in Karmozd. 10 and 6 species only presented in Karmozd and Kiasar coal waste, respectively. Annuals dominated the coal waste seed bank in Kiasar while perennials were common in Karmazd coal waste seed bank. In Kiasar, coal waste seed bank had less diversity and richness than that in seed bank of rangelands, but no significant differences were observed between seed bank of coal waste and seed bank of rangeland in Karmozd. Due to the harsh conditions of seed germination and seedling establishment and also low seed density in the seed bank, natural regeneration in coal wastes of these two sites will be a slow process and it needs amendment treatments and the introduction of target plants seeds.
