University of Tehran Journal of Range and Watershed Managment 5044-2008 78 3 2025 09 23 Studying the effect of the canopy of Pteropyrum aucheri Jaub. & Spach on the soil seed bank in order to restore the medicinal species Pergularia tomentosa L. in southern Kerman province Studying the effect of the canopy of Pteropyrum aucheri Jaub. & Spach on the soil seed bank in order to restore the medicinal species Pergularia tomentosa L. in southern Kerman province 385 398 103987 10.22059/jrwm.2025.387931.1795 FA Reza Erfanzadeh Rangeland Management Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Fatemeh-al-Sadat Hosseini Rangeland Management Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Seyed Homzeh Hosseini Kahnuj Department of Plant Biology, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran Journal Article 2024 12 31 In this study, the effect of the canopy of Pteropyrum aucheri on the soil seed bank was investigated in southern Kerman province, Sehchah village rangelands. By studying the seed bank at two depths of 0-5 and 5-10 cm under and outside the canopy of this shrub species, the potential of the soil seed bank in preserving and recovering of the valuable medicinal species Pergularia tomentosa was evaluated. For this purpose, 15 individuals of the P. aucheri were selected in which P. tomentosa could also be observed under the canopy of P. aucheri. Soil sampling was carried out from under and outside the canopy from both depths, totally of 60 samples. Under the canopy (and also outside the canopy), 10 soil augers were taken. The soil samples were transferred to the greenhouse in Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, and the species present in the soil were identified using the seed germination method. In the greenhouse cultivation, a total of 2164 seeds germinated. Of these, 1486 seeds belonged to the under-canopy (1156 seeds at the upper depth and 330 seeds at the lower depth) and 678 seeds belonged to the outside of the canopy (341 seeds at the upper depth and 337 seeds at the lower depth). The density of the seed bank at the upper depth was significantly higher in the under-canopy than outside the canopy. This study showed that the valuable species of P. tomentosa not only had a seed bank under the canopy but also did not form a canopy outside the canopy of P. aucheri. Therefore, for the conservation and restoration of this species, it is not possible to rely on soil seed bank. In this study, the effect of the canopy of Pteropyrum aucheri on the soil seed bank was investigated in southern Kerman province, Sehchah village rangelands. By studying the seed bank at two depths of 0-5 and 5-10 cm under and outside the canopy of this shrub species, the potential of the soil seed bank in preserving and recovering of the valuable medicinal species Pergularia tomentosa was evaluated. For this purpose, 15 individuals of the P. aucheri were selected in which P. tomentosa could also be observed under the canopy of P. aucheri. Soil sampling was carried out from under and outside the canopy from both depths, totally of 60 samples. Under the canopy (and also outside the canopy), 10 soil augers were taken. The soil samples were transferred to the greenhouse in Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, and the species present in the soil were identified using the seed germination method. In the greenhouse cultivation, a total of 2164 seeds germinated. Of these, 1486 seeds belonged to the under-canopy (1156 seeds at the upper depth and 330 seeds at the lower depth) and 678 seeds belonged to the outside of the canopy (341 seeds at the upper depth and 337 seeds at the lower depth). The density of the seed bank at the upper depth was significantly higher in the under-canopy than outside the canopy. This study showed that the valuable species of P. tomentosa not only had a seed bank under the canopy but also did not form a canopy outside the canopy of P. aucheri. Therefore, for the conservation and restoration of this species, it is not possible to rely on soil seed bank. https://jrwm.ut.ac.ir/article_103987_7957f3e2d2df6f0fae78577dd93f77a1.pdf