Can soil seed banks contribute to the restoration of dune slacks under conservation management?

Questions: Does the soil seed bank resemble the former early successional stages of a dune slack system more than the established later successional vegetation? Does it have the potential to contribute to the conservation of a highly endangered habitat? Location: Dune slacks at Newborough Warren, UK. Methods: The composition of the soil seed bank in two depth layers was determined using the seedling emergence method between March 2004 and April 2005. Long-term monitoring data on the floristic composition of the established vegetation were obtained from the national conservation agency, and additional monitoring was undertaken in 2003. Floristic composition, seed weights, seed longevity of component species and Ellenberg indicator values were used to compare the seed bank and established vegetation. Results: The soil seed bank was diverse and contained typical dune slack species, species of early successional stages and species of conservation interest. A comparison between the composition of the seed bank and historical data on the composition of the established vegetation showed that the seed bank reflects earlier successional stages more closely than the current aboveground vegetation. This study increases the scarce information currently available on the seed bank ecology of several species, including two orchid species. Conclusions: The soil seed bank can be expected to contribute to vegetation change after disturbance. Stimulation of germination from the seed bank through management may contribute to the conservation of both characteristic and threatened species typical of dune slacks.     

Riparian vegetation’s responses to the new hydrological regimes from the Three Gorges Project: Clues to revegetation in reservoir water-level-fluctuation zone

The new hydrological regime brought about by the Three Gorges Project is the absolute opposite of the natural flood rhythms of the Yangtze River. Flooding timing, duration, frequency, rate of change and magnitude in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), as important factors in affecting riparian vegetation, are completely different from the natural Yangtze Rivers’. The riparian vegetation plays important roles in stabilizing riverbanks, maintaining local biodiversity and improving water quality. Pre-dam and postdam riparian vegetations along the Yangtze River basin in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) were investigated in 2001 and 2009, respectively. The investigation of pre-dam riparian vegetation in 2001 showed that about 405 vascular plant species belonging to 240 genera of 83 families were distributed in the natural water-level-fluctuation zone (WLFZ) of the Yangtze River. However, only 231 vascular plant species belonging to 169 genera of 61 families were found in the WFLZ of the TGR in 2009. The changes in riparian vegetation resulted in the formation of a bald WLFZ with a 30 m magnitude in the TGRA. Although certain perennial species could be repeatedly detected in both field surveys, these are unsuitable for revegetation in the WFLZ of the TGR. This unsuitability is due to their survival via seed germination, and death in subsequent winter flooding. We propose a list of local plants that may be used to recover and re-establish riparian vegetation in the WFLZ of the TGR. We suggest that numerous physiological experiments be performed to assess how the adaptable mechanisms of riparian plants from the TGRA will respond to winter flooding. Endangered wetland shrub species such as Rhamnus tzekweiensis and Buxus ichangensis, which are confined to the riverbanks of the Yangtze River in the TGRA, should be conserved.     

Does the seed bank contribute to the restoration of species‐rich vegetation in wet dune slacks?

Questions: What is the contribution of the seed bank to restoration of species‐rich vegetation in oligotrophic wet dune slacks? Does the restoration management affect the seed bank? Location: Calcareous coastal dune slacks at the west coast of The Netherlands. Methods: Species composition of the seed bank and the above‐ground vegetation was sampled in dune slacks that had a variable extent of groundwater level rise in combination with either topsoil removal or mowing. Results: The seed bank had a high potential for restoration of species‐rich vegetation: 60 species were found in the seed bank of which 14 were characteristic of oligotrophic, wet dune vegetation. While topsoil removal almost completely removed the seed bank, groundwater level rise did not permanently submerge the seed bank of species of oligotrophic, wet conditions. Changes in abundance in the established vegetation were unrelated to species abundance in the seed bank. Of all new species establishments in the vegetation relevés, 76% occurred where the species was not found in the seed bank. The chance that presence of a species in the seed bank led to establishment the following year was only 11%. Conclusion: The seed bank was not the dominant source for newly establishing species following the large disturbance that was induced by restoration management. Changes in species abundance after the restoration impact were not related to species abundance in the seed bank, but to ongoing succession and current year dispersal. To attain a high number of new establishments, restoration projects should preferably be planned in the proximity of refuge populations, rather than relying on the seed bank alone.     

How does the propagule bank contribute to cyclic vegetation change in a lakeshore marsh with seasonal drawdown?

Lakeshore marshes around Liangzi Lake, in the middle reach of the Yangtze River, China, experience annual changes of water level of c. 1.5 m. During the drawdown period, the vegetation is structured by helophytes and emergents; during the rainy season when the dams are closed (June–September) the marshes are flooded and their vegetation rapidly changes to be come dominated by submerged, floating-leaved and tall emergent species. The species composition and abundance of both the marsh seed bank and the vegetative propagule bank were compared with those of the drawdown and flooded vegetation types. These data provided a test of the predictive power of van der Valk's model of northern temperate seasonal vegetation change in a subtropical, freshwater wetland with cyclic vegetational change. The abundant species were detected in the propagule bank. The seed bank was found to determine the species richness of both types of the vegetation, whereas the vegetative propagule bank consisted of the dominants of the drawdown vegetation. Water depth conditions, and the composition of seed and vegetative propagules banks together determine the structure of the standing vegetation during drawdown and flooding. van der Valk's succession model was found to predict the seasonal vegetation change reasonably well. The Chi-square test showed no significant difference between predicted vegetation and actual vegetation in both drawdown and flooding periods.     

Can spatial variation and inter-annual variation in precipitation explain the seed density and species richness of the germinable soil seed bank in a tropical dry forest in north-eastern Brazil?

The interaction between microhabitat and inter-annual variation in precipitation has an important role on the dynamics of the seed bank and can play a crucial role in survival and maintenance of plant populations in semi-arid environments. We hypothesized that the type of microhabitat and the inter-annual variability in precipitation can explain the richness and density of the seed bank in a semi-arid region in Brazil. The study was conducted in an area of tropical dry forest with shrub-tree physiognomy, locally called caatinga. We collected 35 soil samples in three distinct microhabitats, at the end of rainy and dry seasons, respectively, over three years, totalling 630 samples. The seed bank (richness and seed density) were determined by seedling emergence method. Over the three years, 79 species emerged from the seed bank, 64, 45 and 42 in riparian, non-riparian and rocky microhabitats, respectively. We recorded differences in species richness and average density between microhabitats and between years, with significant statistical interaction between them. Inter-annual precipitation explained 48% and 5% of the variation in richness and seed density, respectively. Spatial variation explained 7% of the species richness and 31% of the density. Our results show that the interaction between spatial variation and precipitation has an important role on the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the richness and density of seed banks in dry environments.     

Can a seed bank maintain the genetic variation in the above ground plant population?

There are indications that a persistent seed bank can protect small and isolated plant populations from local extinction. Genetic mechanisms contributing to this phenomenon are the increase of local effective population size – and hence the decrease of genetic drift – through a reservoir of persistent seeds, and the accumulation of intergenerational genetic diversity in the seed bank. To find evidence for these mechanisms, we conducted two formal meta-analyses. First, we analyzed 42 published habitat fragmentation studies and investigated whether the degree of genetic differentiation between fragmented plant populations was mediated by seed longevity. Second, we reviewed 13 published studies reporting the genetic diversity of both the seed bank and the above ground plants, aiming at comparing genetic diversity contained in the seed bank with the above ground vegetation. We conclude that a persistent seed bank may indeed mitigate the consequences of habitat fragmentation and protect a species from genetic drift and population genetic differentiation. We found no evidence, however, of high levels of genetic diversity accumulating in the soil seed bank. If genetic differences are present between the standing crop and the seed bank, they are very likely the result of local selection acting either directly or indirectly as a filter on the alleles present in the seed bank. We finally suggest that 1) the role of the seed bank should not be neglected in habitat fragmentation studies and 2) it is not very fruitful to continue comparing seed bank genetic diversity with above ground plant genetic diversity, unless this is performed under different selection regimes.     

Spatial structure of the soil seed bank of Poa annua L.—alien species in the Antarctica

Poa annua L. (annual bluegrass) is the only non–native flowering plant species that has successfully established a breeding population in the maritime Antarctic and has been shown to maintain a soil seed bank. The characteristic of the spatial structure of the Antarctic population of this species is the formation of distinct dense clumps—tussocks. In the temperate zone the species is only loosely tufted. We focused on the characteristics of seed deposition associated with the tussocks and some aspects of the spatial heterogeneity of the soil seed bank of P. annua in the Antarctic. We wanted to assess the microspatial structure of the soil seed bank of annual bluegrass at Arctowski Station. Therefore we compared the number of seeds deposited underneath and in the vicinity of P. annua clumps. Our results indicate that P. annua in the Antarctic maintains a soil seed bank comparable to species typical for the polar tundra. The microspatial structure of P. annua soil seed bank in the Antarctic is highly associated with the presence of tussocks. Seeds are deposited underneath the tussock rather than in the vicinity of the clump. Our results also indicate that seeds are able to survive the Antarctic winter and readily germinate under optimal conditions.     

Growth-form regulates the altitudinal variation of interspecific seed mass of woody plants in Mt. Dalaoling,the Three Gorges Region China北大核心CSCD

Aims: Seed size is one of the most important characteristics of plant seeds, and has significant implications in plant ecological functions. Exploring the altitudinal pattern of seed size would help to detect environmental constraints on species distribution and understand the linkage between plant ecological function traits. Methods: The present study measured the quantitative features of seed size, including weight of 1 000 grain seeds, lengths of longer and shorter axes, and analyzed the relationships between seed size and altitude, as well as the influence of growth form. Seed samples were all collected from 201 locally common woody plants (belonging to 59 families and 87 genera) in the Dalaoling Natural Reserve in Yichang City, Hubei Province. Important findings: Measured values of the seed mass, the longer axis, and the shorter axis of the 201 woody plant species all follow the lognormal distribution. Measurements of seed mass vary across five orders of magnitude. Significant correlation was found between seed mass, seed length of the longer and shorter axes (R2 = 0.755; 0.819; 0.630, p > 0.01). Moreover, seed mass of trees and small trees are significantly heavier than those of shrubs and woody vines. Seed mass values of evergreen broad leaved species are significantly heavier than those of deciduous broad leaved species and needle leaved species. Seed mass of all 201 species shows a slightly but statistically significant decreasing trend with the increase of altitude. In addition, altitudinal patterns of seed mass varied between species with different growth form. Our results indicated the variation of altitudinal trends of seed mass for different structural components of plant communities, implying the local community structure as a critical aspect of variation in macro-ecological patterns.     

Does invasion by an alien plant species affect the soil seed bank?

Questions: How does invasion affect old‐field seed bank species richness, composition and density? How consistent are these effects across sites? Does the soil seed bank match vegetation structure in old‐fields? Location: Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, western Mediterranean basin. Methods: We monitored seed germination in soils from old‐fields that were both uninvaded and invaded (legacy effect) by the annual geophyte Oxalis pes‐caprae. We also added O. pes‐caprae bulbs to uninvaded soils to test O. pes‐caprae interference with seedling emergence (competitive effect). We compared species composition in the seed bank with that of the vegetation. Results: Species richness in the seed bank and in the vegetation was not significantly different between invaded and uninvaded areas. Uninvaded areas did not have larger seed banks than invaded areas. More seedlings, especially of geophytes, emerged when O. pes‐caprae bulbs were added to the soil. Species similarity between invaded and uninvaded areas was higher in the seed bank (74%) than in the vegetation (49%). Differences in species composition were as important as differences among sites. The degree of species similarity between the seed bank and the vegetation was very low (17%). Conclusions: Despite invasion by O. pes‐caprae not affecting species richness, the variation in the seed bank species composition in invaded and uninvaded areas, and the differences between the seed bank and the mature vegetation, highlights that even if the invader could be eradicated the vegetation could not be restored back to the exact composition as found in uninvaded areas.     

Does aboveground vegetation composition resemble soil seed bank during succession in specialized vegetation on gypsum soil?

This paper evaluates the aboveground vegetation in relation to the soil seed bank throughout a 60-year succession process following agricultural abandonment in a semi-arid Mediterranean gypsum habitat. There is little information regarding the relationship between these two community components in the context of succession on semi-arid gypsum soils. Aboveground vegetation and the corresponding seed bank of gypsum plant communities were sampled through a chronosequence of 24 abandoned fields. Generalized linear models were used to model seed species richness and density, redundancy analyses to model the effect of time since abandonment and the effect of soil physicochemical parameters on seed bank species composition, and Mantel tests to analyze resemblance between above- and belowground species composition. In this last case, the effect of time since abandonment was controlled using a partial Mantel test. Mantel correlograms using time intervals instead of distances were used to describe the resemblance of above- to belowground species occurrence in different aged fields. No significant variability in seed species richness, seed density, or species composition due to time since abandonment was found. Differences in seed species composition were mainly due to small spatial scale predictors such as slope and soil calcium content. High correlations between species composition in the soil seed bank and the aboveground vegetation were detected during succession. The lack of a significant trend in aboveground species replacement over time was also reflected in seed bank composition. We concluded that the rapid establishment of strict gypsophyte species relied mainly on the long-term persistence of these species in the seed bank.     

Can an acoustic observatory contribute to the conservation of threatened species?

Observatories are designed to collect data for a range of uses. The Australian Acoustic Observatory (A2O) was established to collect environmental sound, including audible species calls, from 344 recorders at 86 sites around Australia. We examine the potential of the A2O to monitor near threatened, threatened, endangered and critically endangered species, based on their vocal behaviour, geographic distributions in relation to the sites of the A2O and on some knowledge of habitat use. Using IUCN and EPBC lists of threatened and endangered species, we extracted species that vocalized in the audible range, and using conservative estimates of their geographic ranges, determined whether there was a possibility of hearing them at these sites. We found that it may be possible to detect up to 171 threatened species at sites established for the A2O, and that individual sites have the potential to detect up to 40 threatened species. All 86 sites occurred in locations where threatened species could possibly be detected, and the list of detectable species included birds, amphibians, and mammals. We have incidentally detected one mammal and four bird species in the data during other work. Threatening processes to which potentially detectable species were exposed included all but two IUCN threat categories. We concluded that with applications of technology to search the audio data from the A2O, it could serve as an important tool for monitoring threatened species.     

Can yeast systems biology contribute to the understanding of human disease?

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a unicellular eukaryal microorganism that has traditionally been regarded either as a model system for investigating cellular physiology or as a cell factory for biotechnological use, for example for the production of fuels and commodity chemicals such as lactate or pharmaceuticals, including human insulin and HPV vaccines. Systems biology has recently gained momentum and has successfully been used for mapping complex regulatory networks and resolving the dynamics of signal transduction pathways. So far, yeast systems biology has mainly focused on the development of new methods and concepts. There are also some examples of the application of yeast systems biology for improving biotechnological processes. We discuss here how yeast systems biology could be used in elucidating fundamental cellular principles such as those relevant for the study of molecular mechanisms underlying complex human diseases, including the metabolic syndrome and ageing.     

Can paternal effects via seminal fluid contribute to the evolution of polyandry?

Genetic benefits from mating with multiple males are thought to favour the evolution of polyandry. However, recent evidence suggests that non-genetic paternal effects via seminal fluid might contribute to the observed effects of polyandry on offspring performance. Here, we test this hypothesis using the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. Using interference RNA, we first show that at least one seminal fluid protein is essential for embryo survival. We then show that polyandrous females mated to three different males produced embryos with higher pre-hatching viability than did monandrous females mated with the same male three times. Pseudo-polyandrous females that obtained sperm and seminal fluid from a single male and seminal fluid from two additional males had embryos with viabilities intermediate between monandrous and polyandrous females. Our results suggest either that ejaculate mediated paternal effects on embryo viability have both genetic and non-genetic components, or that seminal fluids transferred by castrated males provide only a subset of proteins contained within the normal ejaculate, and are unable to exert their full effect on embryo viability.     

Can transgenerational plasticity contribute to the invasion success of annual plant species?

Adaptive transgenerational plasticity (TGP), i.e., significantly higher fitness when maternal and offspring conditions match, might contribute to the population growth of non-native species in highly variable environments. However, comparative studies that directly test this hypothesis are lacking. Therefore, we performed a reciprocal split-brood experiment to compare TGP in response to N and water availability in single populations of two invasive (Amaranthus retroflexus, Galinsoga parviflora) and two congeneric non-invasive introduced species (Amaranthus albus, Galinsoga ciliata). We hypothesized that the transgenerational effect is adaptive: (1) in invasive species compared with non-invasive adventives, and (2) in stressful conditions compared with resource-rich environments. The phenotypic variation among offspring was generated, in large part, by our experimental treatments in the maternal generation; therefore, we demonstrated a direct TGP effect on the offspring’s adult fitness. We found evidence, for the first time, that invasive and non-invasive adventive species differ regarding the expression of TGP in the adult stage, as adaptive responses were found exclusively in the invasive species. The manifestation of TGP was more explicit under resource-rich conditions; therefore, it might contribute to the population dynamics of non-native species in resource-rich sites rather than to their ecological tolerance spectra.     

Can atmospheric input of nitrogen affect seed bank dynamics in habitats of conservation interest? The case of dune slacks

Questions: Does the increased atmospheric deposition of nitrogen, which can have major effects on the established vegetation of nutrient‐poor habitats, also impact germination from the soil seed bank? Location: Coastal dune slacks at Newborough Warren, Wales, UK. Methods: The effects of nitrogen addition (15 kg.ha^‐1.a^‐1) on seed germination from the soil seed bank were investigated using the seedling emergence method between September 2004 and February 2005. Results: More seedlings emerged from fertilised samples than unfertilised controls. Most species showed enhanced germination after fertilisation with nitrogen, with seedling numbers statistically significantly greater in nitrogen addition samples in a quarter of species abundant enough for analysis. Species that responded positively to fertilisation were species with low Ellenberg indicator values indicative of infertile sites. Conclusions: Most species showed increased germination after fertilisation with nitrogen, including early successional species normally growing in nutrient‐poor conditions. This suggests that the increased atmospheric deposition of nitrogen probably not only impacts on established vegetation, but also has the potential to alter seed bank dynamics.     

How much seed remains in the soil after a fire?

Soil seed banks that persist after a fire are important in fire-prone habitats as they minimise the risk of decline or local extinction in plants, should the fire-free interval be less than the primary juvenile periods of the species. In two common woody plant genera (Acacia and Grevillea) in southeastern Australia, we examined the size and location of the residual seed bank after fire across areas of varying seedling densities at three locations in comparison to the distribution of seeds in the soil at an unburnt site. We found viable dormant seeds remaining in the soil after fire (evidence of residual soil seed bank). A significantly lower proportion of seeds remained in the top 5 cm of soil than at 5–10 cm or 10–15 cm soil depths, independent of seedling density or plant genus. This was due to greater germination, and possibly some seed mortality, near the soil surface. Reduced germination below 5 cm was probably due to the reduced efficacy of the fire cues that break seed dormancy, a declining ability of seeds to emerge successfully from such depths, and the lower abundance of seeds in the soil at such depths. The magnitude of the residual seed bank was similar across 0–5, 5–10 and 10–15 cm soil depths in Acacia suaveolens. For two Grevillea species, most residual seeds were at 0–5 and 5–10 cm. The residual soil seed bank in the top 10 cm of soil after fire varied across sites with estimates of 0, 19 and 27% in G. speciosa and 23, 35, and 55% in A. suaveolens. At two sites, both species had similar residual seed bank sizes, while at a third, there were large differences between the species (0–55%). The observed patterns imply that the fire-related cues that break seed dormancy generally declined with soil depth. For Acacia, seed dormancy is broken by heat shock, a fire-cue that declines with soil depth. Some 250 species (approx 15% of the fire-prone flora) in the region are thought to have dormancy broken by heat shock. For Grevillea, where seed dormancy is broken by the interaction of smoke and heat shock, at two sites, we suggest three possibilities: (i) the smoke cue declined with soil depth; (ii) both heat and smoke are obligatory for breaking seed dormancy; or (iii) the cues may be independent and additive and below the zone of soil heating, only a proportion of available seeds had dormancy broken by smoke alone. At a third site (no residual seed bank detected) the smoke cue was predicted not to have declined with soil depth. Up to 900 species (just under half the fire-prone flora) in the study region are thought to have seed dormancy broken by the interaction of heat and smoke during the passage of a fire.