The relationship between the seed bank and species composition of plant communities in two British salt marshes

The composition of the seed bank was compared with that of the above-ground vegetation in two British salt marshes. Vegetation and seed banks were sampled in autumn and spring. There was a relatively low correlation between seed bank and vegetation in most perennial-dominated zones. Percentage annual plant cover was significantly positively correlated to percentage similarity value between vegetation and seed bank. Cluster analysis indicated that the zones dominated by annuals and by Suaeda vera on the ungrazed Nod Marsh in Norfolk formed groups between seed bank and vegetation, whereas on the Llanrhidian Marsh in Wales the seed bank of four of the six zones formed a group.     

The relationship between the soil seed bank and above-ground vegetation of a coastal barrier island

Abstract. The germinable soil seed bank is described from a coastal barrier island off the northwest coast of Florida, USA. Soil samples collected from seven vegetation types, recently deposited dredge spoil and unvegetated areas in autumn 1990 and spring 1991 were placed out in greenhouse trays. 110 taxa germinated from the samples with the largest number (41) being C₃ perennial dicots. The largest number of taxa germinated from dry (57) and wet (54) swales, the fewest (one species: Heterotheca subaxillaris) from strand. Similarity of seed bank densities to above-ground species cover was low (Jaccard's Index = 0.36), not different between vegetation types, but higher in the autumn than in the following spring. Compositional gradients in the seed bank and above-ground vegetation determined using DCA ordination were highly correlated and related to distance from mean high water, and plot elevation. At the landscape scale, the seed bank provided an equally clear delineation of vegetation types to that based upon the above-ground vegetation. The seed bank of low disturbance, late-succession vegetation types (wooded dunes, swales, marshes) was well developed (high species richness, emergent density, and percentage annual species) with the exception that the large-seeded woody species (i.e. Quercus spp.) were absent from the wooded dune seed bank. By contrast, a poorly developed and transient seed bank occurred in more frequently disturbed (extensive sand movement, salt spray), early successional dredge spoil, unvegetated areas and strand. These contrasts support a general pattern of increasing seed bank development and a persistent rather than transient seed bank with decreasing disturbance frequency, increasing time since disturbance and successional maturity.     

Soil seed bank and regeneration potential on eroded hill slopes in the Kondoa Irangi Hills,central Tanzania

Abstract. The soil seed bank of the severely eroded Kondoa Irangi Hills, Tanzania was studied in order to determine the seed density and composition and to establish the relationship between seed bank and standing vegetation. The area had not been grazed for 15 yr prior to the study. A recently grazed area was used for comparison. The seed bank density (at 0 - 5 cm depth) ranged from 344 to 915 8 seeds/m² in the dry season and 172 to 5107 seeds/m² in the wet season. The seed bank was very heterogeneous, both spatially and temporally, and it showed significant variation in size and composition in both sampling periods. The species similarity between the seed bank and the above-ground vegetation in all plots was low (Sørensen's index = 0.00–0.44). The highest similarity was found in the recently grazed area. The seed bank was dominated by annuals and by early successional species. It is concluded that re-vegetating the hill slopes with woody vegetation by using the seed bank will be difficult because seeds of woody species were not found in the soil.     

Seed bank assembly in an unmanaged ruderal grassland recovering from long-term exposure to industrial emissions

The main aim of this 3-year study was to relate the temporal patterns in seed bank composition of a ruderal grassland previously subjected to industrial pollution with the successional patterns in the above-ground vegetation. In particular, we tested whether the observed changes conformed to a paradigm of declining seed numbers and diversity and decreasing similarity between seed bank and vegetation, as previously formulated for secondary successions. We found that seed numbers and the number of species per soil sample increased during the 3 years of the study. The compositional similarity between seed bank and vegetation did increase for the 0–2 cm surface layer, and remained roughly constant for deeper soil layers. Thus, the patterns found differed from those of other secondary successional communities and do not support the tested paradigm. Rather, our findings resemble those from a number of primary successional ecosystems. We suggest that temporal patterns of similarity between seed bank and vegetation should be interpreted in terms of the factors that determine the relative rates of compositional change in vegetation and seed bank at different stages of succession. Our study also provides information about the seed bank persistence of 22 species, including several species for which such knowledge previously was scarce. In particular, this study indicates the extreme longevity of the seeds of the halophytic grass Puccinellia distans. Several years after its rapid decline in the vegetation, this species dominated the seed bank, and no measurable decline in seed density was detected during this study.     

黄河三角洲滨海湿地地下水位变化对土壤种子库特征的影响

地下水位是影响湿地生态系统结构和功能的重要环境因子之一,然而其如何影响滨海湿地土壤种子库特征尚不清楚。通过地下水位控制试验,研究黄河三角洲滨海非潮汐湿地地下水位梯度（-20、-60、-100 cm）下,土壤种子库密度、物种多样性等特征,并通过土壤化学指标与对应的土壤种子库特征之间的通径分析,探讨地下水位深度变化对土壤种子库特征的影响机理。研究发现,在该区域秋季采样的土壤种子库中,碱蓬和盐地碱蓬的种子数量最多;地下水位变化对土壤种子库密度无显著影响,但对土壤种子库的物种组成影响较大,随着地下水位深度增加,多年生草本植物种类呈增加趋势。整体上,随着地下水位深度增加,土壤种子库的Margalef丰富度指数和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数随之增大。主成分分析表明,土壤盐是影响黄河三角洲滨海湿地土壤种子库组成特征的主导因素,贡献率为69.482%,土壤养分为次要影响因素,贡献率为23.710%,进一步通径分析表明,土壤水溶性盐总量对种子库物种多样性起到限制作用,同时,有效磷浓度通过水溶性盐总量对Margalef指数和Shannon-Wiener指数表现为间接负作用,总磷浓度对种子库与地上植被相似性起到促进作用。研究表明,黄河三角洲滨海湿地地下水位深度变化,主要通过影响土壤水溶性盐总量,进而影响土壤种子库物种多样性。     

Similarity between seed banks and above‐ground vegetation along a salinity gradient

Abstract. Zonation of above‐ground vegetation often occurs in salt marshes along salinity and moisture gradients. The above‐ground vegetation and seed bank in four physiognomically different vegetation zones in a salt marsh were compared to determine their level of similarity using percent similarity as a distance measure. 10‐m transects were established along a salinity gradient through four different vegetation zones; a Salicornia zone, a Salicornia‐Atriplex zone, an Atriplex zone and an Atriplex‐Hordeum zone. A UPGMA cluster analysis demonstrated that the above‐ground vegetation was not usually highly correlated with the seed bank composition of zonal communities. Since seeds of these annual salt marsh species occurred in all zones, the levels of salt stress may be the main factor determining which species were found in the above‐ground vegetation.     

Soil seed bank in different habitats of the Eastern Desert of Egypt

The floristic composition and species diversity of the germinable soil seed bank were studied in three different habitats (desert salinized land, desert wadi, and reclaimed land) in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Moreover, the degree of similarity between the seed bank and the above-ground vegetation was determined. The seed bank was studied in 40 stands representing the three habitats. Ten soil samples (each 25 × 20 cm and 5 cm depth) were randomly taken per stand. The seed bank was investigated by the seedling emergence method. Some 61 species belonging to 21 families and 54 genera were identified in the germinable seed bank. The recorded species include 43 annuals and 18 perennials. Ordination of stands by Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) indicates that the stands of the three habitats are markedly distinguishable and show a clear pattern of segregation on the ordination planes. This indicates variations in the species composition among habitats. The results also demonstrate significant associations between the floristic composition of the seed bank and edaphic factors such as CaCO₃, electrical conductivity, organic carbon and soil texture. The reclaimed land has the highest values of species richness, Shannon-index of diversity and the density of the germinable seed bank followed by the habitats of desert wadi and desert salinized land. Motyka’s similarity index between the seed bank and the above-ground vegetation is significantly higher in reclaimed land (75.1%) compared to desert wadi (38.4%) and desert salinized land (36.5%).     

Persistent soil seed banks and floristic diversity in Fagus orientalis forest communities in the Hyrcanian vegetation region of Iran

We assessed the size of seed bank, species diversity and similarity between seed bank and standing vegetation in four oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) community types of the central Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran. For this purpose a total of 52 relevés was established in two associations and two subassociations of the beech forests, and six soil samples (20 × 20 cm square and to a depth of 10 cm) were collected in each relevé in mid-spring, after the germination season had ended. Soil seed bank was investigated using the seedling emergence method. A total of 63 species, 57 genera and 36 families was represented in the persistent soil seed bank of the forest communities. The seed bank contained 28 species not found as adult plants in the vegetation, but these were mostly early successional species. Size of the seed bank ranged from 3740 to 4676 individuals m⁻² in the Rusco hyrcani-Fagetum orientalis and Danae racemosae-Fagetum orientalis associations, respectively. Species composition of seed banks and aboveground vegetation had low similarity with an average of 24.3% in the four plant communities, because only 38% of the species were the same in the vegetation and the seed banks. Most seeds in the seed bank were from early successional species, and the only tree with a large persistent seed bank was the fast-growing pioneer Alnus subcordata. DCA ordination also demonstrated low similarity between soil seed bank and vegetation. The soil seed banks of the four beech communities did not differ significantly in size, composition, diversity and uniformity. Although above ground vegetation in the four community types is floristically distinct, there is considerable overlap among the soil seed banks because they contain in a similar way early successional species. Further, the absence of typical forest species in the soil seed bank indicates that restoration of forest tree species cannot rely on the soil seed bank.     

洞庭湖青山垸退耕地不同水位土壤种子库特征

研究退耕地土壤种子库的组成特点和分布规律是评价受损湿地生态恢复效应的重要组成部分.本文以洞庭湖典型退田还湖区——青山垸为对象,研究了不同水位及湿地土壤(0～2、2～5和5～10 cm)种子库的大小、物种组成多样性及其与地上植被的关系.结果表明: 青山垸土壤种子库密度、丰富度指数以及地上植被与土壤种子库的相似性系数沿低-中-高水位梯度呈“V”型变化.常淹区种子库密度最高,为(36943±5207)粒·m^-2,偶淹区最低,为(18618±6977)粒·m^-2,洪淹区居中,为(30572±5329)粒·m^-2;地上植被与土壤种子库的相似性系数(Sorensen系数)为常淹区(0.76)>洪淹区(0.53)>偶淹区(0.41).种子库密度、物种多样性指数和物种丰富度指数沿土壤剖面呈递减趋势,但不同水位的递减幅度存在差异.种子库密度、物种丰富度以及地上植被与湿地种子库的相似性系数沿水位梯度呈规律性变化,与其所处的地理位置水文波动和植被的物种生活型组成等密切相关.     

Long-term monitoring of the restoration and development of limestone grasslands in north western Germany: Vegetation screening and soil seed bank analysis

We analysed the long-term development of limestone grasslands in West- and Central Europe (Mesobromion: Gentiano-Koelerietum) under conditions of restoration comparing vegetation changes with the composition of its corresponding soil seed bank over a time period from 1992 to 2005. Because of optimal climatic, edaphic and geomorphologic conditions restoration of vegetation developed gradually into the optimal phase of the typical limestone grassland vegetation type. However, the development of the soil seed bank compared to that of the actual vegetation cover is much slower, and even after 13 years all three study plots did not reach the optimal phase compared to soil seed bank composition from well-developed control vegetation nearby. This finding agrees with the assumption that after changes of management limestone grasslands need decades or even centuries to develop into self-sustaining species-rich habitats. We also monitored the orchid Ophrys insectifera as target species and characteristic species of this type of plant association over the last 27 years. Here, population density increased continuously over time indicating that vegetation restoration efforts of the last decades have had a positive effect.We further documented that the data obtained for the soil seed bank largely depend on the applied method used for the characterization of the soil seed bank. The seedling emergence and the rinsing method provided different results, and in case of our study area the rinsing method was mostly superior. The rinsing method detected up to 20fold higher total seed numbers.     

Seed bank assembly in an unmanaged ruderal grassland recovering from long-term exposure to industrial emissions

The main aim of this 3-year study was to relate the temporal patterns in seed bank composition of a ruderal grassland previously subjected to industrial pollution with the successional patterns in the above-ground vegetation. In particular, we tested whether the observed changes conformed to a paradigm of declining seed numbers and diversity and decreasing similarity between seed bank and vegetation, as previously formulated for secondary successions. We found that seed numbers and the number of species per soil sample increased during the 3 years of the study. The compositional similarity between seed bank and vegetation did increase for the 0–2 cm surface layer, and remained roughly constant for deeper soil layers. Thus, the patterns found differed from those of other secondary successional communities and do not support the tested paradigm. Rather, our findings resemble those from a number of primary successional ecosystems. We suggest that temporal patterns of similarity between seed bank and vegetation should be interpreted in terms of the factors that determine the relative rates of compositional change in vegetation and seed bank at different stages of succession. Our study also provides information about the seed bank persistence of 22 species, including several species for which such knowledge previously was scarce. In particular, this study indicates the extreme longevity of the seeds of the halophytic grass Puccinellia distans. Several years after its rapid decline in the vegetation, this species dominated the seed bank, and no measurable decline in seed density was detected during this study.     

Short-term and long-term variation in seed bank/vegetation relations along an environmental and successional gradient

The seed bank along a successional and environmental gradient was analysed. Soil was collected in 3-cm thick horizons from permanent plots along two transects across a land uplift seashore, spanning several centuries of succession from shoreline to mature forest. Vegetation in the plots was recorded when the soil was sampled and also 9 and 15 yr before that. Within- and between-plot effects on seed bank./vegetation relationships were analysed using estimates of seed longevity. Sorensen's similarity index and mean Ellenberg indicator values.
A seed bank longevity index was constructed by using the database by Thompson et al, (1997 The soil seed banks of north west Europe. Methodology, density and longevity, Cambridge Univ Press), for all species with more than one entry in the database. For species with one or no entry, an internal Index was constructed. The two indices were correlated and it was suggested that the internal index should be used where the Thompson database is insufficient.
There were small differences between the upper three soil horizons in seed density, in similarity with the vegetation and in mean Ellenberg values. The highest seed densities and seed bank/vegetation similarities were found at the shoreline, after that the density and the similarity decreased with increasing successional age, with the mature forest having very low seed density and similarity values. Weighted mean Ellenberg indicator values for light, nitrogen, salt and moisture differed between vegetation and seed bank. For the seed bank, the mean Ellenberg values for light, moisture and nitrogen and weighted mean of seed bank longevity indices showed a trend along one of the transects.     

Seasonal variation in seed bank composition and its interaction with nutrient enrichment in the Everglades wetlands

In the Florida Everglades, nutrient enrichment from agricultural outflow and the change in hydrology have collectively contributed to the expansion of cattails (Typha spp.). To assess the effectiveness of prescribed fire in controlling cattails and to predict vegetation dynamics after the fire, it is important to understand the seasonal variation of the soil seed bank and how the seed bank is affected by nutrient enrichment and fire. This paper investigates the effects of season, nutrient enrichment, and fire on soil seed bank species composition, richness, and density along a nutrient gradient in Water Conservation Area 2A (WCA 2A) of the Florida Everglades. Species richness was significantly affected by nutrient enrichment and season but not their interaction. Total seed density, however, was significantly affected by the interaction between nutrient enrichment and season. Yet, at species level, the relationship between seed density, nutrient enrichment and season varied. The highest seed density of cattail occurred in summer at highly enriched sites, but that of sawgrass occurred in fall regardless of enrichment; the seed density of water lily was very low regardless of season and nutrient enrichment, and the highest Amarathus seed density occurred at highly enriched sites year round. Moreover, germination timing differed greatly among species. While cattail seeds had a short incubation period and started to germinate 2–3 days after initiation of the germination assay, sawgrass seeds generally started to germinate 4 weeks later. Further, both the prescribed summer fire at the highly enriched site and the natural winter fire at the moderately enriched site reduced the seed density of cattail but not of sawgrass. Our results suggest that fire application for vegetation recovery in WCA 2A would benefit from explicitly considering seasonal dynamics of the seed bank.     

Seed bank composition and above-ground vegetation in response to grazing in sub-Mediterranean oak forests (NW Greece)

We investigate the persistent soil seed bank composition and its relation to the above-ground flora of grazed and non-grazed sub-Mediterranean deciduous oak forests of NW Greece. Twenty-eight taxa were recorded in the soil seed bank and 83 taxa (70 taxa in plots of seed bank sampling) in the above-ground vegetation. The dominant tree species and many woodland species found in the above-ground vegetation were absent from the soil seed bank. Similarity between the soil seed bank and the above-ground vegetation decreased with grazing, and grazing led to a decrease of species richness in above-ground vegetation and soil seed bank. Beta diversity of vegetation among grazed and among non-grazed plots did not differ, but was significantly higher between grazed and non-grazed areas. Beta diversity of the soil seed bank declined with grazing. When applying classification tree and logistic regression analyses, non-grazed forest sites are clearly differentiated by the presence of Phillyrea latifolia, Euphorbia amygdaloides and Brachypodium sylvaticum. PCA ordination of above-ground species composition reflected a gradient from sites grazed by ruminants to non-grazed sites, but no clear structure was detected in the seed bank.     

洮河上游紫果云杉群落土壤种子库特征及其与地上植被的关系

该研究以甘肃洮河国家级自然保护区大峪沟林区(TH)、冶力关林区(YLG)、尕海 则岔国家级自然保护区则岔林区(GZ)的紫果云杉(Picea purpurea)天然林群落为研究对象,通过样地调查与萌发实验,分析洮河上游紫果云杉群落土壤种子库特征,以揭示洮河上游紫果云杉群落土壤种子库特征及与地上植被的关系,为紫果云杉群落恢复和管理提供依据。结果表明：(1)3个林区土壤种子库共萌发27科45属50种植物,种子库密度在958~1 129粒/m²之间,草本植物是构成研究区土壤种子库的主体。(2)3个林区紫果云杉群落土壤种子库垂直结构明显,物种数及种子密度随土层的加深呈减少趋势。(3)3个林区地上植被物种数大于土壤种子库物种数,相似性系数在0.15~0.23之间,表现为极不相似性;土壤种子库的多样性指数除Pielou指数高于地上植被外,Margalef指数、Shannon Wiener指数、Simpson指数均低于地上植被。研究认为,洮河上游紫果云杉群落土壤种子库以草本植物为主,乔木和灌木的储量较小,特别是建群种紫果云杉的储量较小;地上植被和土壤种子库之间相互的贡献力较低,仅依靠紫果云杉林土壤种子库进行自然恢复,远不能缓解现阶段紫果云杉林退化的问题,因此需开展人工育苗、造林等措施来促进紫果云杉的更新与发展。     

Disturbance regimes as determinants of seed banks in coastal dune vegetation of the southeastern Cape

Soil-stored seed banks of grassland, fynbos and thicket, all growing on calcareous dunes and each subject to different disturbance regimes, were examined. Seed banks were determined from counts of germinants from 50 soil cores from each type. Aboveground estimates of plant species cover in 10 1-m² plots were used in determining vegetation/seed bank similarities. There was no evidence for seed bank densities to be markedly higher in the most frequently disturbed community (grassland -4273 seeds/m²) than the least disturbed community (thicket - 3417 seeds/m²). Highest similarity between seed bank and above-ground vegetation composition in terms of species and growth form/life-span classes was recorded for grassland (CC = 50%). Lowest similarity (CC = 13%) was found in the less frequently disturbed thicket where no seeds of climax trees were recorded in the seed bank. A fynbos community on a north-facing (warm, dry) slope had intermediate-sized seed banks (1683 seeds/m²) with intermediate vegetation/seed bank similarity (CC = 46%). However, on the south-facing slope, which has a large post-fire ephemeral herb component, seed banks were larger (4518 seeds/m²) but less similar to above-ground vegetation (CC = 39%o). Ordination (DCA) of vegetation data from the four communities was different from an ordination of their seed bank data. Fynbos shrub species were absent from seed banks of both grassland and thicket, even though secondary succession proceeds from grassland, through fynbos to thicket. Their seed banks appear less persistent than those of European heath or Californian chaparral shrubs.     

Influence of Grazing on Soil Seed Banks Determines the Restoration Potential of Aboveground Vegetation in a Semi‐arid Savanna of Ethiopia

Species composition, number of emerging seedlings, species diversity and functional group of the soil seed banks, and the influence of grazing on the similarity between the soil seed banks and aboveground vegetation, were studied in 2008 and 2009 in a semi‐arid savanna of Ethiopia. We tested whether the availability of persistent seeds in the soil could drive the transition from a degraded system under heavy grazing to healthy vegetation with ample perennial grasses. A total of 77 species emerged from the soil seed bank samples: 21 annual grasses, 12 perennial grasses, 4 herbaceous legumes, 39 forbs, and 1 woody species. Perennial grass species dominated the lightly grazed sites, whereas the heavily grazed sites were dominated by annual forbs. Heavy grazing reduced the number of seeds that can germinate in the seed bank. Species richness in the seed bank was, however, not affected by grazing. With increasing soil depth, the seed density and its species richness declined. There was a higher similarity in species composition between the soil seed bank and aboveground vegetation at the lightly grazed sites compared with the heavily grazed sites. The mean similarity between the seed banks and aboveground vegetation was relatively low, indicating the effect of heavy grazing. Moreover, seeds of perennial grasses were less abundant in the soil seed banks under heavy grazing. We concluded that restoration of grass and woody species from the soil seed banks in the heavily grazed areas could not be successful in semi‐arid savannas of Ethiopia.     

Can the soil seed bank contribute to revegetation of the drawdown zone in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region?

The drawdown zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region was assumed to be completely formed in 2009 and the water level would range from ~145 m in flood season (summer) to ~175 m during non-flood season (winter). The soil seed bank is an important propagule source for vegetation restoration. In order to evaluate the potential of the soil seed bank to revegetate the drawdown zone of this region, we examined the quantitative relationships between the germinable soil seed bank and the established vertical and horizontal vegetation patterns. A total of 45 soil samples at four sites was collected to examine seed bank density, species richness, and composition using the seedling-emergence method. Forty-five species (from 20 families) germinated from the soil seed bank, and the average seed density was 4578 m⁻². The seed bank was dominated by annual plants, suggesting reestablishment of some above-ground species was plausible. However, most established woody plants and perennials were absent from the seed bank indicating a low probability of reestablishment for non-annuals through the seed bank. Thus, due to low species compositional similarity to extant vegetation and the dominance of annual plants, the soil seed bank had a low potential to restore pre-dam vegetation in the drawdown zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, but its potential as a propagule source should be considered regarding the management of the drawdown zone for vegetation cover.     

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.     

Germinable soil seed bank of a gallery forest in Brazilian Cerrado

The soil seed bank is a dynamic biotic component of plant communities that represents the population’s memory in relation to selective events. Few studies have investigated the natural stock of germinable seeds in the gallery forests to evaluate their regeneration potential, although they are target of anthropogenic action. Thus, seasonal, horizontal, and vertical qualitative and quantitative variations of the seed bank of a gallery forest in the Brazilian Cerrado were studied to test the influence of the climatic seasonality, the influence of the physical structure, and depth of the soil in different microhabitats of the forest in this natural seed store. It was also compared the richness and abundance of species in the germinable seed bank with the above-ground vegetation. Three hundred and seventy-five soil samples were collected at the beginning (April 1998 and 1999) and at the end of the dry season (September 1998). These samples were collected in three microhabitats distributed transversally in relation to drainage line of a large stream, at five depths. The density of germinable seeds decreases with depth, and is similar among microhabitats and seasons. In 24,690 cm³ of soil and 4.05 m² of litter, 1390 seedlings emerged, being 743 dicotyledons and 647 monocotyledons. From 761 survivors, 263 were Cyperaceae, 206 Melastomataceae, 153 Poaceae, and 82 Onagraceae, the most abundant families. This study suggests that the diversity of the germinable soil seed bank is lower than that of the above-ground vegetation of the forest, and that the soil seed bank is not the principal regeneration form of this environment.