I know many researchers studied the soil seed bank of many species (trees, shrubs, perennial or annual plants) grown naturally or planted. my question highlighted the the important of the seed bank studies and how we can evaluate the effect of investing seed bank on restoration and conservation of vegetation and what the main direct decisions to be applied when the study discover low seed capacity in the soil or may scarce seed need for regeneration. some one advice replanting or seed broadcasting during rainy season but these methods may not succeed especially in arid area .
SSBs are a good store of seeds, particularly dormant ones that stay over a very long period of time, some do as much as decades. That in itself is a potential "holding area" for plant biodiversity even when such soils were initially cleared of all plants.
Answer for such question is not simple. In general role of the seedbank in restoration of vegetation depends on type of the habitat in question as well as adaptation of plants to storing seeds in soils. In temperate regions non-forest plants are known to built seedbanks more often than forest plants. Non-woody plants are more often adapted to storing seeds in soil seedbanks than woody plants. Most probably, longevity of seeds depends also on type of soil. Thus, there are many factors, which may affect seedbank importance. You must look for the answer in the very precisely specified environmental context. I'm not familiar with seedbanks of arid areas, thus, I can't help to find specific solutions for you.
Very interesting question.
Yes, what has been said is absolutely correct. I would just like to add that those species that form 1. a short-term SSB, 2. have a small seed production, 3. or even do not have dormant seeds are endangered taxa from the point of view of restore and conserve of vegetation. Fortunately, such species tend to have other life strategies that successfully help stabilize their populations.
I have experience that nature conservation usually does not used the natural SSB in the management and monitoring of protected plant species.
Soil seed banks are important for the natural regeneration in an area. The input of seeds is from the vegetation in the area and/or neighboring area. However, when a piece of land is badly degraded like clear-cut and burned. Natural regeneration from soil seed banks is limited due to damage to the soil seed bank and a decrease in seed input to the area. Replanting or direct seedling are ways to accelerate natural regeneration by creating conditions to attract seed dispersal and increase seed input to the area.
Seed banks show historical contribution and enable continued regeneration
Soil seed banks are critical to my work here in California, and a lot of times, there are up to 200 million dormant seeds that are between 100 and 250 years old in the soil in every hectare. But they will not sprout until the top 4 cm of soil has the thresholds for nutrients AND organic matter that the seedlings need to survive.
First find a reproducing population of each of the native plants you want to unearth that grows in a particular area, and do soil samples from the top 4 cm around the seedlings, and get your threshold numbers for nutrients and organic matter. Then test barren areas, and add the missing nutrients. You should not need to add extra water.
My current project in the Town of Woodside, south of San Francisco at the Kite Hill Preserve across from 144 Alta Mesa, is unearthing dormant seeds at the rate of 10-20 per square cm, picture attached.
The longevity of native seeds in soil seed banks is based on its lifestyle: Annuals 200-300 years or more. Perennial herbaceous including grasses 100-200 years. Shrubs 50-100 years, Legume family trees 100+, maybe up to 400. Non-legume trees 10-25 years.
Get a 100% cover of annuals to start, then you can work into the perennial herbaceous, then shrubs and trees last. I have a lot of arid lands restoration studies on my Research Gate page at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Craig-Dremann/research
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