The risk in using seed banks as restoration tools in isolated semi-natural grasslands surrounding urban areas

  • Koyama Asuka
    Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute
  • Koyanagi Tomoyo F
    Field Studies Institute for Environmental Education, Tokyo Gakugei University
  • Noda Akira
    Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Sciences, Toho University
  • Nishihiro Jun
    Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Sciences, Toho University
  • Okabe Kimiko
    Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute

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Other Title
  • 都市近郊に位置する孤立草地の埋土種子相に隠されたリスク: 草原性植物の残存個体群の保全に向けた課題
  • トシ キンコウ ニ イチ スル コリツ クサチ ノ マイド シュシソウ ニ カクサレタ リスク : ソウゲンセイ ショクブツ ノ ザンソン コタイグン ノ ホゼン ニ ムケタ カダイ

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Many native plant species confined to isolated semi-natural grasslands are threatened by local extinction. We evaluated, therefore, the potential role of soil seed banks in the persistence and recovery of native grassland plant populations. We compared species richness and composition between aboveground vegetation and soil seed banks from both surface and lower layers using a seed germination test in isolated grasslands dominated by Miscanthus sinensis and Pleioblastus chino. Although the aboveground vegetation was dominated by native species, exotic species were much more abundant in the surface seed bank than native species, seeds of which were also few in the lower soil layer. The large difference in community composition between aboveground vegetation and seed banks for both native and exotic species, and the similar species compositions between surface and lower soil seed banks suggest that soil seed banks do not contribute to the persistence and recovery of native grassland plant populations in isolated semi-natural grasslands. Moreover, if seed banks were used as restoration tools, the dominance of exotic species poses an unexpectedly high risk of invasion.

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