Soil seed bank of an alpine lichen heath in the Northwestern Caucasus: species richness
Abstract
Soil seed bank of an alpine lichen heath was studied by sampling a whole 0.49 m2 plot with subsamples of 10x10 cm size. Germination process continued during three years. 18 species were identified in the seed bank. The species composition was similar to our earlier findings. Species area dependence was analysed in series of plots from 0.01 to 0.49 m2. No significant differences were found between floristic diversity of viable seeds in the soil and floristic diversity of aboveground vegetation at the same plot sizes. Cumulative curve of species richness depending on amount of samples showed that ten to twenty samples are enough to reveal most of the species persisting in the seed bank. Differences between years of sampling as well as species richness dependence on amount of samples and total area of sampling are discussed.
© PRUNELLA Publishers
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, elctronic, recording, etc. without the prior written permission of the publisher, PRUNELLA Publishers - RNDr. Marián Janiga, CSc., Vavra Šrobára 1524/6, 03401 Ružomberok, Slovakia, IČO: 30 525 764. Permission requests for creating new collective works, for resale, for advertising or promotional purposes, or for general distribution, should be addressed to the publisher as mentioned in the Slovak Copyright Law. Free submission of an article for publication entails the author(s) irrevocable authorization of the publisher to collect any sums or considerations for copying or reproduction payable by third parties, as mentioned in the Slovak Copyright Law. EV 3492/09.
