Variation in soil seed bank species composition of a dry coniferous forest: spatial scale and sampling considerations

Stark, Kaeli E.; Arsenault, André; Bradfield, Gary E.

doi:10.1007/s11258-007-9368-8

Cited by 22 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…In such instances, accurate species lists including rare and -from a restoration perspectivedesirable target species, such as ancient forest species, are crucial. Thompson, 1986;Bigwood and Inouye, 1988;Warr et al, 1993;Stark et al, 2008). Moreover, as far as overall species richness is concerned, all methodological variables influence the final number of species retrieved (Table 2).…”

Section: Methodology Constrains Seed-bank Recordsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seed banking in ancient forest species: why total sampled area really matters

et al. 2012

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This study investigates how methodological aspects of seed-bank sampling affect seed-bank records in temperate deciduous forests. We focused explicitly on seed-bank records of ancient forest species, which are assumed to lack a persistent seed bank; a hypothesis suspected to be partly due to methodological shortcomings. Through a quantitative review of 31 seed-bank studies in temperate deciduous forests of central and north-west Europe, we quantified the role of sampling methodology in constraining total seed-bank records and seed-bank records of ancient forest species (gamma-diversity, average species' retrieval frequency and average seed density). A major methodological trade-off was established between sampled plot area and the number of plots: at an increased number of plots, the area sampled per plot decreased significantly. The total surface area sampled in a study was the primary determinant of gamma-diversity, both for overall species richness and for ancient forest species richness. A high retrieval frequency of ancient forest species indicated that few plots were intensively sampled. The parallel increase in total species richness and ancient forest species richness and the non-significance of their ratio in relation to methodological variables suggests that ancient forest species are not particularly rare in the seed bank compared to other species. These results imply that sampling methodology has a far-reaching impact on seed-bank records such as gamma-diversity, the detection of ancient forest species and ultimately seed-bank composition. We formulate a set of guidelines to improve the quality of seed-bank studies in temperate deciduous forests

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Section: Methodology Constrains Seed-bank Recordsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bigwood and Inouye, 1988;Warr et al, 1993;Bossuyt et al, 2007;Stark et al, 2008). Bigwood and Inouye, 1988;Warr et al, 1993;Bossuyt et al, 2007;Stark et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed banking in ancient forest species: why total sampled area really matters

et al. 2012

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“…It can both accelerate seed germination as well as kill the seeds (Quintana‐Ascencio et al. 1996; Auld & Denhan 2006; Stark et al. 2008), and the effects depend on the seed tolerance to the high temperatures to which they are exposed during a fire event.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heat shock effects on seed germination of five Brazilian savanna species

2012

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Fire is considered an important factor in influencing the physiognomy, dynamics and composition of Neotropical savannas. Species of diverse physiognomies exhibit different responses to fire, such as population persistence and seed mortality, according to the fire frequency to which they are submitted. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of heat shocks on seed germination of Anadenanthera macrocarpa (Benth.) Brenan, Dalbergia miscolobium Benth., Aristolochia galeata Mart. & Zucc., Kielmeyera coriacea (Spreng.) Mart. and Guazuma ulmifolia Lam., which are native species of the Brazilian savanna. The temperatures and exposure times to which the seeds were submitted were established according to data obtained in the field during a prescribed fire: 60 °C (10, 20 and 40 min), 80 °C (5, 10 and 20 min) and 100 °C (2, 5 and 10 min). Untreated seeds were used as controls. Seeds of A. galeata and K. coriacea showed high tolerance to most heat treatments, and seeds of A. macrocarpa showed a significant reduction in germination percentage after treatments of 80 °C and 100 °C. Treatments of 100 °C for 10 min reduced germination percentage for all species except G. ulmifolia, which has dormant seeds. For this species, germination was accelerated by heat treatments. The high temperatures applied did not interfere with the time to 50% germination (T(50) ) of the tolerant seeds. Seeds of the savanna species K. coriacea and A. galeata were more tolerant to heat shocks than seeds of the forest species A. macrocarpa. Guazuma ulmifolia, the forest species with seeds that germinate after heat shock, also occurs in savanna physiognomies. Overall, the high temperatures applied did not affect the germination rate of the tolerant seeds.

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“…More recent studies by Stark et al. () and Van Calster et al. () corroborated this by revealing that increased core sample numbers did indeed result in progressively more precise seed bank estimates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 77%

“…However, there remains little empirical or visual evidence on fine, plot‐scale seed bank patterns, despite their relevance to sampling (Stark et al. ; Plue et al. ) and ecosystem functioning (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consistent seed bank spatial structure across semi‐natural habitats determines plot sampling

Plue

Hermy

2011

J Vegetation Science

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Question Seed bank sampling remains a critical bottleneck to the quality of studies investigating community patterns in the seed bank. The main cause is a large knowledge gap in two aspects critical to sampling, i.e. spatial autocorrelation and species–area relations. The central question of this study is how the seed bank of a single plot should be sampled, in order to obtain more precise estimates on plot seed bank characteristics, without resorting to a disproportionate investment of available resources. Similar seed bank samples may then enable better plot‐based statistical inference of ecological patterns in the seed bank in community ecology studies. Location Semi‐natural habitats in Flanders (Belgium) and northern France. Methods We investigated the fine‐scale spatial structure of individual seed banking species across 12 2.1 m × 2.1 m plots in three widespread habitats: temperate forest, grassland and heathland. Soil core samples (128) were collected in each plot, using a combined systematic (64) and random design (64). This enabled both geostatistical analyses of the fine‐scale spatial structure of individual species–plot combinations as well as the calculation of sampled‐based species rarefaction curves. Results Fine‐scale (i.e. within plot) spatial seed bank structure was detected in all plots in each habitat, in at least one or usually more plant species. Over half of the species records displayed significant spatial structure – visible as a random distribution of seed clusters – with medium to strong spatial dependence between point observations of a species of ca. 30 cm. Species rarefaction curves did not attain an asymptote at the actual sampling intensity of 128 samples. Seven out of 12 extrapolated species rarefaction curves did reach an asymptote in less than 384 samples. Conclusions Using these consistent results in spatial structure and species–area relations across habitats, we present a method of how researchers can develop a tailor‐made seed bank design to accommodate their individual needs, abiding by simple predefined boundaries. When the tailored design samples ca. 3% of a plot surface area along a systematic grid with a mesh width of at least 30 cm, these studies will potentially significantly increase the comparability among future seed bank community studies in semi‐natural habitats.

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Variation in soil seed bank species composition of a dry coniferous forest: spatial scale and sampling considerations

Cited by 22 publications

References 30 publications

Seed banking in ancient forest species: why total sampled area really matters

Seed banking in ancient forest species: why total sampled area really matters

Heat shock effects on seed germination of five Brazilian savanna species

Consistent seed bank spatial structure across semi‐natural habitats determines plot sampling

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