Soil Seed Bank Study at Gera Moist Evergreen Afromontane Forest, Jimma Zone of Oromia Regional State, Southwest Ethiopia
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Date
2014-06
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Addis Ababa Universty
Abstract
Soil seed banks are important sources of new individuals for many plant populations and
contribute to future genetic variability. The objective of this study was to investigate the
composition and density of soil seed bank and natural regeneration status at Gera moist
afromontane forest. A total of fifty quadrats were established in the selected sites. The quadrat
size (30m × 30 m) for trees, shrubs and herbs and with seedling (height ≤ 1.0 m), sapling (height
between 1 and 3 m) and mature tree/shrub (height >3 m) laid down to examine similarity
between standing vegetation and seed bank flora as well as natural regeneration of the study
site. Soil samples were collected from the main quadrats measuring 15 cm X 15 cm and from
four soil layers, the litter layer and three successive layers (0-3 cm, 3-6 cm, and 6-9 cm). A total
of 66 plant species germinated from all the soil samples collected for the investigation. Herbs
dominated the soil seed bank representing nearly 65.7% of the identified species. The
distribution of seeds through the profile indicated a sharp decline in abundance with depth. The
greatest reserves of seeds were in the surface layer of the soil (0-3 cm). Between the standing
vegetation and the soil seed bank there was very low similarity (JCS = 0.08-0.28). However,
there was a general tendency of appearance of native woody species from the soil seed bank as
evidenced by the germination of few woody species. This implies that reliance on the soil seed
bank for the recovery of native woody species is worthy for Gera moist afromontane forest.
Key words/phrases: - Gera Forest, Seed density, Soil seed bank, Species composition
Description
Keywords
Gera Forest, Seed density, Soil seed bank, Species composition