Abstract

MOSCOSO MARIN, Luz Bibiana  and  DIEZ GOMEZ, Maria Claudia. SOIL SEED BANK IN AN OAK FOREST FROM THE COLOMBIAN CENTRAL CORDILLERA. Rev. Fac. Nac. Agron. Medellín [online]. 2005, vol.58, n.2, pp.2931-2944. ISSN 0304-2847.

Soil seed banks are important for ecosystem functioning because they stores species ready to germinate when a perturbation occurs or when environmental conditions change to start the successional process.  The main objective of this research was to evaluate the spatial variation of seed banks and its relation with the current vegetation in a highland Andean forest dominated by oak (Quercus humbodtii Bonpl.) at 2.290 m.a.s.l. in the watershed of the Piedras Blancas stream, in the department of Antioquia, Colombia. We sampled 57 points in a 6.400 m² plot established in that forest. In each point we collected one sample each of litter and soil. We also established five subplots of 160 m² each for sampling vegetation. Seed banks were assessed by the method of direct germination. We obtained 204 trees belonging to 25 families and 41 genera. The most representative tree species were Alfaroa cf. colombiana, Myrcia popayanensis Rich. and Quercus humboldtii Bonpl. We obtained 428 individuals from soil samples and 113 individuals from litter samples in the germination trial, belonging to 20 morpho species. Species composition of the soil seed bank did not reflect the composition of the forest vegetation, and we found mainly herbaceous and shrub vegetation. Litter had 198 seeds m^-2 and soil had 4.330 seeds m^-2. There was large spatial variation in the amount of seeds in this forest fragment.

Keywords : Seed bank; Andean highland forests; oak forest; density; spatial distribution; species diversity; richness; germination; regeneration.

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