Abstract

MONTENEGRO-S., ALBA L.; AVILA PARRA, YUDY A.; MENDIVELSO-CH., HOOZ A.  and  VARGAS, ORLANDO. Potential of the seed bank in the regeneration of plant communities at Jaboque wetland, Bogotá, Colombia. Caldasia [online]. 2006, vol.28, n.2, pp.285-306. ISSN 0366-5232.

The germinable seed bank (SB) was studied in six patches of vegetation in the preserved area of the Jaboque wetland, 1) Rumex conglomeratus - Polygonum sp. 2) Juncus effusus - Polygonum sp. 3) Typha latifolia 4) Juncus effusus 5) Pennisetum clandestinum - Polygonum sp. 6) Pennisetum clandestinum - Holcus lanatus. In each patch was evaluated) the composition and density of the SB species) the type of SB that possesses some of the native species of the wetland, and the similarity between composition of the SB and the vegetation. Currently, the SB of Jaboque wetland has a variable degradation in all patches, due to high dominance of few species and the presence of opportunity species seeds in all vegetation patches. Therefore, after a disturbance the SB has a low potential to reestablishment of wetland vegetation. Besides, if the generated conditions by the disturbance allow to germination and establishment of opportunist species, these can contribute to the replacement and elimination of native wetland species. Based on the presence of own species of the wetland in the SB and the vegetation patches, it is evident there are three types of vulnerability to the local extinction. 1) Highly vulnerable species: are susceptible species to the local extinction, since they have low frequency in the vegetation and they are absent in the SB (Carex luridiformis and Ludwigia peruviana) or because they are absent in the vegetation and they are present in the SB (Juncus microcephalus and Eleocharis spp.), 2) Vulnerable species: are species with low frequency in the vegetation and they have some type of SB (Cyperus rufus) and 3) Not vulnerable species: are species with low susceptibility to the local extinction because they have mechanisms to guarantee their survival, mainly by the clonal regeneration (Ludwigia peploides and Typha latifolia) or by the combination of this with the sexual reproduction, besides these species have a large SB of persistent type, whose seeds germinate easily (Juncus effusus, Polygonum sp., and Bidens laevis).

Keywords : Germinable seed bank; regeneration of vegetation; opportunist species; Neotropical wetland.

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