Seed bank in reforestation, edge and interior of seasonal semi-deciduous forest remnant in southern Brazil

Abstract

In order to compare the composition of the seed bank in the seasonal semi-deciduous forest remnant and in the adjacent reforestation, 60 soil samples were collected in four transects allocated in the forest interior (TIF), forest edge (TBF), reforestation edge (TBR) and reforestation interior (TIR). These samples were kept in greenhouse and monitored for eight months. The seed bank was registered according to the seedling emergence method. TIF presented the greatest richness of trees, while in the other transects there was a predominance of herbaceous and anemochorous species. We observed the occurrence of exotic species in the bank. The low richness of tree species in the reforestation seed bank, despite its proximity to a conserved fragment, suggests that management actions should be evaluated and implemented in order to accelerate the successional process.