The Impact of litter and above-ground vegetation layers on species richness and abundance of emergent seedlings from soil seed bank in a riparian zone

摘要

In riparian vegetation the above-ground vegetation is mostly dominated by perennial plants and it is often subject to various forms of disturbance that varies in intensity and frequency: e. g. temporary and frequent (inundation, flooding) and more permanent and occasional (drainage). During disturbance vegetation recovery will to some extend be affected by the propagule bank. Relatively little is known about the relationship between the soil propagule bank and vegetation recovery. Some studies show little relationship between the two (Hopfensperger 2007), whereas other suggest considerable through colonization after disturbance for the progagule banks (Xiong et al 2003). There is, therefore a greater need for information on the potential role on both the composition and size of the propagule banks in riverine systems in relation to disturbance. We report the effects of three disturbance regimes on seedling emergence from the propagule banks in the Han River floodplain, Seoul Korea.