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Media type:
E-Article
Title:
Does the soil seed survival of fen-meadow species depend on the groundwater level?
Contributor:
Kaiser, Thomas;
Pirhofer-Walzl, Karin
imprint:
Springer, 2015
Published in:Plant and Soil
Language:
English
ISSN:
1573-5036;
0032-079X
Origination:
Footnote:
Description:
<p>Background and Aims Numerous studies noted that the seed banks of drained former wet-meadows did not have enough residual seed potential for the successful restoration of species-rich fen-meadows. However, it is unclear whether a decline in groundwater level exerts a negative effect on the seed survival of wet-meadow plant species in the soil. This paper assessed the dependence of soil seed survival on different groundwater levels. Methods We tested the influence of the groundwater level on the seed survival rate of 8 wet-meadow plant species in fen lysimeters with constant groundwater levels of 5, 30 and 70 cm. Seeds were buried in nylon mesh bags at 2 depths (5 and 25 cm), exhumed after 1,3 and 5 years in the spring and tested in a climate chamber for germinable seeds under conditions of different day-night rhythms and fluctuating temperatures. Results At both burial depths, more viable seeds survived at lower groundwater levels compared with groundwater levels near the surface. Waterlogged conditions resulted in a significant reduction in the number of germinable seeds for most of the studied plant species. A cluster analysis divided the eight plant species into three groups which differed in soil seed bank persistence and tolerance towards soil wetness. Conclusions The decline of the groundwater level due to fen-meadow drainage does not negatively affect the seeds of wet-meadow plant species. Our results also suggest that for some species, the classification of soil seed bank type may vary according to the groundwater level dynamic of the location.</p>