News
In a recent special issue in Restoration Ecology, the main topics were seed dispersal and seed bank ecology. In one of the review papers published in that issue we synthesized the existing knowledge about the seed bank of various open habitats and the effect of climate change on them. Due to the very few direct climate manipulation studies in open habitats with respect to soil seed bank, we provided a new perspective to reveal the possible effect of climate change on the soil seed bank.
Many arid land plants possess seed dormancy, enabling them to delay germination until receiving environmental cues that stimulate development. Dormant seeds within the soil create seed banks that are a valuable resource for regeneration of native plant communities after disturbance. Seed germination and soil seed bank research is important to better understand soil seed bank dynamics, appropriately select restoration seed mixes, and gauge the restoration potential contained within existing soil seed banks.
