Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Contribution of the soil seed bank to post-fire recovery of a heathland

  • Published:
Plant Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The importance of a soil seed bank was evaluated through its role in the recovery of a burnt shrubland. The study was carried out in a heathland characterized by several ericaceous species. Part of the heathland was burnt in a wildfire on 7 April 1991, while the rest was not affected by the fire and used as a control. Soil samples were collected three days after the wildfire, in the absence of rain; 10 samples (20×25 cm width to a depth of 5 cm) were collected from the burnt area and 10 from the control. Samples were set out in a greenhouse where germinating seedlings were recorded, counted and identified for 17 months. Observations were also carried out twice in the field for 14 months after the wildfire by examining two permanent transects in the study area and recording all regenerating species. The results show a low correspondence between soil seed bank and aboveground vegetation: only 23% of the identified taxa appeared both in the bank and in the field observations. From these species 65% of them have dispersal types like autochory or barochory, that is they generally fall near the mother plant. In the identified species as a whole, therophytes and hemicryptophytes dominate in comparison with chamaephytes, phanerophytes and geophytes; this also applied to the herbaceous species in comparison with the woody ones. Potentially soil possesses an important seed bank, which contributes poorly to the vegetation recovery after fire.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arianoutsou-Faraggitaki, M. and Margaris, N. S. 1981, Early stages of regeneration after fire in a phryganic ecosystem (east mediterranean). I. Regeneration by seed germination. Biologic-Ecologic méditerranéenne. Tome VIII, Nos. 3-4: 119-128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baskin, C. C. & Baskin, J. M., 1988. Germination ecophysiology of herbaceous plant species in a temperate region. Amer. J. Bot. 75 (2); 286-305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boulet, C. 1985. Bilan floristique d'une garrigue de chêne kermès soumise a deux types de perturbations controlées. Contritution à la reconnaissance au stade plantule de quelques unes des espèces observées. Thèse 3° éme Cycle. Univ. Droit, Economie et Sci. Aix-Marseille, France.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calvo, L. 1993. Regeneración vegetal en comunidades de Quercus pryrenaica Willd después de incendios forestales Análisis especial de comunidades de matorral. Tesis Doctoral. Universidad do León. España.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calvo, L., Luis, E. & Tarrega, R. 1989. Regeneración do herbáeas en parcelas experimentales de matorral. Options Mediterranéennes-Série Séminaire. 3: 127-130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calvo, L., Tarrega, K. & Luis, E. 1990. Sucesión secundaria en un brezal montano del Puerto do San Isidro (León) tras quema, corta y arranque esperimentales. Procc. Botánica Pirenaico-cantábrica: 367-374.

  • Calvo, L., Tarrega, R. & Luis, E. 1998. Space-time distribution patterns of Erica australis L. subsp. aragonensis (Willk) after experimental burning, cutting, and ploughing. Plant Ecol. 137: 1-12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casal, M. 1985. Cambios en la vegetación de matorral tras incendio en Galicia. In: Estudios sobre prevención y efectos ecológicos de los incendios forestales. Ministerio Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación: 93-101.

  • Cruz-Treviño, A. 1996. Factores que controlan la capacidad de rebrote de Erica australis L. Tesis Doctoral. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España.

    Google Scholar 

  • Debussche, M.; Escarré, J. & Lepart, J. 1980. Changes in mediterranean shrub communities with Cytisus purgans and Genista scorpius. Vegetatio 48: 73-82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrandis, P., Herranz, J. M, and Martinez-Sanchez, J. J. 1996. The role of soil seed bank in the early stages of plant recovery after fire in a Pinus pinaster forest in SE Spain. Int. J.Wildland Fire 6 (1): 31-35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia Novo, F. 1977. The effects of fire on the vegetation of Doñana National Park, Spain. In: Environmental Consequences of Fire and FuelManagement Mediterranean Ecosystems. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report WO-3: 318-325.

  • Gill, A. M. 1981. Adaptative responses of Australian vascular plant species to fires. Pp. 243-272. In: Gill, A. M., Groves, R. H. & Y. R. Noble (eds), Fire and the Australian biota. Australian Academy of Sciences, Canberra.

    Google Scholar 

  • González-Rabanal, F. 1993. Efecto del fuego sobre la germinación de especies de ecosistemas de matorral. Tesis Doctoral. Universidad do Santiago do Compostela. Españia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, P. M. & Cowling, R. M. 1997. Diversity, composition and guild structure relationships between soil-stored seed banks and mature vegetation in alien plant-invaded South African fynbos shrublands. Plant Ecol. 133: 107-122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jimenez, H. E. & Armesto, J. J., 1992. Importance of the soil seed bank of disturbed sites in Chilean matorral in early secondary succession. J. Veg. Sci. 3: 579-586.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeley, J. E. 1981. Reproductive cycles and fire regimes. Pp. 231-277. Fire Regimes and Ecosystem Properties. Vol. 26. USDA Forest Service. General Technical Report WO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keeley, J. E. 1992. Recruitment of seedlings and vegetative sprouts in unburned chaparral. Ecology 73 (4): 1194-1208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keith, D. A. & Bradstock, R. A. 1994. Fire and competition in Australian heath: a conceptual model and field investigations. J. Veg. Sci. 5: 347-354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leck, M. A., Parker, T. V. & Simpson, R. L. 1989. Ecology off soil seed banks. Academic Press, Inc., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luis Calabuig, E., Tarrega, K. & Zuazua, T. 1987. Shrub responses to experimental fire. First phases of regeneration. Ecologia Mediterrane, Tome XIII (4).

  • Malone, C. R. 1967. A rapid method for enumeration of viable seeds in soils. Weeds 15: 381-382.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marañon, T. 1995. Ecología de los bancos de semilla en el suelo: una revisión de estudios españoles. Pastos XXV (1): 23-25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazzoleni, S. & Pizzolongo, P. 1990. Post-fire regeneration patterns of mediterranean shrubs in the Campania region, southern Italy. Pp. 43-51. In: Goldammer, J. G. & Jenkins, M. J. (eds), Fire in Ecosystem Dynamics. SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministerio de Agricultura. 1984. Mapa de cultivos y aprovechamientos de la provincia de León. Dirección General de la Producción Agraria, Madrid, Spain.

    Google Scholar 

  • Molinier, R. & Muller, P. 1938. La dissémination des espèces végétales. Rev. Gén. Bot. 50: 1-178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, D. R. 1986, Seed dispersal. Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naveh, Z. 1975. The evolutionary significance of fire in the Mediterranean region. Vegetatio 29: 199-208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Papanastasis, V. P. 1977. Early succession after fire in a maquis-type brushland of nrthern Greece. forest 30: 19-26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker, V. T. 1987. Effect on wet-season management burns on chaparral regeneration: implications for rare species. Pp. 233-237. Elias, T. S. (ed.), Rare and endangered plants: a conference on their conservation and management. California Naive Plant Soc. Publ., Sacramento.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker, V. T. & Kelly, V. R. 1989. Seed banks in California chaparral and other mediterranean climate shrublands. In: Leck, M. A., Parker, T. V. & Simpson, R. L. (eds), Academic Press, Inc., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavillard, J. 1935. Eléments de sociologie végétale. Actualités scientifiques et industrielles. Herman et Cie, Paris.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raunkiaer, C. 1905. Types biologiques pour la géographie botanique. Dan. Vidensk. Selsk. Forh. 5: 347-437.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rivas-Martinez, S. 1984. Pisos bioclimaticos de España. Lazaroa 5: 33-43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rivas-Martinez, S. 1987. Mapa de series de vegetación de España y memoria. Publicaciones del Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, Madrid.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorensen, T. 1948. A method stablishing groups of equal amplitude in plant sociology based on similarity of species content and its application to analysis of the vegetation on Danish Commons. Biologiske Skrifter 5 (4): 1-34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trabaud, L. 1980. Influence du feu sur les semences enfouies dans les couches superficielles du sol d'une garrigue de chêne kermès. Naturalia Monspeliensia. Ser. Bot. Fasc. 39: 1-19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trabaud, L. 1992. Influence du régime des feux sur les modifications à court terme et la stabilité à long terme de la flove d'une garrigue de Quercus coccifera. Rev. Ecol. (Terre vie) 47: 209-230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trabaud, L. 1994. Diversité de la banque de semences du sol d'une forêt méditerranéenne de Quercus ilex. Biol. Cons. 69: 107-114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trabaud, L. & Lepart, J. 1980 Diversity and stability in garrigue ecosystems after fire. Vegetatio 43, 49-57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trabaud, L. & Papio, C. 1987. Regeneracio de les garrigues a Montpellier i Garraf. In: Ecosytemes Terrestres: Reposta als Incendis i altres Pertobacions. Quaderns Ecologia Aplicada 10: 101-112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trabaud, L., Martinez-Sanchez, J. J., Ferrandis, P., Gonzalez-Ochoa, A. I. & Herranz, J.M. 1997. Végétation épigée et banque de semences du sol: leur contribution à la stabilité cyclique des pin`'des mixtes de Pinus halepensis et Pinus pinaster. Can. j. Bot. 75: 1012-1021.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trabaud, L., Michels, C. & Grosman, J. 1985. Recovery of burnt Pinus halepensis Mill. forest. II. Pine reconstitution after wild-fire. For. Ecol. Manage. 13: 167-179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A. Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A. 1964-1980. Flora Europaca. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Valbuena, L. & Trabaud, L. 1995. Comparison between the soil seed banks of a burnt and an unburnt Quercus pyrenaica Willd. forest. Vegetatio 119: 81-90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Der Pijl, L. 1969. Principles of dispersal of higher plants. Springler-Verlag, Berlín.

    Google Scholar 

  • Velez, R. 1999. Protection contre les incendies de forêt: principes et méthodes d'action. Options Méditerranéennes, Série B, 26, 118 pp.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Area de Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de León, 24071, León, Spain

    L. Valbuena

  2. Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (C.N.R.S.), 1919 Route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier, France

    L. Trabaud

Authors
  1. L. Valbuena
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. Trabaud
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Valbuena, L., Trabaud, L. Contribution of the soil seed bank to post-fire recovery of a heathland. Plant Ecology 152, 175–183 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011419721307

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011419721307

Search

Navigation