Abstract
Although lack of seeds can limit forest recovery in abandoned agricultural lands, few studies have documented the patterns of seed rain and soil seed bank in active pastures. To determine if lack of seeds is a limiting factor, we studied the woody species composition of the seed rain and soil seed bank in an active pasture in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico. In addition, fruit production of 43 common shrub and tree species was monitored in the surrounding secondary forest. Seed rain was monitored for one year at −2, 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 m from the forest edge along six transects. The soil seed bank was sampled in January/February 1995 and October/November 1995 at the same distances from the forest edge along ten transects. Of the 35 species that produced fruits in the forest, 14 species were detected in the seed rain study and only 0.3 percent of the seeds and 3 species dispersed to more than 4 m from the forest edge. Two of the three species were dispersed by wind. The seed bank study showed a similar pattern with a dramatic decrease in seedling density and species richness with distance from the forest edge. More than 50 percent of the seedlings in the seed bank study were Trema lamarckianum. This study demonstrated that few seeds disperse into the pastures and even when a rare dispersal event occurs, species do not accumulate because of short-term seed viability and, possibly, high seed predation. Studies of early secondary forest regeneration have shown that in some cases, forest can recover rapidly in abandoned agricultural lands; but our results suggest that only a small subset of the forest species will contribute to the initial recovery process.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Of 35 fruiting forest species, 14 were detected in seed rain.
Verbatim
e0“Of the 35 species that produced fruits in the forest, 14 species were detected in the seed rain study”
t0“Seed Rain”
e1“the woody species composition”
Claim · model-written summary
Only 0.3 percent of seeds dispersed beyond 4 m from the forest edge.
Verbatim
e0“only 0.3 percent of the seeds and 3 species dispersed to more than 4 m from the forest edge”
t0“Seed Rain”
e1“the woody species composition”
Claim · model-written summary
Only three species dispersed beyond 4 m from the forest edge.
Verbatim
e0“only 0.3 percent of the seeds and 3 species dispersed to more than 4 m from the forest edge”
t0“Seed Rain”
e1“the woody species composition”
Claim · model-written summary
Two of the three species dispersing beyond 4 m were wind dispersed.
Verbatim
e0“Two of the three species were dispersed by wind”
t0“Seed Rain”
e1“the woody species composition”
Claim · model-written summary
Seed bank seedling density decreased sharply with forest-edge distance.
Verbatim
e0“a dramatic decrease in seedling density and species richness with distance from the forest edge”
t0“Seed Rain”
e1“the woody species composition”
Claim · model-written summary
Seed bank species richness decreased sharply with forest-edge distance.
Verbatim
e0“a dramatic decrease in seedling density and species richness with distance from the forest edge”
t0“Seed Rain”
e1“the woody species composition”
Claim · model-written summary
Trema lamarckianum accounted for more than half of seed bank seedlings.
- Taxon
- Trema lamarckianum
.jpg?width=60)
Trema lamarckianume0 - Outcome
- seedlings in the seed bank studye0
- Value
- More than 50 percente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“More than 50 percent of the seedlings in the seed bank study were Trema lamarckianum”
Claim · model-written summary
Few seeds dispersed into the pastures.
Verbatim
e0“few seeds disperse into the pastures”
t0“Seed Rain”
e1“the woody species composition”
Claim · model-written summary
Species did not accumulate after rare dispersal events, attributed to short seed viability and possibly seed predation.
Verbatim
e0“even when a rare dispersal event occurs, species do not accumulate because of short-term seed viability and, possibly, high seed predation”
t0“Seed Rain”
e1“the woody species composition”
Claim · model-written summary
Only a small subset of forest species was expected to contribute to initial recovery.
Verbatim
e0“our results suggest that only a small subset of the forest species will contribute to the initial recovery process”