Evaluation of the litter and soil seed bank transposition as a forest restoration of degraded areas methodology

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the viability of the litter and soil seed bank transposition as a forest restoration of degraded areas methodology. The litter and soil samples of 1 x 1 m were collected at a depth of 5.0 cm in a secondary semideciduous forest in Viçosa, MG, Brazil. The litter and soil samples were deposited in seedbeds in which the superficial soil (10 cm) was previously removed. Three treatments were performed as well as a separate control with five repetitions, totaling 20 samples. The first treatment (T1) was the litter transposition only, the second treatment (T2) was the soil seed bank only, the third treatment (T3) was the transposition of the litter together with the soil seed bank and the control (T). During a period of six months, 327 individuals of trees and shrubs and 864 herbaceous individuals were identified. Among the tree and shrub species occurring in the samples, 74% were classified as pioneers, and 26% were classified as other ecological groups. The most abundant tree species were Cecropia hololeuca with 151 individuals. Among the herbs, Oxalis corniculata was the most abundant, with 329 individuals. The differences of density and species richness between the treatments were significant, with the greatest richness in treatment T3 and the greatest densities in treatments T2 and T3. Therefore, it is concluded that the transposition of the seed bank is a promising methodology to stimulate forest restoration in degraded areas, being more efficient when the superficial soil is used with the litter.