Diversity and Composition of a Seed Bank in the Subtropical Atlantic Forest, Southern Brazil

Abstract The current study aimed to evaluate the seed bank diversity and composition found in the Municipal Natural Park São Francisco de Assis (PSFA), Santa Catarina, Brazil, located within the subtropical Atlantic Forest. Samplings were carried out within four different locations (n = 20 sample plots per location). All samples were kept in suspended beds for germination, growth, and subsequent species identification. We were able to identify 85 morphospecies (1,016 individuals). Most of them were categorized as pioneers. Pioneers were also the ecological category that had more individuals (73.12%). The predominant dispersion syndrome was zoochoric, with 58 taxa included. Our results indicate that the seeds are being provided by species that occur around the park, in some cases favored by recent landslides in the area.

摘要 本研究旨在评估巴西圣卡塔琳娜州圣弗朗西斯科·德阿西斯市政自然公园（Municipal Natural Park São Francisco de Assis，简称PSFA）内亚热带大西洋森林中的种子库（seed bank）多样性与组成。研究在4个区域内开展采样，每个区域设置20个采样样方（sample plots）。所有样本均置于悬浮苗床（suspended beds）中进行萌发与培育，用于后续物种鉴定。本研究共鉴定出85个形态种（morphospecies），共计1016株个体，其中绝大多数被归类为先锋物种。先锋物种同时是个体数量最多的生态类群，占比达73.12%。优势种子传播综合征（dispersion syndrome）为动物媒传播（zoochoric），涉及58个分类单元（taxa）。本研究结果显示，该种子库的种源来自公园周边分布的物种，部分类群的种源扩散得益于该区域近期发生的山体滑坡。