Seed Bank from Abandoned Pastures in the Coastal Region of Paraná

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to evaluate the seed bank of three contiguous areas: pasture abandoned for ten years, with soil amended by partial beheading for two years at horizon A (area I); pasture identical to the previous example, but with recent mobilization of the topsoil (area II); area in the early stages of regeneration (area III). Field work was conducted in Morretes-PR, in an area of evergreen rain forest. In November 2013, seed bank samples were collected from ten points per area (0.30 × 0.30 m) and at three depths (0-3 cm + litter, 3.1 to 6.0 cm and 6.1 to 9.0 cm). We obtained 25.151 seeds m-2, distributed between 85 species. The predominant life form was herbaceous (98%), with the Cyperaceae family being the most abundant. In the seed banks of the three areas, only a few seeds from a restricted number of woody species were found, which therefore, represents a limited resource for forest restoration purposes.