Soil seed bank characteristics in two central African forest types and implications for forest restoration

Central African rainforests; Natural regeneration; Pioneer species; Soil seed bank; Timber species; Bank protection; Clay; Conservation; Reforestation; Soils; Timber; Forestry; Celtis; Erythrophleum suaveolens; Manilkara; Nauclea diderrichii; Staudtia kamerunensis

Abstract :

[en] This study evaluates the characteristics of soil seed bank in two types of central African rainforests: Celtis forest on clay soils and Manilkara forest on sandy soils. In each study site, 30 samples were collected per soil layers (litter, 0–5 cm, 5–10 cm and 10–20 cm depth). The species diversity and abundance of the soil seed bank were estimated after soil samples were brought to germination. We globally observed 297 seedlings of 53 species for the Celtis forest and 222 seedlings of 39 species for the Manilkara forest. The total densities of germinated seeds were 330 seedlings m−2 and 247 seedlings m−2, respectively. Herbaceous species dominated with percentages of 41.0 and 45.3%, respectively in the Manilkara forest and the Celtis forest. Both forest types displayed a regeneration potential through the soil seed bank. However, this potential seems higher in the Celtis forest. Pioneer taxa were more abundant in the soil seed bank of the Celtis forest (13 woody pioneer species) than the Manilkara forest (9 woody pioneer species). The values of Sorensen similarity index between the standing tree vegetation and the soil seed bank in each site were relatively low: 11.0% for the Celtis forest and 8.8% for the Manilkara forest. But these similarity values were higher when only the pioneer species were considered: 46.8% in the Celtis forest and 38.9% in the Manilkara forest. The highest species richness were obtained in the first two soil layers (0–10 cm depth) while 21.8% and 21.4% of the species were exclusively found in the deepest layer (10–20 cm) in the Celtis forest and the Manilkara forest, respectively. Among the timber species found in the forest, only three were observed in the soil seed bank of the two sites: Nauclea diderrichii, Erythrophleum suaveolens and Staudtia kamerunensis. N. diderrichii was particularly abundant in the soil seed stock of the two sites (14.4–34.4 seeds m−2). Results suggested that to improve regeneration of timber species, planting in open forest habitats with seedlings coming from tree nursery should be more efficient. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.

Disciplines :

Phytobiology (plant sciences, forestry, mycology...)
Environmental sciences & ecology

Author, co-author :

Douh, Chauvelin ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech

Daïnou, Kasso ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Laboratoire de Foresterie des régions trop. et subtropicales

Joël Loumeto, J.; Université Marien Ngouabi, Département des Science et Technique Forestières, Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie et de Foresterie (ENSAF), Laboratoire de Botanique et Écologie, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FST), Brazzaville, Congo

Moutsambote, J.-M.; Université Marien Ngouabi, Département des Science et Technique Forestières, Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie et de Foresterie (ENSAF), Laboratoire de Botanique et Écologie, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FST), Brazzaville, Congo

Fayolle, Adeline ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Gestion des ressources forestières et des milieux naturels

Tosso, Dji-ndé Félicien ; BIOSE, Management of Forest Resources, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, Passage des Déportés 2, Gembloux, Belgium

Forni, E.; CIRAD, UPR Forêts et Sociétés, TA C-105/D, Campus international de Baillarget, Cedex 5, Montpellier, France

Gourlet-Fleury, S.; CIRAD, UPR Forêts et Sociétés, TA C-105/D, Campus international de Baillarget, Cedex 5, Montpellier, France

Doucet, Jean-Louis ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Laboratoire de Foresterie des régions trop. et subtropicales

Language :

English

Title :

Soil seed bank characteristics in two central African forest types and implications for forest restoration

Publication date :

2018

Journal title :

Forest Ecology and Management

ISSN :

0378-1127

eISSN :

1872-7042

Publisher :

Elsevier B.V.

Volume :

409

Pages :

766-776

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 22 January 2018

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