Seed Bank and Seedling Recruitment Following Ten-Year
Cessation of Cattle Pastures in Serrania De Los Yariguies
National Park
Volume 5 - Issue 5
Liliana Tinjacá Pérez and Lilia L Roa Fuentes*
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- Department of Ecology, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, USA
*Corresponding author:
Lilia L Roa-Fuentes, Department of Ecology, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia, USA
Received: September 16, 2020; Published: September 30, 2020
DOI: 10.32474/OAJESS.2020.05.000224
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Abstract
Seed bank and seedling recruitment following cessation of cattle pastures is a neuralgic topic to clarity the natural regeneration
in a tropical forest. Land-use changes are related to the reduction in tree density and biomass, as well as changes in the vegetation
distribution. A little-studied consequence is an effect on the soil seed bank and seedling recruitment, which are essential for natural
forest regeneration. Natural regeneration starts the ecological succession without human intervention; otherwise, the active
ecological restoration will be necessary for supporting the process. Here, we were focused on the effects of ferns and abandoned
pasture vegetation on tropical rain forest regeneration. We assumed that the presence of invasive species in pastures delays the
recovery time of plant communities after a disturbance. In Serranía Los Yariguíes National Park in Golconda locality, exotic pastures
and ferns are the typical covers in abandoned cattle pastures. We carried out seed germination assays and field experiments
involving cover clearing to evaluate the effect of soil cover on the soil seed bank and seedling recruitment. Our results showed that
ferns and pastures are a factor in arresting natural forest regeneration. However, in soils with fern cover, the seed bank is a source
of propagules to give continuity to the ecological succession. The creation of exclusion´s micro-sites in pasture and fern showed
a significant effect on the recruitment of seedlings. The response of the soil seed bank and seedling recruitment is essential in
defining the more cost-effective ecological restoration activities and support the management decisions.
Keywords: Ferns, Natural regeneration, Pasture, Secondary forest, Seed bank, Seedling recruitment
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