Composition of Soil Seed Banks in Relation to Four Different Land Use Patterns in Tropical Moist Forest Lands of Southwest Lowlands, Sri Lanka

A comparative analysis of soil seed banks across four distinct land use patterns—natural forest, Pine plantations, tea lands, and Kekilla fernlands—in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve revealed significant variations in species composition and diversity. Natural forests exhibited the lowest species diversity (Shannon index: 1.37), while Pine lands (2.22) and tea lands (1.58) demonstrated higher diversity, with graminoid and herbaceous species dominating the latter. The study employed germination trials on composite soil samples from 12 sites to assess viable seed counts, uncovering that tree species were most prevalent in natural forests and Pine plantations. These findings underscore the critical role of land use patterns in shaping soil seed bank dynamics, offering insights into potential re-vegetation processes in disturbed tropical moist forest ecosystems.

Weerasinghe, W. H. M. S. N., & Singhakumara, B. M. P. (2015). Composition of Soil Seed Banks in Relation to Four Different Land Use Patterns in Tropical Moist Forest Lands of Southwest Lowlands, Sri Lanka. Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium, 20(0). https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v20i0.2531