Abstract Aim: The amount of forest edges is increasing globally due to forest fragmentation and land-use changes. However, edge effects on the soil seed bank of temperate forests are still poorly understood. Here, we assessed edge effects at contrasting spatial scales across Europe and quantified the extent to which edges can preserve the seeds of forest specialist plants. Location: Temperate European deciduous forests along a 2,300-km latitudinal gradient. Time period: 2018–2021. Major taxa studied: Vascular plants. Methods: Through a greenhouse germination experiment, we studied how edge effects alter the density, diversity, composition and functionality of forest soil seed banks in 90 plots along different latitudes, elevations and forest management types. We also assessed which environmental conditions drive the seed bank responses at the forest edge versus interior and looked at the relationship between the seed bank and the herb layer species richness. Results: Overall, 10,108 seedlings of 250 species emerged from the soil seed bank. Seed density and species richness of generalists (species not only associated with forests) were higher at edges compared to interiors, with a negative influence of C : N ratio and litter quality. Conversely, forest specialist species richness did not decline from the interior to the edge. Also, edges were compositionally, but not functionally, different from interiors. The correlation between the seed bank and the herb layer species richness was positive and affected by microclimate. Main conclusions: Our results underpin how edge effects shape species diversity and composition of soil seed banks in ancient forests, especially increasing the proportion of generalist species and thus potentially favouring a shift in community composition. However, the presence of many forest specialists suggests that soil seed banks still play a key role in understorey species persistence and could support the resilience of our fragmented forests.

Soil seed bank responses to edge effects in temperate European forests / Cristina Gasperini, Kurt Bollmann, Jörg Brunet, Sara A. O. Cousins, Guillaume Decocq, Karen De Pauw, Martin Diekmann, Sanne Govaert, Bente J. Graae, Per-Ola Hedwall, Giovanni Iacopetti, Jonathan Lenoir, Sigrid Lindmo, Camille Meeussen, Anna Orczewska, Quentin Ponette, Jan Plue, Pieter Sanczuk, Fabien Spicher, Thomas Vanneste, Pieter Vangansbeke, Florian Zellweger, Federico Selvi, Pieter De Frenne. - In: GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY. - ISSN 1466-8238. - ELETTRONICO. - ???:(2022), pp. 1-17. [10.1111/geb.13568]

Soil seed bank responses to edge effects in temperate European forests

Cristina Gasperini
;
Giovanni Iacopetti
Membro del Collaboration Group
;
Federico Selvi
Conceptualization
;
2022

Abstract

Abstract Aim: The amount of forest edges is increasing globally due to forest fragmentation and land-use changes. However, edge effects on the soil seed bank of temperate forests are still poorly understood. Here, we assessed edge effects at contrasting spatial scales across Europe and quantified the extent to which edges can preserve the seeds of forest specialist plants. Location: Temperate European deciduous forests along a 2,300-km latitudinal gradient. Time period: 2018–2021. Major taxa studied: Vascular plants. Methods: Through a greenhouse germination experiment, we studied how edge effects alter the density, diversity, composition and functionality of forest soil seed banks in 90 plots along different latitudes, elevations and forest management types. We also assessed which environmental conditions drive the seed bank responses at the forest edge versus interior and looked at the relationship between the seed bank and the herb layer species richness. Results: Overall, 10,108 seedlings of 250 species emerged from the soil seed bank. Seed density and species richness of generalists (species not only associated with forests) were higher at edges compared to interiors, with a negative influence of C : N ratio and litter quality. Conversely, forest specialist species richness did not decline from the interior to the edge. Also, edges were compositionally, but not functionally, different from interiors. The correlation between the seed bank and the herb layer species richness was positive and affected by microclimate. Main conclusions: Our results underpin how edge effects shape species diversity and composition of soil seed banks in ancient forests, especially increasing the proportion of generalist species and thus potentially favouring a shift in community composition. However, the presence of many forest specialists suggests that soil seed banks still play a key role in understorey species persistence and could support the resilience of our fragmented forests.
2022
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1
17
Goal 15: Life on land
Cristina Gasperini, Kurt Bollmann, Jörg Brunet, Sara A. O. Cousins, Guillaume Decocq, Karen De Pauw, Martin Diekmann, Sanne Govaert, Bente J. Graae, Per-Ola Hedwall, Giovanni Iacopetti, Jonathan Lenoir, Sigrid Lindmo, Camille Meeussen, Anna Orczewska, Quentin Ponette, Jan Plue, Pieter Sanczuk, Fabien Spicher, Thomas Vanneste, Pieter Vangansbeke, Florian Zellweger, Federico Selvi, Pieter De Frenne
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/1277325
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