This article is about natural seed repositories. For other uses, see Seed bank (disambiguation).
The soil seed bank is the natural storage of seeds, often dormant, within the soil of most ecosystems.[1] The study of soil seed banks started in 1859 when Charles Darwin observed the emergence of seedlings using soil samples from the bottom of a lake. The first scientific paper on the subject was published in 1882 and reported on the occurrence of seeds at different soil depths.[2] Weed seed banks have been studied intensely in agricultural science because of their important economic impacts; other fields interested in soil seed banks include forest regeneration and restoration ecology.
Henry David Thoreau wrote that the contemporary popular belief explaining the succession of a logged forest, specifically to trees of a dissimilar species to the trees cut down, was that seeds either spontaneously generated in the soil, or sprouted after lying dormant for centuries. However, he dismissed this idea, noting that heavy nuts unsuited for distribution by wind were distributed instead by animals.[3]
^Jack Dekker (1997). "The Soil Seed Bank". Agronomy Department, Iowa State University. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
^Christoffoleti, P. J.; Caetano, R. S. X. (July 17, 1998). "Soil seed banks". Scientia Agricola. 55: 74–78. doi:10.1590/S0103-90161998000500013 – via SciELO.
^Mcartney, Eugene S. (1931). "Forest Succession and Folklore". The Classical Weekly. 25 (6): 47–48. doi:10.2307/4389644. JSTOR 4389644.
The soilseedbank is the natural storage of seeds, often dormant, within the soil of most ecosystems. The study of soilseedbanks started in 1859 when...
A seedbank (also seedbanks or seedsbank) stores seeds to preserve genetic diversity; hence it is a type of gene bank. There are many reasons to store...
species of plants have seeds that delay germination for many months or years, and some seeds can remain in the soilseedbank for more than 50 years before...
well-lit, disturbed soils, where it can appear soon after the ground receives light, from long-lived seeds that persist in the soilseedbank. It is a common...
As suggested by their accumulation in soilseedbanks, the seeds of A. foetida have tough, waterproof testae (seed coats) which enable them to remain viable...
controlled by continued tillage until the soilseedbank is depleted. Soil solarization involves covering the soil with a layer of clear or black plastic...
were eradicated in 2006, but given the possibility of lingering seeds in the soilseedbank, Biosecurity Queensland waited 15 years and declared Australia...
is a variable, erect annual, forming a long-lived soilseedbank that can germinate when the soil is disturbed. In the Northern Hemisphere it generally...
succession, are usually present from the start of the process, often in the soilseedbank. In some systems the successional pathways are fairly consistent, and...
world, with the Svalbard Global Seed Vault being considered the most famous one. The database of the largest gene banks in the world can be queried via...
seed bed technique of weed control was developed before herbicide use began. It reduces the soil'sseedbank or quantity by allowing the weed seeds both...
commonly have seeds that persist in the soilseedbank for many years. Perennial weeds often have underground stems that spread under the soil surface or...
tissues are broken. The species can form a long-lived soilseedbank that can germinate when the soil is disturbed. A nearly black-flowering hybrid, known...
Bumblebees and honeybees also visit the flowers. The seeds of O. biennis can remain viable in the soilseedbank for 70 years or more. Over the centuries, Indigenous...
to the leaves, and in the panicles. There is a long-lasting soilseedbank, with the seeds persisting for decades before being stimulated to germinate...
remain viable in the soilseedbank for at least seven years and possibly for up to twenty years or more. Yearly seed production and seed dormancy are highly...
American Seed Trade Association Arboretum Biodiversity ESA European Seed Association List of seed packet companies Monoculture Seedbank "Guide to the...
same species, as well as some others, have seeds which are able to persist for years in the soilseedbank.[citation needed] Many goosefoot species are...
produce around 100 seeds per flower, up to about 20,000 seeds per plant. Seeds are mainly wind dispersed and can survive in the soilseedbank for up to 20...
soon after dispersal and only a few lasting up to four years in the soilseedbank. Seed is also often spread by human activity such as hay bales. Spear thistle...
(endozoochory). Seeds partially germinate in the same season they mature, even those floating in water. The seeds form a persistent soilseedbank, retaining...
compensate for their lower longevity by maintaining a higher persistence of soilseedbanks. These differences in life history strategies profoundly affect ecosystem...
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