Comparison of the composition, population density, and diversity of the soil seed bank and standing vegetation in deciduous and coniferous forests in Korea

To determine the characteristics of a soil seed bank in a temperate forest, the composition, population density, and diversity of plant species in the soil seed bank, the similarity between the standing vegetation and the soil seed bank and the correlation between the soil seed bank and soil environmental factors (geographic and soil characteristics) that affect the species characteristics of the soil seed bank were investigated in Korean red pine (coniferous) and Mongolian oak (deciduous) forests, which represent the types of forests in Korea. There was no statistically significant difference in the population density and diversity of the species of soil seed bank between the two types of forests. A similarity in the species composition between the standing vegetation and the soil seed bank was found and was higher in the shrub layer than in the canopy and understory layers. The species characteristics of the soil seed bank, such as the species composition and the species diversity, seemed to be more relevant for the herbaceous plants in the shrub layer than for the dominant tree species in the canopy layer. The number of plant species and the population density of the species of the soil seed bank were considered to be affected by the organic content in the surface soil of the forests.