Bush clearing of encroached rangelands is crucial for restoration of herbaceous cover and diversity. Regeneration after bush clearing depends largely on the soil seed bank (SSB) size and composition. To assess the potential of the SSB to facilitate post-clearing herbaceous restoration, we examined the SSB density, composition and diversity, and similarity between SSB and aboveground vegetation (AGV). The study was conducted at Maseding and Kgomokgomo rangelands in North-West Province of South Africa. In each rangeland, all woody plants in three 1250 m2 plots were cut using saws and loppers, with the stumps treated with picloram. Soil samples were collected in cleared and uncleared microsites at three depths (0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm) in April (pre-treatment), August, October, December 2016, and in April and August 2017. SSB was examined using seedling emergence method, whereas pre- and post-clearing surveys of AGV were conducted in February 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Results/Conclusions
Cleared microsites had significantly (p < 0.01) higher seed bank densities (1872 and 693 seeds m-2 at Maseding and Kgomokgomo, respectively) relative to uncleared microsites in August 2017, with grasses accounting for higher densities than other plant functional groups in the upper 0–10 cm. Pioneer grasses (Aristida congesta subsp. barbicollis, Brachiaria eruciformis and Tragus beteronianus) and invasive forbs (Bidens pilosa and Schkuhria pinnata) dominated the SSB in cleared microsites at Maseding, whereas succulents (Portulaca spp.) and pioneer grasses (T. beteronianus and Urochloa mosambicensis) were abundant at Kgomokgomo in August 2017. SSB and AGV were dissimilar until December 2016, thereafter, similarity increased significantly (p < 0.05) in cleared (Sørensen’s coefficient = 0.60 to 0.66 at Maseding and 0.43 to 0.52 at Kgomokgomo) compared to uncleared microsites. Species diversity was highest in August 2016 and April 2017 at Maseding, but it did not differ (p > 0.05) between two microsites. At Kgomokgomo, SSB was more diverse in cleared than uncleared microsites in April and August 2017. High seed bank densities in the upper depths in cleared microsites would promote passive restoration, but regeneration is likely to be initiated by early successional species. Nonetheless, close monitoring and eradication of invasive forbs and succulents is necessary following bush clearing. The tendency of SSB resembling AGV over time in cleared microsites indicated that passive restoration depends largely on the seed production of the AGV rather than persistent seed bank following bush clearing.