Flow regulation is associated with riverine soil seed bank composition within an agricultural landscape: Potential implications for restoration

Abstract

Questions: Does altered flow timing affect seed bank dynamics within river margins of agricultural areas? Are seed banks of degraded riparian zones important for contributing to native riverine plant diversity? Location: Murray-Darling Basin, SE Australia. Methods: We surveyed the seed banks of five lowland rivers, three of which have large dams that alter the seasonal timing of flow peaks. Three sites on each river with a remnant native overstorey were selected and classified into three levels of regulation based on the extent to which their seasonal flow timing was altered. Soil samples were collected from each site, and seed bank composition determined using the seedling emergence method...