Journal article
Characteristics of the soil seed bank in Mediterranean temporary ponds and its role in ecosystem dynamics
C Aponte, G Kazakis, D Ghosn, VP Papanastasis
Wetlands Ecology and Management | Published : 2010
Abstract
Species in temporary ponds overcome periods of unfavorable weather conditions by building up a large seed bank. With this strategy, the species diversity of ponds is preserved and information on their dynamics and structure is retained. Little is known about the characteristics, spatial patterns and role in the vegetation dynamics of the soil seed banks of Mediterranean temporary ponds, which are regarded as priority habitats under protection. We studied two sites of western Crete: Omalos, a mountain plateau at 1,060 m a.s.l. and Elafonisos, located near the coast at 60 m a.s.l. The seed bank was surveyed along transects using the germination method. Aboveground vegetation was measured on qu..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The work presented in this paper was carried out in the framework of the LIFE-Nature project entitled "Actions for the Conservation of the Mediterranean Temporary Ponds in Crete'' (LIFE04 NAT/GR/000105) and a scholarship granted to the first author by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Greece (MAICh-CIHEAM). Special thanks are expressed to Nikos Papadonakis for his advices on green house work. Thanks are also extended to the fellow researchers of the Herbarium at MAICh. Dr. Patrick Grillas and Dr. Erwin Bergmeier are thanked for their suggestions and fruitful interaction throughout this research.