XVI International Botanical Congess

Soil spore bank of ferns is a biotic component of the plant communities, important for regeneration process and population dynamics. In Feb, Sept/1997, and Sept/1998 soil samples were collected at four depths and in three microhabitats of the gallery forest of the Panga River (dike, middle and edge). The greatest mean number of gametophytes was observed at the edge and minor in the dike. The quantity of viable spores decrease with depth. The samples collected in February, end of wet season, presented a greater number of viable spores (0.25-29.52 gametophytes/cm2) in relation to September (end of dry season) samples (0.13-14.01 gametophytes/cm2). The presence of viable spores in the soil after six months drought and in deeper soil layers shows the existence of a permanent soil spore bank in the gallery forest of the Panga River.