XVI International Botanical Congess

Species composition of seed banks reflects the species diversity of the plant coenoses under study. It have been studied the stores of seeds in soils of plant communities of Taymyr and Severnaya Zemlya. Investigations have shown that in soils of those regions seed banks contain considerable amount of seeds of diverse species composition. The highest stock of viable seeds in soils (4000 seeds per m2) was registered in meadow communities of Taymyr. Seed banks of those communities are represented by 17-20 species. The lowest seed stocks (300-500 per m2) are formed on spots of bare ground in Taymyr and Severnaya Zemlya communities, where they consist of 7-15 species. The species composition of seeds in soils coincides with the floristic composition of a community, but not fully due to different reasons. However, the majority of species, especially dominants and co-dominants, form seed banks that may serve as a criterion for the estimation of biodiversity of Far North plant communities.