XVI International Botanical Congess

Studies of forest seed banks have led to two generalizations: seed banks diverge from standing vegetation and species diversity declines through time. We examined the soil seed bank (SSB) and aboveground vegetation (AGV) of an old-growth mixed mesophytic forest in Ohio. Thirty-five quadrats were sampled on a N- and S-facing slope for vegetative cover and soil borne seeds. As expected, composition of the SSB diverged from the AGV. However, species richness (S=70+) was found to be higher than for any previous report of forest SSBs. Previous studies of forest seed banks may have greatly under sampled. All species in the AGV were indigenous, several species in the SSB were not. Aspect had an enormous effect on diversity (both AGV & SSB). Species richness of the SSB may be as high as the AGV in mixed mesophytic vegetation.