INFLUENCE OF SEED SIZE ON THE DENSITY OF PERSISTENT SOIL SEED BANKS IN ARCTOSTAPHYLOS SPECIES

This study investigated how seed size influences seed density in persistent\ud seed banks of Arctostaphylos to extend current theories on life history trade-offs\ud related to seed size. Large variation of seed and fruit size within this genus suggests\ud the potential for different seed or seedling ecology strategies. The seed banks of 10\ud obligate seeding Arctostaphylos species were examined. To determine seed bank\ud density, soil seed banks were collected from beneath 10-20 individuals of each\ud species at two different levels (0-2 cm deep and 2-5 cm deep) from 400 cm2 plots.\ud Seed size was found to negatively correlate with the density of seed banks in that\ud larger seeded species tended to have smaller seed banks than smaller seeded\ud species. This extends our understanding on trade-offs related to seed size and seed\ud numbers to persistent seed banks, which represent a highly selective point in the\ud life cycle of these plant populations