FLORISTICS OF A CHRONOSEQUENCE CORRESPONDING TO OLD FIELD DECIDUOUS FOREST SUCCESSION IN SOUTHWESTERN OHIO .2. SEED BANKS

Seed banks were examined for a chronosequence of five stands in order to characterize changes with succession. Species richness, species diversity, and density of seed banks generally decreased with successional age. Also, percentages of both annuals and biennials (including short-lived perennials) in the seed bank flora and in seed density generally decreased. In contrast, perennial herbs increased and woody plants were absent in the youngest two stands and present in the older stands where they exhibited no significant differences. These trends are related to successional changes in the proportions of life-history types in the vegetation that are associated with decreases in seed production and longevity and increases in susceptibility to seed predation.