Seed banks of a river-reservoir wetland system and their implications for vegetation development

The Danjiangkou Reservoir, constructed in 1970s, is the water source area of the middle route of China's interbasin South-to-North Water Transfer Project. To serve such purpose, the Danjiangkou Reservoir Dam will be increased from its present 162.0 m to 176.6 m, and its regular water level from 157 m to 170 m above mean sea level. Vegetation development in the new reservoir margins is therefore one of great environmental concerns. To explore the potential origin of species in the present reservoir margin vegetation, we investigated and quantified the composition in the soil seed banks and established vegetations of the reservoir margins and its upstream- and downstream-wetlands. In both existent vegetation and seed banks, most species and seedlings were found in upstream wetlands, followed by reservoir margins and downstream wetlands. Seedling density of downstream wetlands was reduced by 75-80% compared to upstream wetlands and reservoir margins. This suggests that presence of the dam reduced the diversity and abundance of downstream propagules. Sørensen's coefficient and the comparisons of rare species indicated that the seed bank composition of reservoir margins was evidently associated with upstream wetlands. It implies that hydrochorous transport of seeds from the upstream catchment is critical for plant colonization of the reservoir margins.