The effect of litter and soil disturbance on seed germination in upper montane rain forest, Jamaica

The role of litter and soil disturbance in determining the pattern of germination of dormant seeds was investigated at four understory sites in the Blue Mountains, Jamaica. The seed bank density was high (1170 seeds/m²), and was dominated by the exotic species Pittosporum undulatum, which constituted 56% of all seedlings that emerged. The combined treatment of litter removal and soil disturbance significantly increased seed germination in the field over undisturbed controls, but only when data were pooled for all species. Implications for the relative contribution of buried seeds to forest regeneration following disturbance events are discussed. -from Author