Response of Composition, Diversity and Functional Groups of Soil Seed Bank under Corrective Practices of Floodwater Spreading in the Kowsar Aquifer Management Station, The Province of Fars

Floodwater spreading plays an important role in restoring and enhancing the vegetative cover, improving soil fertility, groundwater recharge and desertification control. These have been achieved in some of the arid and semi-arid regions of Iran. Flood water spreading as a corrective measure, in soil seed bank composition and diversity was assessed in the Gareh Bygon Plain, Fasa, the province of Fars. Soil seed bank was evaluated in the water-spreading tracts, water-spreaders planted with Atriplex lentiformis harvesting and the control area (without water-spreading). Sampling of soil seed bank was carried out at a 0-10 cm depth prior to the initiation of seed growth in December 2017, and the composition of the soil seed bank was determined by the germination method in the greenhouse. The results indicated that from 42 species identified in the soil seed bank, 40, 40 and 24 species were present in the three areas. Water- spreaders, water-spreaders planted with Atriplex lentiformis harvesting and the control tracts, respectively. The highest species diversity and richness indices were obtained in the area under water-spreading. The RDA analysis showed that the species composition and functional groups of soil seed bank of the study area were affected by flood water spreading practices and Atriplex lentiformis harvesting planting. Furthermore, the soil seed bank density of plant functional groups was affected by water-spreading. The results indicated that 35 years of floodwater spreading has positively affected the composition, diversity and functional groups indices of the soil seed bank.