Similarity between aboveground vegetation and soil seed bank in Sorkh-Deh rangelands, Damghan, Semnan province

The aim of this study was to determine similarity between established vegetation and soil seed bank of several halophytic plant communities in rangelands of the Sorkh-Deh, Damghan in Semnan province. Vegetation sampling in each vegetation homogenous unite was carried our based on Random-systematic sampling using 100 one square meters plots. In each plot, cover percentage of all species were estimated, separately. In order to assess soils seed bank, soil samples were also collected from two soil depths (0-5 and 5-10 cm) in each vegetation plot. The seed bank size and composition of collected samples were then studied in a seed germination experiment in glasshouse for a period of 10 months. According to the results, the highest number of seed species was recorded in soil samples of Salsola dendroides community with 14 species and the lowest number in Halocnemum strobilaceum community with 3 species. Comparison between species composition of vegetation and soil seed bank showed that only few species (8 species) were common in both while many species were either unique to vegetation (31 species) or soil seed bank (9 species). Dominant species in established vegetation were absent from soil seed bank. Therefore, soil seed bank has low potential for vegetation restoration in such a saline rangeland.