Seed Rain and Soil Seed Bank Dynamics of Aphanthe aspera Population in Yuwang Hill

In order to understand the seed production and retention of Aphananthe aspera, we investigated seed rain and seed bank of mature Aphananthe aspera in two habitats(including inner forest and forest edge)in 2010, in the Yuwang hill of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.By using seed trap and land surface sampling, we collected seeds quantity and analyzed seeds distribution.The results showed that:the seed rain lasted for 64 days from September 2th to November 4th, and its peak occurred from September 23th to October 21th.During the whole seed rain period, the seed scattering density of inner forest and forest edge were 151 and 300·m^-2, respectively, and the intact seeds accounted for 98% totally.The average width, length and weight of seed in the forest edge was significant higher than inner forest.150 days after the end of seed rain, the predation proportion accounted for 97.31% and 97.25%of seed for inner forest and forest edge.Meanwhile, in two different habitats, survival rate of seed only was responsible for 1.7% and 2.05%, respectively.In conclusion, high seed yield and low seed retention limit the natural regeneration of the population of the Aphanthe aspera.