Quantifying the seed bank of an invasive grass in the sub-Antarctic: seed density, depth, persistence and viability

• Main Authors: Williams, Laura Kate, Environmental and Rural Science, Kristiansen, Paul, School of Environmental and Rural Science, orcid:0000-0003-2116-0663, Sindel, Brian M, orcid:0000-0002-4100-218X, Wilson, Susan C, orcid:0000-0002-3409-0847, Shaw, Justine
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Netherlands 2016
• Subjects: Invasive Species Ecology; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/19291

A native to Europe, 'Poa annua' now has a cosmopolitan distribution and is invasive in the sub- Antarctic. As a major weed in temperate turf, there has been considerable investment in research of the species, but little is known about its ecology in the sub- Antarctic, particularly its reproductive ecology and population dynamics. We characterised the seed bank of this invasive species in the sub-Antarctic, by quantifying seed density, depth, persistence and viability. 'Poa annua' seed bank density was correlated with elevation, animal disturbance, soil wetness and soil depth, but most strongly with 'P. annua' cover. Seed bank density was greatest (132,000 seeds m⁻2) at low altitude coastal sites where 'P. annua' is abundant but declined with increasing altitude to