SEEDLING ESTABLISHMENT FROM SEEDS AND SEED BANKS IN FORESTS UNDER LONG-TERM POLLUTION STRESS - A POTENTIAL FOR VEGETATION RECOVERY

Seed germinability of some common dwarf shrubs and seed-bank compositi on were studied in young pine forests along a pollution gradient from Severonickel smelter in Monchegorsk, northern Russia. Samples for seed germination and seedbank trials were taken from sites representing di fferent zones of pollution. Generally, germinability of dwarf shrub se eds was not affected by distance from pollution source, except for Emp etrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum. The average density per site of seed lings that emerged from seed-bank samples varied between 278 and 416 s eedlings/m(2). Empetrum nigrum sap. hermaphroditum and Betula sp. domi nated in seed banks. Calluna vulgaris was also numerous at one site. A s a whole, seedbank taxa were well represented in the above ground veg etation. There were no significant differences in seedling density bet ween sites for dominant taxa. Our results indicate that seeds can reta in viability even under a heavy pollution load and thus form a potenti al for vegetation recovery in polluted sites.