DIVERSITY OF THE SOIL SEED BANK OF A MEDI TERRANEAN QUERCUS-ILEX FOREST

The soil seed bank has been studied in a Quercus ilex forest. Seed ric hness was relatively low (500/m2); in contrast, specific richness was high (56 species/m2). Anemochory (wind-borne), autochory (self-dispers ion) and ornithochory (birds) were the dissemination types encountered most. Most of the seed buried in the soil belonged to species alien t o the forest, coming from neighbouring or distant (sources) environmen ts. A convergence between the soil seed bank floras of different commu nities could be noticed When a disturbance (fire or cutting) occurs, c reating favourable conditions, seeds germinate producing numerous seed lings representing transitory stages.