Soil seed bank diversity under integrated and conventional farming systems

Soil seed bank diversity was investigated under conventional and integrated farming systems at several sites studied in the LINK IFS project. Seed ban ks were sampled in the baseline year and after the final year of the five-c ourse rotation in a number of split fields and various diversity indices we re calculated. Generally, total seed density increased on integrated plots but was contained under conventional management. There were some indication s of increased diversity on integrated plots at two sites. A greater number of differences was recorded between position in the field, where greater d iversity was recorded in the 'margin' than 'field' samples. Integrated mana gement, which included some spring cropping, resulted in greater importance of spring germinating species in the seed bank at two sites. Greater diver sity would be expected in the vegetation of arable land where more varied a gronomic practices create a greater variety of niches. The relatively small differences between the conventional and integrated management may not hav e been great enough to record marked differences in the diversity statistic s used here.