Seed size and shape are good predictors of seed persistence in soil in temperate mountain grasslands of Argentina

We tested whether seed mass and shape are good predictors of seed persisten ce in the soil of subhumid temperate montane grasslands of central Argentin a. We plotted seed mass against variance of seed dimensions of 71 herbaceou s species and obtained information on their persistence in the soil from a previous experiment on germinable seed banks. We identified a certain seed mass/shape combination beyond which no seed was persistent in the soil, wit h the exception of the annual Tagetes minuta. Our results confirmed the pat terns previously reported for British species: small and compact seeds tend to persist in the soil for a longer time than big and elongated or flatten ed seeds. We suggest that the value of seed mass and shape as predictors of persistence in the soil can be extended beyond the British flora to herbac eous floras from other humid temperate regions.