The use of soil seed banks to restore abandoned agricultural sapric peatlands in Central, New York

This thesis examines the role of the seed bank in the regeneration of forested wetlands from abandoned agricultural peatlands. The thesis has two primary objectives: (1) to determine seed bank composition and abundance in soils from abandoned agricultural and natural (i.e. relatively unaltered) sapric peatlands; and, (2) to evaluate the potential of using topsoil from a recently cleared, forested peatland as a means to introduce native vascular plant species to a wetland restoration project.;For Objective ;Seed bank data collected at natural sites indicate that topsoil from forested peatlands may provide a valuable propagule source of native species to wetland restoration projects. Therefore, topsoil (17 m...