Seed Bank Analysis of Soils under Different Land Use Types in Argungu Local Government Area, Kebbi State

Soil seed banks represent the reservoir of future plant communities and are sensitive indicators of land use history and disturbance regime, yet their characterisation under different land use types in the drylands of Kebbi State, North West Nigeria, is unreported. This study analysed the composition and density of soil seed banks under four land use types: cultivated farmland, fallow land (3 years), riparian woodland, and degraded rangeland in Argungu Local Government Area, Kebbi State. Composite soil samples were collected from 0 to 5 cm and 5 to 10 cm depths from 10 sites within each land use type. Seed bank density and species composition were assessed using the seedling emergence method in a greenhouse over 16 weeks, with weekly counts and identifications. A total of 54 plant species emerged from the seed bank across all land use types. Riparian woodland soil had the highest total seed bank density (1,840 seeds/m2) and species richness (38 species). Cultivated farmland had the highest proportion of weed species (73% of emerged seedlings). Fallow land seed banks contained a mix of crop volunteers and pioneer shrubs. Seed bank diversity declined with increasing land degradation. Vertical stratification showed higher seed density in the 0 to 5 cm layer in all land use types. The study concludes that soil seed banks in Kebbi State reflect land use history and recommends seed bank enrichment strategies to facilitate natural vegetation restoration on degraded rangelands.

Keywords: soil seed bank, land use, seedling emergence, Kebbi State, vegetation restoration