Buried seed and standing vegetation in two adjacent tundra habitats, northern Alaska

A comparison is made of the species of the above ground vegetation and the buried seeds in a tussock tundra meadow, northern Alaska. Vegetation types are compared across a boundary between two habitats which have distinct differences in above ground vegetation. Sixteen species germinated from the soil cores. There were distinct differences between the species of buried seed and the species in the standing vegetation in the two tundra habitats. There was a positive correlation between the diversity of standing vegetation and the diversity of buried seeds. The significance of buried seeds and viable rhizomes in the soil cores is discussed with respect to seed reproduction in the arctic and revegetation.