Ecological Research (2003) 18, 739–751 Blackwell Science, LtdOxford, UKEREEcological Research0912-38142003 Ecological Society of Japan186739751Original Article Soil seed-bank of afforested grasslandS. Maccherini and V. De Dominicis *Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: maccherini@unisi.it Received 12 February 2003. Accepted 9 June 2003. Germinable soil seed-bank of former grassland converted to coniferous plantation SIMONA Maccherini* and Vincenzo De Dominicis Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali ‘G. Sarfatti’, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, I-53100 Siena, Italy The influence of afforestation with cedars on field layer vegetation and on the germinable soil seed- bank were investigated along a 60-m transect merging from open grassland to sparse and dense can- opy cover. A total of 132 species were found, 76 in the seed-bank and 109 in the vegetation, with 53 species in common. Conifer cover was not found to be associated with a decrease in total number of species in the vegetation or seed-bank, but the mean number of species in the vegetation, total cover in field layer vegetation and mean number of individuals in the seed-bank decreased signifi- cantly from grassland to forest stands. The grassland seed-bank was dominated by Saxifraga tridac- tylites and Veronica agrestis ; the seed-bank of plots of scattered cedars was dominated by Trifolium incarnatum ssp. molinerii ; and that of dense cedar plantations was dominated by Campanula rapunculus . The number and cover of grassland species of field layer vegetation decreased in the forest, with respect to open grassland, and the same trend was found for density of individuals in the seed-bank. It is concluded that grassland restoration by cutting cedars cannot rely on the presence of grassland species in the soil seed-bank. Key words: coniferous plantations; grassland; Italy; restoration; seed-bank. INTRODUCTION In the second half of the twentieth century, semi- natural grassland communities declined in area and quality throughout Europe as a result of changes in land use (van Dijk 1991; Bakker & Berendse 1999). These communities are of great interest because they host an abundance of rare and/or endangered species and because of their high species richness (Willems 2001). Calcareous grasslands, in particular, are among the most spe- cies-rich habitats known for certain species groups (e.g. vascular plants, butterflies and grasshoppers; Poschlod & WallisDeVries 2002). On the calcareous massifs of southern Tuscany, xeric seminatural grasslands dominated by Bromus erectus are disappearing because of reduced grazing pressure, changes in management practices and reforestation with fast-growing exotic species. These grasslands have high species richness on a small scale: 32 vascular plant species can occur in 0.25 m 2 (S. Maccherini et al., unpubl. data, 2000). They are classified as habitats of community importance in Annex I of the Habitats Directive (92/43/ECC; arid seminatural grassland on calcar- eous substrates; Romão 1996). The first attempts at afforestation for economic purposes in Italy began many centuries ago, and have intensified since 1900, especially after World War II. Unfortunately, conifers were also planted on former grassland in other European countries, such as Estonia (Pärtel et al. 1999) and Hungary (Ministry of the Environment and Regional Policy 1996). Soil seed-bank composition and longevity, together with dispersal processes and seed rain, are aspects of particular importance for successful grassland restoration (Bakker et al. 1996b; Strykstra et al. 1998). The soil seed-bank is a potential pool of propagules for regeneration after disturbance (Hodgson & Grime 1992; Pakeman & Hay 1996), and is regarded as an indicator of the likelihood of success in restoring lost grassland