New paper: Short-term seed banking enables adaptive, multi-year seeding strategies in grassland restoration

In a recent study published in Global Ecology and Conservation, our group investigated how short-term seed storage and the timing of seeding influence the restoration of open sand grasslands, using accessions from the Pannon Seed Bank.

Ex situ seed banks can play a key role in supporting grassland restoration and mitigating the impacts of climate change by ensuring a continuous supply of native seeds. In this study, ten native plant species were sown in an abandoned sandy field and monitored over nine growing seasons. We found that seeding initiated vegetation development toward the reference grassland from the fifth year onward. Target species reached up to 90% relative cover, largely driven by the sown species, while non-target natives and neophytes declined over time.

Differences among seed storage treatments were only temporary; by the end of the study, all treatments converged toward the reference community. In contrast, the year of seeding had a lasting influence. Years with favorable precipitation supported stronger establishment of target species, whereas less favorable years, such as those with drought, constrained recovery. These year-specific conditions affected both long-term restoration success and invasion dynamics.

Overall, restoration outcomes depended more strongly on the timing of seeding than on seed storage duration. This finding underscores the importance of flexible, adaptive restoration planning. We therefore recommend multi-year, scheduled seeding to buffer against unfavorable weather conditions. In this context, short-term seed banking offers a practical tool to maintain seed availability and support adaptive, multi-year restoration strategies under a changing climate.

Read the whole article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2026.e04156 

Published by Anna Kövendi-Jakó, Bruna Paolinelli Reis, Katalin Szitár, Katalin Török, Nóra Sáradi, Krisztián Halász, Andrea Mojzes, Melinda Halassy in Global Ecology and Conservation.