ABSTRACT: We examined the spatial structure (distribution, density) and function (viability) of the seagrass sediment seed bank, the storage of viable propagules (e.g. seeds, tubers, diaspores) in the sediment over time,in the northern Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area in Cairns, Queensland, following a large-scale decline in seagrass area. A spatially explicit seagrass seed bank analysis was paired with a long-term annual assessment of seagrass distribution to assess seed bank spatial patterns and their relationship with the recovery and presence of seagrass, and water depth. Four years post-decline, the seed bank contained Zostera muelleri, Halodule uninervis, Halophila ovalis and Cymodocea serrulata seeds. Seed banks reflected adjacent meadow community composition; however, the density of seeds for all recorded species was significantly lower than analogous seagrass populations, indicating a reduction in the capacity for recovery from the seed bank. A spatial structure existed in both the total (viable + non-viable) and viable seed bank, and distance between seed clusters ranged from 50-550 m depending on species and seed type. Observed patterns in clustering may be explained by variation in water depth and the past distribution of seagrass in these meadows. These results demonstrate that the distribution of seagrass seeds within the seed bank, which directly influences the natural recovery of seagrass communities, is not uniform across species and may result in patchy recovery of the meadows. Therefore, the resilience provided by the seed bank in seagrass communities should not be viewed as a static level of insurance for the entire meadow, but rather as dynamic and species-specific, with variability over both space and time.

中文翻译：

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大规模衰退后海草种子库的空间结构和功能

摘要：我们研究了北大堡礁世界海草沉积物种子库的空间结构（分布，密度）和功能（生存力），沉积物中随时间传播的繁殖体（例如种子，块茎，硬孢子）的存储情况海草面积大规模减少之后，昆士兰州凯恩斯的文化遗产地区。将空间明确的海草种子库分析与海草分布的长期年度评估结合起来，以评估种子库的空间格局及其与海草的恢复和存在以及水深的关系。下降后的四年，种子库中包含了Zostera muelleri，Unalervis Halodule，卵形嗜盐菌（Halophila卵）和Sermoulea serrulata种子。种子库反映了邻近的草甸群落组成；但是，所有记录物种的种子密度均明显低于类似海草种群，这表明从种子库中恢复的能力有所降低。总种子库（有生命的和无生命的）和有生命的种子库中都存在空间结构，根据种类和种子类型，种子簇之间的距离范围为50-550 m。可以通过观察这些草地中水深的变化和海草的过去分布来解释在群集中观察到的模式。这些结果表明，海草种子在种子库中的分布直接影响海草群落的自然恢复，在物种间不均匀，并且可能导致草地的斑块恢复。所以，