In drylands, as far as we know, the impact of subsistence activities such as rainfed agriculture and firewood extraction on the soil seed bank is unknown. In a tropical dryland of central Mexico, rainfed agriculture and firewood extraction resulted in abandoned croplands and mesquite shrublands, respectively. Our aim was to evaluate the species richness, density, and composition of the soil seed bank in abandoned croplands and mesquite shrublands. Species richness and seed density were evaluated in soil samples taken from open spaces and under shrubs in abandoned croplands and mesquite shrublands during the dry season. Seeds were identified and grouped into grasses, weeds, and native plants. The species richness and seed density were similar between the soil bank of abandoned croplands and mesquite shrublands. The soil seed bank in abandoned croplands was dominated by weeds and grasses, whereas in mesquite shrublands was dominated by weeds and native plants. The soil seed bank was relatively similar between the rainfed agriculture and firewood extraction. These results suggest that rainfed agriculture and firewood extraction promote similar changes in the soil seed bank of this tropical dryland, despite being very different subsistence activities.

据我们所知，在旱地，雨养农业和薪柴开采等自给活动对土壤种子库的影响尚不清楚。在墨西哥中部的热带旱地，雨养农业和柴火开采分别导致了农田和豆科灌木地的废弃。我们的目的是评估废弃农田和豆科灌木地土壤种子库的物种丰富度、密度和组成。在旱季期间，对从开放空间以及废弃农田和豆科灌木地的灌木丛中采集的土壤样本进行了物种丰富度和种子密度的评估。种子经过鉴定并分为禾本科植物、杂草和本土植物。废弃农田和豆科灌木地的土壤库的物种丰富度和种子密度相似。废弃农田的土壤种子库以杂草和禾本科植物为主，而豆科灌木丛则以杂草和本土植物为主。雨养农业和薪柴开采之间的土壤种子库相对相似。这些结果表明，雨养农业和薪柴开采促进了这片热带旱地土壤种子库的类似变化，尽管它们的生存活动截然不同。