TITLE:
Biochar-Based Seed Coating as an Effective Strategy to Reduce Seed Predation When Restoring Forests on Degraded Land
AUTHORS:
Kevin Chit Him Shiu, Ying Ki Law, Tin Yan Siu, Leo Ho Yin Chu, Billy Chi Hang Hau, Calvin K. F. Lee
KEYWORDS:
Biochar, Forest Restoration, Hong Kong, Seed Coating, Seed Predation
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Forestry,
Vol.14 No.4,
October
22,
2024
ABSTRACT: As ecosystem degradation becomes more widespread, there is a growing need for efficient and effective forest restoration methods. Direct seeding is one such method that can be used to cover a relatively large area, particularly places with difficult-to-access terrain. One major obstacle hampering successful restoration via direct seeding is seed predation, as seeds are damaged or eaten. We tested the effectiveness of encrusting six species of native seeds with biochar-based coating in reducing the seeds’ chances of being predated on degraded hillsides and landslide scars in Hong Kong. The six seeded species are native trees and shrubs, including both late-successional and pioneer species that are present in forests and shrublands. Our results show that biochar-based seed coats were able to significantly reduce overall seed predation by 5.77% (SE = 1.41, p