Plantlet rescue in a soil seed bank to produce forest species seedlings

•Native species seedlings can be produced from plantlets rescue in soil seed banks.•The technique presented increases species diversity in restoration projects.•Semideciduous Forest in advanced succession is a great place to collect seed bank. The aim of this study is to investigate the possibility of producing seedlings of native tree species, based on plantlets emerged in soil seed bank, in order to use them in ecological restoration projects and to test the best environment (mature forest, initial forest, Eucalyptus sp. and Pinus sp. stands) and season (dry and rainy) for seed collection in this bank. Twenty soil seed bank samples (0.25 × 0.30 × 0.05 m) from each environment and sampling season were transported to a shade house, where they remained under favorable seed germination conditions. The emerged plantlets were rescued from the seed bank and transplanted to plastic bags in order to produce seedlings, which were evaluated based on growth (height and diameter) and survival rate. One hundred and ninety-two seedlings from the rainy season, and 119 from the dry season, were produced. Results indicated that seedlings of semideciduous seasonal forest-native tree species can be produced from plantlets emerged in soil seed banks, as well as that the collection in these banks should be carried out during the rainy season and in initial-to-medium-stage succession environments.