In a context of global change, understanding the regeneration potential of semi-arid hydromorphic ecosystems is crucial for their sustainable management. This study, conducted in Burkina Faso, aimed to characterize the soil seed bank (SSB) of three hydromorphic ecosystems, a rice field, a lowland and a gallery forest. The experimental design involved collecting soil samples within 12 plots of 100 m2 at three soil layers (0 - 5 cm, 5 - 10 cm and 10 - 15 cm). In total, 936 soil samples were pooled into 36 composite soil samples and then incubated in a greenhouse for three months for seedling emergence. The data were used to determine SSB diversity and density, while multivariate analyses evaluated SSB similarity between the aboveground vegetation. The results revealed that SSB is composed of 37 species (36 herbaceous and 1 woody species) belonging to 23 families. The dominant families were Poaceae, Lamiaceae, and Rubiaceae. The gallery forest exhibited the highest species richness (31 species), while the rice field displayed the highest density (>10 seeds/dm3), dominated by ruderal species (Ludwigia decurrens, Hyptis spicigera). The vertical distribution of SSB density and species richness was homogeneous across the top 15 centimeters of soil. Multivariate analyses showed a strong similarity between the aboveground vegetation and the SSB within each floodplain ecosystem. Furthermore, these analyses highlighted that the germinable SSB structure (under greenhouse conditions) of these floodplain ecosystems is primarily driven by site-specific environmental factors rather than soil depth. These findings confirm the role of the SSB as a biological memory. Although agricultural intensification simplifies the flora, the natural regeneration potential remains significant, providing concrete pathways for the sustainable management and restoration of critical semi-arid hydromorphic (floodplain) ecosystems in West Africa.
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