Abstract: Seed is the reproductive body of spermatophytes, and its resource devotion has a direct effect on the offspring fitness and the renewal of vegetation community.Generally, larger size seed has the superiorities of higher germination rate and seedling’s establishment, while smaller size seed has the advantages in escaping the predation of animals and birds, forming soil seed bank, and exhibiting larger potentiality of vegetation renewal. Under various kinds of stress, different size seed has different fate in its life history, and has different contribution in vegetation renewal. This paper reviewed the research findings on the contribution of seed size and its fate to vegetation renewal, and presented some suggestions regarding the domestic research in the future.

Key words: Environmental factors, Organic carbon decomposition, Agricultural soils, Incubation experiment, Climate change