The researchers studied the relationship between the seeds in the soil and the plants growing above ground in the Bashang region. They found that the diversity of plant species was higher in areas where the soil had more seeds. In fields that were not overgrazed, there were more different types of plants growing. The number of species in the soil and above ground also increased in these areas. Overall, the soil seed bank and the plants above ground had more species in common in the fields that were not overgrazed.