Resumo. The objective of this study was to characterize the germination and species diversity of the seed bank of a fragment of riparian forest located at the Experimental Station of PESAGRO-RJ, in Itaocara city, RJ state, and evaluate its potential use in nucleation techniques. Samples of soil and soil + litter were removed with iron corer (0.25 mx 0.25 mx 0.05 m), at five different points of the fragment, each 10 m from the bank of Paraiba do Sul river. At each point three soil samples and three samples of soil + litter were collected. The material was made to UENF and arranged in plastic trays (25 cm in diameter and 9 cm tall) in the greenhouse. The treatments were arranged in randomized and compared by F test (5%), with 15 replicates of each treatment, represented by a tray. For four months, 473 individuals distributed among herbaceous, shrub and tree species were recorded. The seed bank is composed mostly of herbaceous species, highlighting the Pteridium arachnoideum (Kaulf.) Maxon, with 58 seedlings germinated. Among the shrub and tree species, the highlights Piper sp. and Trema micrantha (L.), with 56 and 32 seedlings germinated, respectively. The seed bank in the soil + litter, had a lower number of species, with no difference in the number of seedlings germinated. Both the soil and soil + litter have potential for use in nucleation techniques.