Spatial patterns of seed dispersal, their determinants and consequences for recruitment

Nathan, Ran; Muller‐Landau, Helene C.

doi:10.1016/s0169-5347(00)01874-7

Cited by 1,699 publications

(1,710 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Seed release initiates the seed dispersal process in plants, and has implications for spatial dynamics, genetic structure, population ecology, responses to climate change, and the management of both rare and invasive species (Cain et al 2000;Nathan and Muller-Landau 2000;Levin et al 2003;Trakhtenbrot et al 2005;Jongejans et al 2008). Therefore, calls have been made for more research on this important topic (Schippers and Jongejans 2005;Kuparinen 2006;Nathan 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water loss from flower heads predicts seed release in two invasive thistles

Marchetto

Jongejans

Shea

et al. 2012

Plant Ecology & Diversity

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Background: Non-random seed release caused by plant responses to weather conditions is important for seed dispersal. Much is known about the effects of wind speed and turbulence, but our understanding of the effects of water loss on seed release is either qualitative, or indirect and phenomenological. Aims: To quantify the empirical relationship between water loss and seed release. Methods: Capitula of the invasive thistles Carduus acanthoides and C. nutans were collected from the field and treated for either 0, 1, or 2 days in the laboratory at three different vapour pressure deficit levels (3.4, 9.5, and 17.0 hPa) to cause a range of water loss values. Total seed release was quantified before and during wind tunnel trials. Results: Water loss was the only significant predictor of whether or not capitula released any seeds. The number of seeds released was predicted by water loss, capitulum diameter, and herbivore damage, with the same amount of water loss having less effect on larger capitula. Conclusions: These results represent an important step towards using weather data to predict seed release for many xerochastic species. Incorporating the effects of water loss on seed release into mechanistic seed dispersal models will greatly improve predictions of when and how far seeds disperse. While initiation of dispersal in some species is more likely during precipitation events (Pufal and Garnock-Jones 2010), a majority of wind dispersed angiosperms and gymnosperms are xerochastic, meaning that drying enhances seed abscission and release (Greene et al. 2008). For many Asteraceae species, including the invasive thistles Carduus nutans L. and Carduus acanthoides L. (Figure 1), drying causes cohesion tissues located on the outer side of the involucral bracts to lose turgidity and buckle, causing the bracts to be lowered away from the seeds and thus exposing seeds to the wind (Fahn 1990). Drying may also cause contraction of the receptacle away from seeds (Smith and Kok 1984).The ubiquity of xerochastic plant species suggests that seed dispersal models could be made more realistic and accurate for a wide range of species if weather data describing potential evaporation could be used to mechanistically predict seed release. Two important pieces of information need to be re-examined to accomplish this goal. First, we must predict water loss from inflorescences using weather data. A number of models already exist that use weather data to predict water loss from entire plants (de Bruin and Holtslag 1982;Sumner and Jacobs 2005), and even from capitula separately from vegetative structures (Guilioni and Lhomme 2006). The second necessary piece of information, the relationship between water loss and seed release, must still be documented and is the focus of this paper.Currently, our understanding of the effects of water loss and weather on seed release is either qualitative or phenomenological. Physiologically, we understand what effects dry conditions have on capitula (Smith and Kok 1984;Fahn 1990) and seed attachm...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water loss from flower heads predicts seed release in two invasive thistles

Marchetto

Jongejans

Shea

et al. 2012

Plant Ecology & Diversity

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“…Population dynamics and specific establishment patterns are strongly affected by the spatial patterns of certain abiotic and biotic factors and mobility, including the structure of adequate habitats and the dispersal potential of a species (Nathan & Muller-Landau 2000). In the case of epiphytes, there is an ongoing debate on whether species distribution is limited by dispersal or habitat limitation in fragmented, highly heterogeneous environments .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine spatial pattern of an epiphytic lichen species is affected by habitat conditions in two forest types in the Iberian Mediterranean region

et al. 2011

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“…Animal behaviour has direct consequences for seed deposition (i.e., seed shadow; Nathan and Muller-Landau, 2000). Therefore, the behavioural and ecological flexibility displayed by many cercopithecine species, will influence their seed dispersal function within disturbed habitats (Fig.…”

Section: The Impact Of Eco-ethological Factors On Seed Dispersal In Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

The value of disturbance-tolerant cercopithecine monkeys as seed dispersers in degraded habitats

Albert¹,

McConkey²,

Savini³

et al. 2014

Biological Conservation

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a b s t r a c tHabitat disturbance has caused a global decline in populations of frugivores, with critical consequences for seed dispersal. Large-seeded plants are especially threatened as they depend on a restricted number of large-bodied dispersers that are vulnerable to extinction and cannot maintain populations in most disturbed habitats. Cercopithecine monkeys are potentially key seed dispersers in disturbed habitats, because of the robustness of some species to disturbance and their ability to disperse large seeds. However, the potential ecological roles of the more disturbance-tolerant species are rarely discussed. This review evaluates the seed dispersal role of cercopithecines in disturbed habitats by investigating their ability to tolerate habitat disturbance, their seed dispersal abilities, and the threats to species survival. Cercopithecines are characterised by ecological flexibility; most species adjust their diet, group size, home range size and, often, feeding methods according to resource availability and habitat structure. Consequently, 79% of species are tolerant of varying degrees of habitat disturbance. Cercopithecines are often inconsistent seed dispersers, but they have the capacity to disperse many seeds, large seeds and to disperse them across large distances. They may be among the most important frugivores in altered environments in Asia and Africa. However, many disturbance-tolerant cercopithecine species are targeted by local people as pests, which poses a major threat to their conservation. In conclusion, the management of all disturbance-tolerant cercopithecine species should be re-evaluated given their importance in the regeneration of degraded Asian and African habitats.

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Spatial patterns of seed dispersal, their determinants and consequences for recruitment

Cited by 1,699 publications

References 61 publications

Water loss from flower heads predicts seed release in two invasive thistles

Water loss from flower heads predicts seed release in two invasive thistles

Fine spatial pattern of an epiphytic lichen species is affected by habitat conditions in two forest types in the Iberian Mediterranean region

The value of disturbance-tolerant cercopithecine monkeys as seed dispersers in degraded habitats

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