Predicting mistletoe seed shadow and patterns of seed rain from movements of the mistletoebird, Dicaeum hirundinaceum

2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
MATTHEW J. WARD ◽  
DAVID C. PATON
Keyword(s):  
Seed Rain ◽  
Seed Shadow

The effect of seed dispersal limitations on the spatial distribution of a gap species, seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (7) ◽  
pp. 978-984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip C. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Seed Storage ◽  
Coastal Dunes ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
Significant Drop ◽  
Seed Shadow ◽  
Ammophila Breviligulata ◽  
Seed Sources ◽  
Transition Areas ◽  
Solidago Sempervirens

This study examined the seed ecology of seaside goldenrod, Solidago sempervirens L., a gap species, on coastal dunes dominated by American beachgrass, Ammophila breviligulata. A test was done to determine whether lower densities of S. sempervirens on undisturbed primary dune grasslands were due to limited seed dispersal or barriers to seedling establishment. Seed rain was greater within blowouts and transition areas than in immature and mature grasslands. Blowouts and transition areas produced prominent seed shadows and served as primary seed sources. Both seed shadow measurements and inflorescence removal experiments suggested that the majority of seeds fell to the ground within 10 m outside blowouts. Experiments involving the hand broadcasting of seeds increased densities of seedlings in undisturbed areas. Plots with hand-drilled seeds showed no differences in percent emergence between transition and undisturbed areas; however, both were significantly greater than blowouts. Persistent seed storage in the soil was probably negligible. Seed bank densities at 5 m depth did not accurately reflect temporal or spatial patterns of seed rain. Often very low densities or no seeds were found in collected samples within an area. Furthermore, emergence percentages of field-buried seeds showed a significant drop-off after a single year. Thus, this study concluded that lower densities of plants in undisturbed areas were, in part, due to lack of seed dispersal from blowouts. Key words: seed dispersal, gap species, patchy disturbances, dune ecology, grassland ecology.

scholarly journals The influence of two wildfires and biological control agents on the population dynamics of Melaleuca quinquenervia in a seasonally inundated wetland

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
Philip W. Tipping ◽  
Melissa R. Martin ◽  
Jeremiah R. Foley ◽  
Ryan M. Pierce ◽  
Lyn A. Gettys
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Additional Treatment ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
The Other ◽  
Melaleuca Quinquenervia ◽  
Biological Control Agents ◽  
Seedling Mortality ◽  
Sapling Growth

AbstractThe potential of Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T. Blake to reinvade cleared areas was evaluated over a 13-yr period that included two wildfires and the introduction of biological control agents. The first wildfire occurred in 1998 and was followed by a mean of 591.5 recruited seedlings m−2. Recruits from that fire were cleared 7 yr later in July 2005 for a second experiment to evaluate seedling recruitment into cleared areas. Seed rain, seedling recruitment and mortality, and sapling growth rates were measured in four plots located around individual large reproductive trees. A second natural wildfire in 2007 burned through those plots, leading to increases in seed rain followed by a pulse in recruitment of 21.04 seedlings m−2, 96.5% fewer than after the 1998 fire. Recruits in half of the plots around each tree were then treated with regular applications of an insecticide to restrict herbivory by biological control agents, while herbivory was not restricted in the other half. There was no difference in seedling mortality between treatments 1,083 d post-fire (2007) with 96.6% seedling mortality in the unrestricted herbivory treatment and 89.4% mortality in the restricted herbivory treatment. Recruits subjected to the restricted herbivory treatment grew taller than those in the unrestricted herbivory treatment, 101.3 cm versus 37.4 cm. Many of the recruits were attacked by the biological control agents, which slowed their growth. Although solitary M. quinquenervia trees retain some capacity to reinvade areas under specific circumstances, there was a downward trend in their overall invasiveness at this site, with progressively smaller recruitment cohorts due to biological control agents. Land managers should prioritize removing large reproductive trees over treating recently recruited populations, which can be left for many years for the biological control agents to suppress before any additional treatment would be needed.

scholarly journals A simple standardized protocol to evaluate the reliability of seed rain estimates

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
André J. Arruda ◽  
Fernando A.O. Silveira ◽  
Elise Buisson
Keyword(s):  
Restoration Ecology ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Size Dependence ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Sticky Traps ◽  
Standardized Protocol ◽  
Funnel Trap ◽  
Seed Trap ◽  
Cross Site

Abstract Seed dispersal has key implications for community dynamics and restoration ecology. However, estimating seed rain (the number and diversity of seeds arriving in a given area) is challenging, and the lack of standardization in measurement prevents cross-site comparisons. Seed trap effectiveness and accuracy of seed sorting methods are key components of seed rain estimates in need of standardization. We propose and describe a standardized protocol for evaluating the effectiveness of two seed trap types (sticky and funnel traps) and the accuracy of a seed sorting method. We used widely available seeds (arugula, quinoa, sesame and sunflower) to produce a gradient of seed size, weight and colour. Proof-of-concept was tested in a tropical grassland, where traps were set for 30 days. Our results suggest that we underestimate dispersal of seeds with less than 2 mm width that can be easily mistaken for debris and soil particles or that fail to adhere to sticky traps. Seeds on sticky traps may be more vulnerable to removal by wind and rain, whereas seeds in funnel traps are more susceptible to decay. We found no evidence of observer bias on seed sorting for funnel trap samples. However, accuracy on seed sorting for funnel trap samples tended to decline for seeds with less than 2 mm width, suggesting a size-dependence in seed retrieval success. Our standardized protocol addressing trap effectiveness and seed sorting methods will increase the reliability of data obtained in seed rain studies and allow more reliable comparisons between datasets.

Seed rain in cocoa agroforests is induced by effects of forest loss on frugivorous birds and management intensity

2021 ◽  
Vol 313 ◽  
pp. 107380
Author(s):  
Ilana Araújo-Santos ◽  
José Carlos Morante-Filho ◽  
Sérgio Oliveira ◽  
Júlia Perez Cabral ◽  
Larissa Rocha-Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Rain ◽  
Forest Loss ◽  
Frugivorous Birds ◽  
Management Intensity

scholarly journals Influence of Slope Direction on the Soil Seed Bank and Seedling Regeneration of Castanopsis hystrix Seed Rain

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 500
Author(s):  
Zong Zhao ◽  
Yong Liu ◽  
Hongyan Jia ◽  
Wensheng Sun ◽  
Angang Ming ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Soil Seed Bank ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
Seed Vigor ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mature Seeds

Objective: To investigate the impact of different slope directions on the quantity and quality of the soil seed bank and seedling germination process of Castanopsis hystrix plantations. Method: Fixed sample plots in forest stands of Castanopsis hystrix were established on different slope directions (sunny slope, semi-sunny slope, semi-shady slope, and shady slope). The characteristics of the forest stand were investigated, and per-wood scaling was carried out. The temporal dynamics of the seed rain and seed bank were quantified using seed rain collectors and by collecting soil samples from different depths. The quantity and quality of the seeds were determined, and the vigor of mature seeds was measured throughout the study. Results: (1) The diffusion of Castanopsis hystrix seed rain started in mid-September, reached its peak from late October to early November, and ended in mid-December. (2) The dissemination process, occurrence time, and composition of the seed rain varied between the different slope directions. The seed rain intensity on the semi-sunny slope was the highest (572.75 ± 9.50 grains∙m−2), followed by the sunny slope (515.60 ± 10.28 grains∙m−2), the semi-shady slope (382.13 ± 12.11 grains∙m−2), and finally the shady slope (208.00 ± 11.35 grains∙m−2). The seed rain on the sunny slope diffused earliest and lasted the longest, while the seed rain on the shady slope diffused latest and lasted the shortest time. Seed vigor and the proportion of mature seeds within the seed rain were greatest on the semi-sunny slope, followed by the sunny slope, semi-shady slope, and the shady slope. (3) From the end of the seed rain to August of the following year, the amount of total reserves of the soil seed banks was highest on the semi-sunny slope, followed by the sunny slope then the semi-shady slope, and it was the lowest on the shady slope. The amount of mature, immature, gnawed seeds and seed vigor of the soil seed bank in various slope directions showed a decreasing trend with time. The seeds of the seed bank in all slope directions were mainly distributed in the litter layer, followed by the 0–2 cm humus layer, and only a few seeds were present in the 2–5 cm soil layer. (4) The seedling density of Castanopsis hystrix differed significantly on the different slope directions. The semi-sunny slope had the most seedlings, followed by the sunny slope, semi-shady slope, and the shady slope. Conclusions: The environmental conditions of the semi-sunny slope were found to be most suitable for the seed germination and seedling growth of Castanopsis hystrix, and more conducive to the regeneration and restoration of its population.

The effects of ice storm on seed rain and seed limitation in an evergreen broad-leaved forest in east China

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanjun Du ◽  
Xiangcheng Mi ◽  
Xiaojuan Liu ◽  
Keping Ma
Keyword(s):  
Seed Rain ◽  
East China ◽  
Ice Storm ◽  
Seed Limitation ◽  
Broad Leaved Forest ◽  
Leaved Forest

scholarly journals Effects of bamboo dominance and palm-heart harvesting on the phylogenetic structure of the seed and seedling communities in an old-growth Atlantic Forest

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 309-316
Author(s):  
Daniella Schweizer ◽  
Débora Cristina Rother ◽  
Ana Elena Muler ◽  
Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues ◽  
Marco Aurélio Pizo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Phylogenetic Structure ◽  
Palm Heart ◽  
Forest Remnant ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Seedling Community

Abstract:A comprehensive assessment of the effect of disturbances on tropical and subtropical forests is needed to better understand their impacts on forest structure and diversity. Although taxonomic and functional diversity measures have been successfully adopted in this context, phylogenetic diversity metrics are still poorly explored. We compared the phylogenetic structure of the seed rain and regenerating seedling community in patches of an old-growth Atlantic Forest remnant dominated or not by a ruderal bamboo species, Guadua tagoara. We sampled those patches before and after illegal harvesting of the palm Euterpe edulis thus assessing if the harvesting led to changes in the phylogenetic structure of the seed rain and the regenerating community in both patches. Bamboo-dominated patches showed a significantly higher presence of species in the seed rain that were more distantly related to each other in the phylogeny than expected by chance compared with patches without bamboos, but this difference disappeared after palm-heart harvesting. Contrary to what we expected, we did not find significant changes in the phylogenetic structure of seedlings before or after palm-heart harvesting. The phylogenetic structure at the tips of the phylogeny was random overall. The maintenance of a higher presence of far relatives in the phylogeny of the seedling community suggests, assuming trait conservatism, that despite bamboo dominance and palm-heart harvesting, functional diversity is being preserved at least in the early regenerating stages and in the time frame of the study. However, higher presence of pioneer taxa after palm-heart harvest indicates that this disturbance may lead old-growth areas to earlier successional stages.

Seed-dispersal and seedling recruitment patterns by the last Neotropical megafaunal element in Amazonia, the tapir

2000 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
José M. V. Fragoso ◽  
Jean M. Huffman
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
Dry Land ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Seed Dispersion ◽  
Tapirus Terrestris ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Seed Shadows

Tapirs (Tapiridae) are the last representatives of the Pleistocene megafauna of South and Central America. How they affect the ecology of plants was examined by studying the diversity, abundance, and condition of seeds defecated by the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) in Amazonian Brazil. Additionally, the spatio-temporal pattern of the seed-rain and seed-shadows generated by tapirs was recorded. Three hundred and fifty-six tapir faeces were examined. Eleven per cent were found in water (n = 41), while 88% were located on dry land (n = 315). Of those found on dry land, 84% were located at sites that flood seasonally, while 14% of the total were encountered at forest sites that do not flood. In 127 faeces checked in the laboratory over 12 906 seeds of at least 39 species were found. Seed viability ranged from 65% for Maximiliana maripa to 98% for Enterolobium schomburgkii. Of nine seed species planted in the laboratory, seven germinated within 4 wk, with one species achieving an 89% germination rate. For many species recruitment to the seedling stage was also high under natural conditions, with 13 plant species occurring as seedlings in older faeces. Tapir generated seed-rain occurred throughout the year, with seeds defecated in all months. Two temporal patterns in species seed rain occurred: (1) contiguous monthly occurrence with peaks in abundance, and (2) discontinuous occurrence (time clumped) with small (a few months) to large (many months to more than a year) temporal gaps. The highest diversity of seeds appeared in April, at the end of the dry season. As the last of the Pleistocene megafauna of the region, tapirs may have particular importance as dispersers of large seeds and generators of unique seed dispersion patterns.

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