Forest passerines as a novel dispersal vector of viable bryophyte propagules
Forest passerines as a novel dispersal vector of viable bryophyte propagules
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DOI：
10.1098/rspb.2018.2253
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发表时间：
2019-02-20
影响因子：
4.7
通讯作者：
Eppley, Sarah M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Chmielewski, Matthew W.;Eppley, Sarah M.
动物扩散影响了各种植物群的群落结构和多样性，但对苔藓植物(地钱、苔藓和苔藓)中动物扩散的潜在影响却知之甚少。在许多群落中，鸟类利用苔藓丰富的生态位空间来觅食和收集筑巢材料，这表明鸟类可能在苔藓植物的扩散中发挥了作用。鸟类作为具有较长迁徙路线的高度能动性的动物，可能为苔藓植物的局部和远距离传播提供了一种手段，其方式与被动的空中孢子传播有很大不同。为了检验这一现象，我们收集并萌发了温带森林群落中34种224只鸟类的腿、脚和尾巴上的苔藓繁殖体。共发现孢子1512个，萌发苔藓242个。此外，我们提供的证据表明，表面(外部携带的)孢子载量因鸟类的种类和行为而异。尾羽孢子丰度在采集树皮和树叶的树种中最高，并与眼睑长度呈正相关。总之，这些数据表明，各种森林鸟类显示出作为苔藓植物繁殖体的传播媒介的潜力，包括大量的孢子，了解动物行为对苔藓植物传播的影响将是进一步了解这种相互作用的关键。
Animal dispersal influences the community structure and diversity of a wide variety of plant taxa, yet the potential effects of animal dispersal in bryophytes (hornworts, liverworts, and mosses) is poorly understood. In many communities, birds use bryophyte-abundant niche space for foraging and gathering nest material, suggesting that birds may play a role in bryophyte dispersal. As highly motile animals with long migratory routes, birds potentially provide a means for both local and long-distance bryophyte dispersal in a manner that differs greatly from passive, aerial spore dispersal. To examine this phenomenon, we collected and germinated bryophyte propagules from the legs, feet and tails of 224 birds from 34 species within a temperate forest community. In total we found 1512 spores, and were able to germinate 242 bryophyte propagules. In addition, we provide evidence that topical (externally-carried) spore load varies by bird species and behaviour. Tail feather spore abundance is highest in bark and foliage gleaning species and is positively correlated with tarsal length. Together, these data suggest that a variety of forest birds exhibit the potential to act as dispersal vectors for bryophyte propagules, including an abundance of spores, and that understanding the effects of animal behaviour on bryophyte dispersal will be key to further understanding this interaction.