Does seed retention potential affect the distribution of plant species in highly fragmented calcareous grasslands
Does seed retention potential affect the distribution of plant species in highly fragmented calcareous grasslands
复制标题
种子保留潜力是否影响高度破碎化钙质草原植物物种的分布
DOI：
10.1111/j.0906-7590.2007.05049.x
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发表时间：
2007
期刊：
影响因子：
5.9
通讯作者：
M. Hermy
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
D. Adriaens;O. Honnay;M. Hermy
长距离传播是植物生命周期的一个关键因素，尤其是在我们高度分散的现代景观中。由于大型动物的自然群已经消失，放牧方式也被放弃，种子长距离传播的重要潜在载体可能已经消失。因此，在出于自然保护目的而重新建立放牧管理的背景下，深入了解放牧动物作为种子传播媒介的能力非常重要。虽然局部传播主要通过通常基于水硬铝石形态适应描述的标准载体发生，但大型食草动物充当非标准种子传播者。因此，传统的扩散类别正在失去科学相关性，并且已经提出了扩散潜力的连续预测因子。在这里，我们探讨了与传播相关的植物性状（包括“种子保留潜力”）是否可以解释比利时 64 个破碎的半天然钙质草原上 180 种植物的分布模式。栖息地专业植物物种的分布很大程度上取决于草原的隔离程度。有趣的是，物种分布模式与物种通过大型食草动物迁徙的潜力明显相关，通过其保留潜力来量化：产生具有高保留能力的种子的物种受栖息地隔离的影响较小。基于种子形态的分类传播类别并不能解释物种对碎片隔离的反应。尽管种子保留潜力优于简单的种子尺寸性状，但作为表层附着潜力指标的株高更为重要。因此，我们建议通过纳入有效促进成功扩散事件的基本生态机制来进一步扩展表层动物保留潜力模型。
Long-distance dispersal is a crucial factor in the life-cycle of plants, especially in our modern, highly fragmented landscapes. Because natural herds of large animals have disappeared and grazing practices have been abandoned, important potential vectors for seed dispersal over large distances may have been lost. In the context of the re-establishment of grazing management for nature conservation purposes, it is therefore important to gain insight in the ability of grazing animals to act as seed dispersal vectors. Whereas local dispersal mainly occurs through standard vectors typically described based on morphological adaptations of the diaspore, large herbivores act as non-standard seed dispersers. Therefore, traditional dispersal classes are loosing scientific relevance and continuous predictors of dispersal potential have been proposed. Here, we explored whether dispersal related plant traits, including the "seed retention potential", could explain the distribution patterns of 180 plant species over 64 fragmented semi-natural calcareous grasslands in Belgium. The distribution of habitat specialist plant species was strongly determined by the degree of isolation of the grasslands. Interestingly, species distribution patterns were clearly linked with a species' potential to migrate through large grazers, as quantified by its retention potential: species producing seeds with high retention capacity were less affected by habitat isolation. Categorical dispersal classes based on seed morphology did not explain a species' response to fragment isolation. Although seed retention potential outperformed simple seed dimensional traits, plant height, which is an indicator of epizoochorous attachment potential, was even more important. Therefore we suggest further extension of the epizoochorous retention potential model by incorporating basic ecological mechanisms that effectively contribute to successful dispersal events.