Theoretical and Empirical Studies of Seed and Pollen Dispersal in Tropical Trees

关于种子和花粉在自然植物种群内部和之间传播的频率、模式和机制的数据相当空白。这项研究的目标是将经验和理论方法结合起来，以测量大距离的扩散。该项目使用分子遗传标记、巴拿马的一个大型热带森林地块和几个长期环境数据集来解决关于种子和花粉在五种热带树种中传播的模式、过程和机制的基本问题。随着人类继续改变和碎片化热带森林景观，了解这些调节种群和维持多样性群落的过程对于预测这些种群未来将如何反应至关重要。在决定种群在时间和空间上的生态和遗传反应的种群过程中，首要的是扩散。据我们所知，这项研究是使用基因技术直接测量种子和花粉传播距离的第一次也是最全面的尝试之一。这项研究将直接告知自然资源保护者和土地管理者，根据种子和花粉移动的空间范围，维持热带树木种群所需的适当栖息地大小。

There is a considerable void of data on the frequency, patterns, and mechanisms of seed and pollen dispersal within and among natural plant populations. The goal of the research is to integrate empirical and theoretical approaches to the measurement dispersal over large distances. The project uses molecular genetic markers, a large mapped tropical forest plot in Panama, and several long-term environmental data sets to address fundamental questions about the patterns, processes, and mechanisms of seed and pollen dispersal in five tropical tree species.As humans continue to alter and fragment tropical forest landscapes, knowledge of those processes that regulate populations and maintain diverse communities is critical for predicting how these populations will respond in the future. Chief among the population processes that will determine the ecological and genetic response over time and space is dispersal. To our knowledge, this study is among the first and most comprehensive attempts to obtain direct measurements of both seed and pollen dispersal distances using genetic techniques. This study will directly inform conservationists and land managers as to the appropriate size of habitat required to maintain populations of tropical trees in light of the spatial extent of seed and pollen movement.