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缺乏。本研究的目的是整合实证和理论方法来测量大距离上的分散。该项目利用分子遗传标记、巴拿马的大型热带森林分布图和若干长期环境数据集来解决有关五种热带树种种子和花粉传播模式、过程和机制的基本问题。随着人类不断改变和破坏热带森林景观，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的反应至关重要。在决定生态和遗传随时间和空间变化的种群过程中，最主要的是分散。据我们所知，这项研究是利用遗传技术获得种子和花粉传播距离直接测量的第一次也是最全面的尝试之一。这项研究将直接告知保护主义者和土地管理者，根据种子和花粉运动的空间范围，维持热带树木种群所需的栖息地的适当大小。

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.