Multiple intrinsic and extrinsic drivers influence the quantity and quality components of seed dispersal effectiveness in the rare shrub Lindera subcoriacea.

ABSTRACT: Information about seed dispersal effectiveness (SDE) for plant species of conservation concern is rarely available to inform management strategies and actions. For Lindera subcoriacea (bog spicebush, Lauraceae), a rare endemic dioecious shrub of the southeastern United States, we examined the influence of two intrinsic and five extrinsic drivers on the number and proportion of seeds either dispersed, or predated pre- and post-dispersal. The number of seeds dispersed characterizes the quantitative component of SDE, while pre- and post-dispersal seed predation can affect the qualitative component of SDE. Using fruit counts, seed traps, and seed removal depots over multiple years, we estimated that approximately 28% of L. subcoriacea seeds are lost to pre-dispersal predation, 69% of seeds are

SUBMITTER: Hohmann MG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10065295 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature