Intraspecific variation in seed dispersal of a Neotropical tree and its relationship to fruit and tree traits.

ABSTRACT: The distribution of wind-dispersed seeds around a parent tree depends on diaspore and tree traits, as well as wind conditions and surrounding vegetation. This study of a neotropical canopy tree, Platypodium elegans, explored the extent to which parental variation in diaspore and tree traits explained (1) rate of diaspore descent in still air, (2) distributions of diaspores dispersed from a 40-m tower in the forest, and (3) natural diaspore distributions around the parent tree. The geometric mean rate of descent in still air among 20 parents was highly correlated with geometric mean wing loading(1/2) (r = 0.84). However, diaspore traits and rate of descent predicted less variation in dispersal distance from the tower, although descent rate(-1) consistently correlated with dispersal distance

SUBMITTER: Augspurger CK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4725333 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature