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Correction: Dispersal strategies in the highly polygynous ant Crematogaster (Orthocrema) pygmaea Forel (Formicidae: Myrmicinae)
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178813.].
Journal Article
Dispersal Ecology and Evolution
Now that so many ecosystems face rapid and major environmental change, the ability of species to respond to these changes by dispersing or moving between different patches of habitat can be crucial to ensuring their survival. Understanding dispersal has become key to understanding how populations may persist. This book provides an overview of the fast expanding field of dispersal ecology, incorporating the very latest research. The causes, mechanisms, and consequences of dispersal at the individual, population, species, and community levels are considered. Perspectives and insights are offered from the fields of evolution, behavioural ecology, conservation biology, and genetics. Throughout the book theoretical approaches are combined with empirical data, and care has been taken to include examples from as wide a range of species as possible — both plant and animal.
eBook
Seed dispersal distance is more strongly correlated with plant height than with seed mass
1. It is often assumed that there is a trade‐off between maternal provisioning and dispersal capacity, leading small‐seeded species to disperse further than large‐seeded species. However, this relationship between dispersal distance and seed mass has only been quantified for species from particular sites or with particular dispersal syndromes. 2. We provided the first large‐scale, cross‐species quantification of the correlations between dispersal distance and both seed mass and plant height. Seed mass was positively related to mean dispersal distance, with a 100‐fold increase in seed mass being associated with a 4.5‐fold increase in mean dispersal distance (R2 = 0.16; n = 210 species; P < 0.001). However, plant height had substantially stronger explanatory power than did seed mass, and we found a 5‐fold increase in height was associated with a 4.6‐fold increase in mean dispersal distance (R2 = 0.54; n = 211 species; P < 0.001). 3. Once plant height was accounted for, we found that small‐seeded species dispersed further than did large‐seeded species (R2 = 0.54; n = 181 species; slope = −0.130; P < 0.001); however, seed mass only added 2% to the R2 of the model. Within dispersal syndromes, tall species dispersed further than did short species, while seed mass had little influence on dispersal distance. 4. Synthesis. These findings enhance our understanding of plant life‐history strategies and improve our ability to predict which species are best at colonizing new environments.
Journal Article
The tiny seed
Carle follows the journey of a seed, from being blown by the wind to taking root and sprouting seeds of its own.
Book
First evidence for the joint dispersal of mycorrhizal fungi and plant diaspores by birds
Seed dispersal allows plants to colonise new sites and escape from pathogens and intraspecific competition, maintaining plant genetic diversity and regulating plant distribution. Conversely, most plant species form mutualistic associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in a symbiosis established immediately after seed germination. Because AM fungi are obligate symbionts, using the same dispersal vector as their host should be highly advantageous for their survival, but the co-dispersal of seeds and AM fungal spores has never been confirmed.
We aim to clarify the potential role of European birds, essential dispersers for many plant species, as co-dispersers of seeds and AM fungal spores.
In total, 63 bird droppings with intact seeds were placed in sterilised soil and maintained for 4 months in a protected environment to avoid contamination. Additionally, 173 bird droppings and 729 gauze swabs used to clean birds’ feet were inspected for AM fungal spores.
Although no spores were detected by direct observation of these samples, seven Rubus ulmifolius seedlings obtained from four independent droppings of Erithacus rubecula and Sylvia melanocephala were colonised by AM fungi. Our results show that birds can effectively co-disperse viable seeds and AM fungal spores, potentially over long distances, providing a pivotal mechanism to understand the cosmopolitan distribution of AM fungi.
Journal Article
Animals help plants
\"Wind and water help new plants grow by moving seeds to new places. Animals also help by moving seeds and pollinating plants. Includes science and reading activities, a note to caregivers, and a word list\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Dispersal evolution diminishes the negative density dependence in dispersal
In many organisms, dispersal varies with the local population density. Such patterns of density-dependent dispersal (DDD) are expected to shape the dynamics, spatial spread, and invasiveness of populations. Despite their ecological importance, empirical evidence for the evolution of DDD patterns remains extremely scarce. This is especially relevant because rapid evolution of dispersal traits has now been empirically confirmed in several taxa. Changes in DDD of dispersing populations could help clarify not only the role of DDD in dispersal evolution, but also the possible pattern of subsequent range expansion. Here, we investigate the relationship between dispersal evolution and DDD using a long-term experimental evolution study on Drosophila melanogaster. We compared the DDD patterns of four dispersal-selected populations and their non-selected controls. The control populations showed negative DDD, which was stronger in females than in males. In contrast, the dispersal-selected populations showed DDD, where neither males nor females exhibited DDD. We compare our results with previous evolutionary predictions that focused largely on positive DDD, and highlight how the direction of evolutionary change depends on the initial DDD pattern of a population. Finally, we discuss the implications of DDD evolution for spatial ecology and evolution.
Journal Article