Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-jbqgn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-27T12:20:35.091Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The role of epizoochorous seed dispersal of forest plant species in a fragmented landscape

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2007

Bente Jessen Graae
Bente Jessen Graae*
Affiliation:
Botanical Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 2D Copenhagen 1353 Denmark
*
*Correspondence Fax: +45–35–32–23–21 Email: bentej@bot.ku.dk Postal address:2001–2004: Arctic Station, 3953 Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A domestic dog was used in two experiments to elucidate the role of epizoochorous seed dispersal of forest plants. First, the dog was walked through forest vegetation at different times of year and its coat analysed for seeds retained within it. The seed content of the coat was compared to seed frequencies in the vegetation. Secondly, seeds of 11 plant species were placed in different positions on the dog, and their persistence in the coat analysed with respect to distance subsequently travelled. The experiments demonstrate that seeds with morphological adaptations to seed dispersal and small seeds of tall species can be caught effectively by a dog’s coat. The morphologically adapted seeds can be dispersed over large distances as long as the dog moves steadily along a road. The same is true for species with small and smooth seeds if they are deposited on the back of the dog, but not if they are placed on its side. Comparisons of these results with the distribution of forest species in a fragmented landscape, indicated that tall species with small seeds and species with morphological adaptations for epizoochorous dispersal are good at colonizing new forest habitats.

Keywords

colonizationepizoochoryforest continuityisolationlarge mammalsseed dispersal
Type
Research Article
Information
Seed Science Research , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , June 2002 , pp. 113 - 121
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brunet, J. and von Oheimb, G. (1998) Migration of vascular plants to secondary woodlands in southern Sweden. Journal of Ecology 86, 429–438.Google Scholar
Bullock, S.H. and Primack, R.B. (1977) Comparative experimental study of seed dispersal on animals. Ecology 58, 681–686.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cain, M.L., Damman, H. and Muir, A. (1998) Seed dispersal and the Holocene migration of woodland herbs. Ecological Monographs 68, 325–347.Google Scholar
Cain, M.L., Milligan, B.G. and Strand, A.E. (2000) Long-distance seed dispersal in plant populations. American Journal of Botany 87, 1217–1227.Google Scholar
Fischer, S.F., Poschlod, P. and Beinlich, B. (1996) Experimental studies on the dispersal of plants and animals on sheep in calcareous grasslands. Journal of Applied Ecology 33, 1206–1222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graae, B.J. (2000) The effect of landscape fragmentation and forest continuity on forest floor species in two regions of Denmark. Journal of Vegetation Science 11, 881–892.Google Scholar
Graae, B.J. and Sunde, P.B. (2000) The impact of forest continuity and management on forest floor vegetation evaluated by species traits. Ecography 23, 720–731.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grashof-Bokdam, C. and Geertsema, W. (1998) The effect of isolation and history on colonisation patterns of plant species in secondary woodland. Journal of Biogeography 25, 837–846.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansen, K. (ed.) (1981) The Danish flora. pp Copenhagen, Gyldendalske Boghandel, Nordisk Forlag.Google Scholar
Harris, S. and Lloyd, H.G. (1991) Foxes. In The handbook of British mammals. pp 351–367. in Corbet, G.B. and Harris, S., editors]. (3rd edition). Oxford, Blackwell Scientific Publications.Google Scholar
Heinken, T. (2000) Dispersal of plants by a dog in a deciduous forest. Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 122, 449–467.Google Scholar
Hodgson, J.G., Grime, J.P., Hunt, R. and Thompson, K. (1995) Electronic comparative plant ecology. London, Chapman and Hall.Google Scholar
Honnay, O., Hermy, M. and Coppin, P. (1999) Impact of habitat quality on forest plant species colonization. Forest Ecology and Management 115, 157–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jeppesen, J.L. (1990) Home range and movements of free-ranging roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) at Kalø. Danish Review of Game Biology 14, 1–14.Google Scholar
Kiviniemi, K. (1996) A study of adhesive seed dispersal of three species under natural conditions. Acta Botanica Neerlandica 45, 73–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kiviniemi, K. and Eriksson, O. (1999) Dispersal, recruitment and site occupancy of grassland plants in fragmented habitats. OIKOS 86, 241–253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kiviniemi, K. and Telenius, A. (1998) Experiments on adhesive dispersal by wood mouse: seed shadows and dispersal distances of 13 plant species from cultivated areas in southern Sweden. Ecography 21, 108–116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Portnoy, S. and Willson, M.F. (1993) Seed dispersal curves: behavior of the tail of the distribution. Evolutionary Ecology 7, 25–44.Google Scholar
Sorensen, A. (1986) Seed dispersal by adhesion. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 17, 443–463.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Underwood, A.J. (1997) Experiments in ecology: their logical design and interpretation using analysis of variance. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Welch, D. (1985) Studies in the grazing of heather moorland in North-east Scotland. 4. Seed dispersal and plant establishment in dung. Journal of Applied Ecology 22, 461–472.Google Scholar