Seed predation, not seed dispersal, explains the landscape-level abundance of an early-successional plant.
Plants may not occur in a given area if there are no suitable sites for seeds to establish (microsite limitation), if seeds fail to arrive in suitable microsites (dispersal limitation) or if seeds in suitable microsites are destroyed by predators (predator limitation). When dispersal and microsites are not limiting, the role of local seed predators can be important for generating emergent, large-scale patterns of plant abundance across landscapes. Moreover, because predators may generate large-scale patterns that resemble other forms of limitation and predators may target specific species, predator impacts should be more frequently incorporated into experiments on the role of seed limitation and plant community composition.
- Research Organization:
- USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AI09-00SR22188
- OSTI ID:
- 886950
- Report Number(s):
- na; JECOAB; 06-06-P; TRN: US201103%%55
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Ecology, Vol. 94, Issue 1; ISSN 0022-0477
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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