Seed dispersal by wind decreases when plants are water‐stressed, potentially counteracting species coexistence and niche evolution

dc.contributor.authorZhu, Jinlei
dc.contributor.authorLukić, Nataša
dc.contributor.authorRajtschan, Verena
dc.contributor.authorWalter, Julia
dc.contributor.authorSchurr, Frank M.
dc.date.accessioned2024-11-06T10:17:37Z
dc.date.available2024-11-06T10:17:37Z
dc.date.issued2021de
dc.description.abstractHydrology is a major environmental factor determining plant fitness, and hydrological niche segregation (HNS) has been widely used to explain species coexistence. Nevertheless, the distribution of plant species along hydrological gradients does not only depend on their hydrological niches but also depend on their seed dispersal, with dispersal either weakening or reinforcing the effects of HNS on coexistence. However, it is poorly understood how seed dispersal responds to hydrological conditions. To close this gap, we conducted a common‐garden experiment exposing five wind‐dispersed plant species (Bellis perennis, Chenopodium album, Crepis sancta, Hypochaeris glabra, and Hypochaeris radicata) to different hydrological conditions. We quantified the effects of hydrological conditions on seed production and dispersal traits, and simulated seed dispersal distances with a mechanistic dispersal model. We found species‐specific responses of seed production, seed dispersal traits, and predicted dispersal distances to hydrological conditions. Despite these species‐specific responses, there was a general positive relationship between seed production and dispersal distance: Plants growing in favorable hydrological conditions not only produce more seeds but also disperse them over longer distances. This arises mostly because plants growing in favorable environments grow taller and thus disperse their seeds over longer distances. We postulate that the positive relationship between seed production and dispersal may reduce the concentration of each species to the environments favorable for it, thus counteracting species coexistence. Moreover, the resulting asymmetrical gene flow from favorable to stressful habitats may slow down the microevolution of hydrological niches, causing evolutionary niche conservatism. Accounting for context‐dependent seed dispersal should thus improve ecological and evolutionary models for the spatial dynamics of plant populations and communities.en
dc.identifier.swb1776480864
dc.identifier.urihttps://hohpublica.uni-hohenheim.de/handle/123456789/16890
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8305
dc.language.isoengde
dc.rights.licensecc_byde
dc.source2045-7758de
dc.sourceEcology and evolution; Vol. 11, No. 22 (2021), 16239-16249de
dc.subjectAnemochory
dc.subjectCommunity dynamics
dc.subjectContext-dependent seed dispersal
dc.subjectDrought
dc.subjectSource-sink dynamics
dc.subjectWater logging
dc.subject.ddc580
dc.titleSeed dispersal by wind decreases when plants are water‐stressed, potentially counteracting species coexistence and niche evolutionen
dc.type.diniArticle
dcterms.bibliographicCitationEcology and evolution, 11 (2021), 22, 16239-16249. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8305. ISSN: 2045-7758
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.issn2045-7758
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.issue22
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.journaltitleEcology and evolution
dcterms.bibliographicCitation.volume11
local.export.bibtex@article{Zhu2021, url = {https://hohpublica.uni-hohenheim.de/handle/123456789/16890}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.8305}, author = {Zhu, Jinlei and Lukić, Nataša and Rajtschan, Verena et al.}, title = {Seed dispersal by wind decreases when plants are water‐stressed, potentially counteracting species coexistence and niche evolution}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, year = {2021}, }
local.export.bibtexAuthorZhu, Jinlei and Lukić, Nataša and Rajtschan, Verena et al.
local.export.bibtexKeyZhu2021
local.export.bibtexType@article

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