Abigail J. Motter, Christopher T. Martine, Melody P. Sain
{"title":"A simple and affordable protocol to assess censer seed dispersal: First confirmation of the mechanism in the genus Solanum","authors":"Abigail J. Motter, Christopher T. Martine, Melody P. Sain","doi":"10.1002/aps3.70037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aps3.70037","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Premise</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The censer seed dispersal mechanism, whereby mature fruits are retained on plants and seeds dispersed by mechanical shaking, is among the most specialized wind-aided seed dispersal strategies employed by the flowering plants. An efficient, affordable, and easily repeatable protocol for determining whether a species uses this unusual mechanism of seed dispersal is lacking. Our focal species, <i>Solanum tudununggae</i>, is one of just two <i>Solanum</i> species (in a fleshy-fruited genus of ca. 1200 species) hypothesized to use this dispersal mechanism as a means to move seeds farther from parent plants than would gravity alone.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods and Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Live greenhouse plants were systematically shaken using a hand pulling technique. The proportion of seeds released and the distance of their movement were recorded and assessed using tools such as organza bags, bed sheets, a smartphone, ImageJ software, and a set of simple calculations. The results from this mentored undergraduate research project demonstrate that the protocol effectively identifies the use of the censer mechanism in <i>S. tudununggae</i> and quantifies its seed dispersal effectiveness.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The findings indicate that this protocol has confirmed experimentally, for the first time, the presence and effectiveness of the censer mechanism in the large and economically important genus <i>Solanum</i>. We believe that this protocol is useful for other taxa with similarly elongated and flexible growth habits.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8022,"journal":{"name":"Applications in Plant Sciences","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aps3.70037","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Noelle G. Beckman, Erin K. Kuprewicz, Binod Borah, James M. Bullock, Amanda S. Gallinat, Juan P. González-Varo, Abir Jain, Jun Ying Lim, Carina I. Motta, Omer Nevo, Haldre S. Rogers
{"title":"Animal-mediated seed dispersal: A review of study methods","authors":"Noelle G. Beckman, Erin K. Kuprewicz, Binod Borah, James M. Bullock, Amanda S. Gallinat, Juan P. González-Varo, Abir Jain, Jun Ying Lim, Carina I. Motta, Omer Nevo, Haldre S. Rogers","doi":"10.1002/aps3.70043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aps3.70043","url":null,"abstract":"<p>By dispersing seeds, animals provide ecological functions critical for the ecology, evolution, and conservation of plants. We review quantitative and empirical approaches and emerging technologies to quantify processes and patterns of animal-mediated seed dispersal (zoochory) across its phases: from predispersal to postdispersal. In addition, we consider approaches to studying seed disperser behaviors and plant traits, both of which influence all dispersal phases of animal-mediated dispersal. Finally, we discuss how we can use quantitative and empirical approaches to integrate across seed dispersal phases and address data gaps to improve our mechanistic understanding of zoochory and its consequences for ecology and conservation. To move towards generalization and predictability in seed dispersal ecology, we recommend the development of standardized protocols that can be widely implemented across systems with simultaneous and iterative development of theory and quantitative models. As approaches in studying animal-mediated seed dispersal continue to advance, exciting opportunities present themselves to increase our understanding of seed dispersal ecology.</p>","PeriodicalId":8022,"journal":{"name":"Applications in Plant Sciences","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aps3.70043","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lauren L. Sullivan, Sally M. Chambers, Irene Cobo-Simón, Noelle G. Beckman
{"title":"Quantifying plant dispersal: New methods from multiple disciplines","authors":"Lauren L. Sullivan, Sally M. Chambers, Irene Cobo-Simón, Noelle G. Beckman","doi":"10.1002/aps3.70042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aps3.70042","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Dispersal is a key process in plant ecology, evolution, and conservation (Howe and Smallwood, <span>1982</span>; Trakhtenbrot et al., <span>2005</span>; Ronce, <span>2007</span>; Clobert et al., <span>2012</span>; Driscoll et al., <span>2014</span>; Johnson et al., <span>2019</span>; Beckman and Sullivan, <span>2023</span>). Dispersal influences fitness (Hamilton and May, <span>1977</span>; Nakashizuka et al., <span>1995</span>; Bonte et al., <span>2014</span>), population dynamics (Neubert and Caswell, <span>2000</span>; Levin et al., <span>2003</span>; Jongejans et al., <span>2008</span>), genetic diversity (Browne et al., <span>2018</span>; Imwattana et al., <span>2024</span>), and biodiversity (Levine and Murrell, <span>2003</span>; Cadotte, <span>2006</span>) across temporal and spatial scales (Robledo-Arnuncio et al., <span>2014</span>; Stevens and Emery, <span>2015</span>; Germain et al., <span>2017</span>; Oldfather et al., <span>2021</span>; Peniston et al., <span>2024</span>). In sessile organisms like plants, diaspore (the pollen, spore, seed, or fruit plus attached structures that disperse as a unit) dispersal is particularly important as it is the main period in an organism's life cycle for significant movement (Harper, <span>1977</span>; Zobel et al., <span>2010</span>). Without dispersal, plants cannot move to suitable habitat as conditions change (Corlett and Westcott, <span>2013</span>), nor can gene flow occur to allow for adaptation to these changes (Kremer et al., <span>2012</span>). However, dispersal is a complex, multiscale process that is difficult to measure (Bullock et al., <span>2006</span>; Nathan, <span>2006</span>), with the majority of diaspore dispersal relying on one or more abiotic and biotic vectors (Vittoz and Engler, <span>2007</span>; Lorts et al., <span>2008</span>; Rogers et al., <span>2021</span>). This complexity requires multiple disciplinary perspectives (e.g., genomics, physiology, animal movement, atmospheric sciences, hydrology, ecology, evolution) to accurately measure the dispersal of diaspores by a diversity of vectors and resulting dispersal patterns (Rogers et al., <span>2019</span>; Beckman et al., <span>2020</span>).</p><p>Under increasing global change, accurate prediction of plant dispersal becomes even more critical, given that diaspore movement is one of the main ways plant populations build resiliency in the face of this change (Török et al., <span>2020</span>). Global change is altering many aspects of plant dispersal. Land use conversion is causing habitat loss and fragmentation (Theobald et al., <span>2011</span>; Newbold et al., <span>2016</span>; Wimberly et al., <span>2018</span>), making dispersal critical to maintain connectivity (Brudvig et al., <span>2009</span>; Sullivan et al., <span>2021</span>). Anthropogenic homogenization of biotic communities is altering the availability of seed dispersers, which in turn can disrupt the dispersal of plants (Fricke and Svenning, <span>2","PeriodicalId":8022,"journal":{"name":"Applications in Plant Sciences","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aps3.70042","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147564318","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liang Tian, Noelle G. Beckman, Lu Zong, Xuanping Qin, Minghu Liu, Zhimin Liu
{"title":"Experimental methods for wind tunnel studies of seed dispersal by wind","authors":"Liang Tian, Noelle G. Beckman, Lu Zong, Xuanping Qin, Minghu Liu, Zhimin Liu","doi":"10.1002/aps3.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/aps3.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The complexity and variability of natural environments make quantitative studies of seed wind dispersal challenging. Wind tunnel experiments offer a controlled alternative to investigate the mechanisms of seed wind dispersal. This review focuses on wind tunnels and the associated technologies used for studying seed wind dispersal, including wind tunnel structure and its functionality in replicating natural dispersal scenarios. We discuss the selection and arrangement of key environmental factors, such as terrain, individual plants, vegetation, and substrates, as well as the real simulation of wind dispersal conditions, and provide a detailed description of critical experimental procedures. This paper emphasizes key factors for ensuring reliable and repeatable experimental results, including the use of representative seed materials, strict control of airflow characteristics, and maintaining standardized conditions. By integrating experimental experiences, this research offers valuable references for the application of wind tunnel technology in simulating the process of seed wind dispersal, providing strong support for understanding seed dispersal mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":8022,"journal":{"name":"Applications in Plant Sciences","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aps3.70038","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147563892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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