Consequences of fragmentation on seed dispersal and recruitment: a network approach

Biotic and abiotic vectors play a critical role in mediating dispersal processes, particularly animals such as frugivorous birds that disperse the seeds of many invasive shrubs and tree species. Because the movements of frugivores are fundamentally linked and influenced by the heterogeneity of landscapes, the resulting seed shadows are highly directional and spatially patchy. This means that frugivores can provide an important degree of connectivity on fragmented landscapes that can facilitate plant range expansions and increase population persistence. I am looking at whether the presence of highly connected plant species (those plant species that most strongly influence frugivory and dispersal), whether native or alien, will facilitate dispersal and recruitment rates, as well as the diversity of seeds for the avian-dispersed plant species community._

Contact

  Jason Hill
  ecologyservice@psu.edu