Quantification of the Effect of Environmental Factors on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Eruca (Eruca sativa) Using Mathematical Models

Eruca (Eruca sativa; Brassicaceae) is an important industrial crop due to its ability to grow under a wide range of climatic conditions and in poor fertility lands and also for the quality of seed oil and protein. Seed germination (SG) is an important event in plant’s life history which can significantly be influenced by several environmental factors such as temperature (T), water potential (ψ), salinity, pH, and burial depth. Therefore, this study aimed (i) to investigate the effects of these environmental factors on SG behavior of Eruca using several mathematical models, (ii) to determine the cardinal Ts and tolerance threshold value for each trait (i.e., 50% reduction than its maximum value) affected by the environmental factor, and (iii) to quantify the response of Eruca seedling growth to each environmental factor. The results indicated that Eruca SG and seedling growth were significantly influenced by these factors (P < 0.05). The estimated cardinal Ts were 1 °C for the base T, 30 °C for the optimum T, and 40.8 °C for the ceiling T. The salt and drought tolerance threshold values were 257 mM NaCl and − 1.2 MPa for SG and 247 mM NaCl and − 1 MPa for the seedling growth, respectively, suggesting that the seedling growth was more sensitive than SG under both salt and drought stresses in Eruca. In addition, the maximum SG and seedling growth were observed at pH 7 and burial depth 1.9 cm. In general, the models used in this study could describe well the response of Eruca SG under different levels of environmental factors and also their parameters could easily be used in Eruca SG simulation models. This information also could help us to better manage the production of this plant under stressful conditions and/or to determine its geographic range expansion in the world.

     

Survival,recruitment and dynamics of Acacia drepanolobium Sjøstedt seedlings at Olpejeta Conservancy,Kenya, between 1999 and 2009

Survival and recruitment of the whistling thorn (Acacia drepanolobium Sjøstedt) seedlings was studied in Olpejeta Conservancy, Kenya, between 1999 and 2009. Seedlings were monitored for damage by drought and herbivores as well as survival and recruitment into adult trees. We determined variability in seedling damage, survival and recruitment before and after two management interventions; the elephant translocation in 2001 and the expansion of the reserve in 2007. Seedling survival over 8 years was low, with mortalities being initially high between 2000 and 2001. Reduction in elephant numbers was followed by a gradual reduction in seedling mortality. We recorded a 47% survival over 8 years; 63% of the mortality having been caused by browsers, drought or other factors. Only 8 (0.75%) of the seedlings had grown into trees. Seedlings experienced greater damage at higher densities and exhibited a storage effect underneath grass cover. Survival and recruitment of A. drepanolobium seedlings is very low and of concern. The expansion of conservation area and the opening of wildlife migration corridors have, however, resulted in a steady recovery for seedlings. We recommend enclosing sections of the conservancy to exclude grazers and browsers such as elephants and to allow seedling survival and recruitment.     

Functional roles of the pepper antimicrobial protein gene, <Emphasis Type="Italic">CaAMP1</Emphasis>, in abscisic acid signaling,and salt and drought tolerance in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis>

Biotic signaling molecules including abscisic acid (ABA) are involved in signal transduction pathways that mediate the defense response of plants to environmental stresses. The antimicrobial protein gene CaAMP1, previously isolated from pepper (Capsicum annuum), was strongly induced in pepper leaves exposed to ABA, NaCl, drought, or low temperature. Because transformation is very difficult in pepper, we overexpressed CaAMP1 in Arabidopsis. CaAMP1-overexpressing (OX) transgenic plants exhibited reduced sensitivity to ABA during the seed germination and seedling stages. Overexpression of CaAMP1 conferred enhanced tolerance to high salinity and drought, accompanied by altered expression of the AtRD29A gene, which is correlated with ABA levels and environmental stresses. The transgenic plants were also highly tolerant to osmotic stress caused by high concentrations of mannitol. Together, these results suggest that overexpression of the CaAMP1 transgene modulates salt and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis through ABA-mediated cell signaling. The nucleotide sequence data reported here have been deposited in the GenBank database under the accession number AY548741.     

Invasion windows for a global legume invader are revealed after joint examination of abiotic and biotic filters

• Successful alien plant invasion is influenced by both climate change and plant–plant interactions. We estimate the single and interactive effects of competition and extreme weather events on the performance of the global legume invader Lupinus polyphyllus (Lindl.).
• In three experimental studies we assessed (i) the stress tolerance of seedling and adult L. polyphyllus plants against extreme weather events (drought, fluctuating precipitation, late frost), (ii) the competitive effects of L. polyphyllus on native grassland species and vice versa, and (iii) the interactive effects of extreme weather events and competition on the performance of L. polyphyllus.
• Drought reduced growth and led to early senescence of L. polyphyllus but did not reduce adult survival. Fluctuating precipitation events and late frost reduced the length of inflorescences. Under control conditions, interspecific competition reduced photosynthetic activity and growth of L. polyphyllus. When subjected to competition during drought, L. polyphyllus conserved water while simultaneously maintaining high assimilation rates, demonstrating increased water use efficiency. Meanwhile, native species had reduced performance under drought.
• In summary, the invader gained an advantage under drought conditions through a smaller reduction in performance relative to its native competitors but was competitively inferior under control conditions. This provides evidence for a possible invasion window for this species. While regions of high elevation or latitude with regular severe late frost events might remain inaccessible for L. polyphyllus, further spread across Europe seems probable as the predicted increase in drought events may favour this non‐native legume over native species.

     

Leaf litter and irrigation can increase seed germination and early seedling survival of the recalcitrant‐seeded tree Beilschmiedia miersii

Although regeneration of recalcitrant‐seeded tree species can be affected by prolonged drought, especially in Mediterranean regions, little is known about the response of such species to varying site conditions. A field experiment was performed to determine the effect of irrigation and leaf litter cover on seed germination and early seedling survival of the vulnerable recalcitrant‐seeded tree Beilschmiedia miersii (Lauraceae). Two levels of irrigation (non‐irrigated and irrigated units) and three levels of leaf litter depth (0, 5 and 12 cm) were applied to 72 groups of 30 seeds along a wet ravine of the Coastal Range of Central Chile, equally distributed across sites with different levels of canopy cover. Seed germination was significantly increased by irrigation only under closed‐canopy cover, and by leaf litter cover (>5 cm) under all canopy conditions. The effect of leaf litter on germination increased with canopy openness, while the effect of irrigation did not show any tendency. Meanwhile, early seedling survival was significantly increased by irrigation under intermediate canopy cover, and by leaf litter (>5 cm) under closed‐canopy cover. As a result of its overall positive effect on germination, leaf litter should be maintained within B. miersii communities, particularly under intermediate to closed‐canopy conditions, where it can also increase early seedling survival, and both seed germination and early seedling survival might be increased through additional water inputs. The presence of leaf litter might help retaining such inputs, prolonging their effect on regeneration of B. miersii communities. We see this as a baseline assessment of regeneration and persistence that needs further testing on species with similar traits, given the expected increase in the frequency and length of dry periods into the future.     

Germination,growth and survival of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Berberis thunbergii</Emphasis> DC. (Berberidaceae) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Berberis thunbergii</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">atropurpurea</Emphasis> in five natural environments

Germination, growth and survival of green Berberis thunbergii and its purple ornamental form, Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea, were compared in five natural environments (full sun meadow, edge of woods, moist woods, dry woods, pine woods) to determine whether these two forms have a similar ability to naturalize. Berberis thunbergii and Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea had similar germination rates of about 25% at the end of 3 years. Most of the seed germination occurred in year one (89%), with a small amount of additional germination in year two (10%), and even less in year three (1%). Greatest germination occurred in the moist woods and full sun meadow sites and the least occurred at the pine woods site. Germination was reduced in the pine woods environment by the thick leaf litter layer present there. Barberry seedling survival during the first year was only 22% and survival dropped to 11.3% by the end of 2 years. Purple barberry seedlings had a lower 2 year survival rate than green barberry. There was no difference in seedling growth between purple and green barberry seedlings, but surviving seedling growth rates at the five environments were comparable. Seedlings achieved maximum growth in the edge of woods environment, but also grew well in the full sun meadow environment. At harvest, the full sun meadow had the greatest number of seedlings present, while no seedlings survived in the pine woods site.     

Effects of flower dimorphism and light environment on arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation in a cleistogamous herb

Although it is known that floral dimorphism contributes to the maintenance of mixed breeding systems, the consequences of producing progeny of a contrasting genetic background and seeds with differential resource allocation has been practically ignored regarding establishment of belowground organisms–plant interactions. This article evaluates the combined effect of floral dimorphism with cross type and light environment on interactions between Ruellia nudiflora and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). R. nudiflora produces cleistogamous (CL) flowers that exhibit obligate self‐pollination and chasmogamous (CH) flowers with facultative self‐ (CHs) or cross‐ (CHc) pollination. We evaluated the establishment of the plant–AMF interaction in progeny derived from each floral type, under two light conditions (shaded versus open). We established different scenarios depending on the existence of inbreeding depression (ID) and whether the differential resource allocation (DRA) to CH and CL flowers affected the R. nudiflora–AMF interaction. We predicted that under shaded light conditions there might be an intensification of ID, having a negative effect on AMF colonisation. The percentages of hyphae and vesicles in the harvested roots was significantly higher in the shaded plants (F ≥ 4.11, P < 0.05), while progeny of CHc and CHs presented a higher percentage of hyphae and vesicle colonisation compared to CL progeny (F = 15.26, P < 0.01). The results show that DRA to CH flowers and light availability both determines the establishment of R. nudiflora–AMF interaction. The results also suggest that even under stressful light conditions, endogamy does not affect this interaction, which may explain the success of R. nudiflora as an invasive species.     

Drought responses of three closely related Caragana species: implication for their vicarious distribution

Drought is a major environmental constraint affecting growth and distribution of plants in the desert region of the Inner Mongolia plateau. Caragana microphylla, C. liouana, and C. korshinskii are phylogenetically close but distribute vicariously in Mongolia plateau. To gain a better understanding of the ecological differentiation between these three species, we examined the leaf gas exchange, growth, water use efficiency, biomass accumulation and allocation by subjecting their seedlings to low and high drought treatments in a glasshouse. Increasing drought stress had a significant effect on many aspects of seedling performance in all species, but the physiology and growth varied with species in response to drought. C. korshinskii exhibited lower sensitivity of photosynthetic rate and growth, lower specific leaf area, higher biomass allocation to roots, higher levels of water use efficiency to drought compared with the other two species. Only minor interspecific differences in growth performances were observed between C. liouana and C. microphylla. These results indicated that faster seedling growth rate and more efficient water use of C. korshinskii should confer increased drought tolerance and facilitate its establishment in more severe drought regions relative to C. liouana and C. microphylla.     

Thaumatin gene confers resistance to fungal pathogens as well as tolerance to abiotic stresses in transgenic tobacco plants

We report here the development of transgenic tobacco plants with thaumatin gene of Thaumatococcus daniellii under the control of a strong constitutive promoter-CaMV 35S. Both polymerase chain reaction and genomic Southern analysis confirmed the integration of transgene. Transgenic plants exhibited enhanced resistance with delayed disease symptoms against fungal diseases caused by Pythium aphanidermatum and Rhizoctonia solani. The leaf extract from transgenic plants effectively inhibited the mycelial growth of these pathogenic fungi in vitro. The transgenic seeds exhibited higher germination percentage and seedling survival under salinity and PEG-mediated drought stress as compared to the untransformed controls. These observations suggest that thaumatin gene can confer tolerance to both fungal pathogens and abiotic stresses.     

干旱胁迫对鹿角杜鹃种子萌发和幼苗生理特性的影响

为探明鹿角杜鹃种子萌发和幼苗生长期的耐旱性,以鹿角杜鹃干种子和90d苗龄幼苗为材料,采用聚乙二醇(PEG-6000)模拟不同程度的干旱胁迫,研究干旱胁迫对其种子萌发、早期幼苗生长及幼苗的细胞膜透性、MDA含量、有机渗透调节物质和抗氧化酶活性的影响,并对种子萌发率、早期幼苗生长量与PEG胁迫浓度间进行了回归分析。结果表明:(1)5%~25%PEG胁迫范围内,随着干旱胁迫程度的增加,鹿角杜鹃种子的发芽启动时间推迟,发芽持续时间延长,发芽率、发芽势、发芽指数、活力指数和幼苗生长量显著降低;重度干旱胁迫(25%PEG)下,鹿角杜鹃种子完全未萌发。(2)发芽率、发芽势、发芽指数、活力指数以及幼苗生长量的变化均与干旱胁迫程度呈极显著负相关关系,回归分析求得鹿角杜鹃种子萌发的半致死PEG干旱胁迫浓度为15.68%、半致矮PEG干旱胁迫浓度为15.37%。(3)随着PEG胁迫浓度的增加,鹿角杜鹃幼苗叶片SOD活性呈先升后降的趋势,但各胁迫处理仍显著高于CK(0%PEG);细胞膜透性、MDA、脯氨酸、可溶性糖含量、POD和CAT活性则在中度(15%~20%PEG)和重度胁迫下显著升高,与干旱胁迫程度呈极显著正相关关系。研究表明,干旱胁迫显著抑制了鹿角杜鹃种子萌发和早期幼苗生长,使其细胞膜受到损伤,同时鹿角杜鹃可通过体内渗透调节物质和抗氧化酶活性的增加来适应干旱环境,使得自身受抑制、损伤程度降到最低。     

Linking responses of native and invasive plants to hurricane disturbances: implications for coastal plant community structure

Hurricane disturbances produce significant changes in forest microclimates, creating opportunities for seedling regeneration of native and invasive plant species alike. However, there is limited information on how changes in microclimates and pre-existing forest conditions affect native and invasive plants responses to hurricane disturbances. In this manipulative study, we examined the responses of three common shrub/small stature tree species, two of which are native to the coastal region of the southeastern USA (Baccharis halimifolia and Morella cerifera) and one that is invasive (Triadica sebifera), to two key components of hurricane disturbance (canopy damage and saline storm surge). In a greenhouse, we grew seedlings of these species under a range of shade levels that mimicked pre-and post-hurricane canopy conditions for wet pine forest and mixed hardwood forest, two forest communities common in coastal areas of the southeastern USA. Seedlings were subjected to saline storm surges equivalent to full strength sea water for 3 days. Seedling responses (mortality and growth) to the treatments were monitored for 16 months. All species benefitted from higher canopy openness. Storm surge effects were short-lived and seedlings readily recovered under high light conditions. The storm surge had stronger negative effects on survival and growth of all species when coupled with high shade, suggesting storm surge has greater negative impacts on seedlings where hurricane winds cause minimal or no canopy damage. The invasive T. sebifera was by far more shade tolerant than the natives. Survival of T. sebifera seedlings under highly shaded conditions may provide it a competitive edge over native species during community reassembly following tropical storms. Differential responses of native and invasive species to hurricane disturbances will have profound consequences on community structure across coastal forest stands, and may be regulated by legacies of prior disturbances, community structure, extent of canopy damage, and species’ tolerance to specific microclimates.

     

Note on organic dormancy of estuarine Ruppia maritima L. seeds

Information on seed dormancy is one of the primary requirements for successful seedling propagation of submerged aquatics and seagrass. Studies on Ruppia maritima seed germination have been done, but the presence, requirements, and the types of dormancy have not been well understood. A laboratory study was conducted to understand presence and types of organic dormancy of the seeds of estuarine R. maritima collected from Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, USA. Our study results indicate that the brackish estuarine R. maritima population produces seeds that do not have any noticeable initial morphological, physical, and physiological dormancy. Although dry stratification reduced seed viability and final germination rates, drying seems to induce an earlier germination in R. maritima. Desiccation also appears to induce an environmental dormancy that can be disrupted by exposure to water. Further study on environmental dormancy is needed to provide information to develop methods for long-term seed storage that can be employed in greenhouse seedling propagation. Handling editor: P. Viaroli     

Do consumer‐mediated negative effects on plant establishment outweigh the positive effects of a nurse plant?

Many studies demonstrated the importance of facilitative effect by nurse plant on seedling establishment. Few studies evaluated the negative effects of consumers on plant establishment under nurse plants by dealing with them during multiple demographic processes. We investigated the balance between the facilitative effect and negative effects of consumers during multiple demographic processes in Malawi in southeastern Africa. We chose Ficus natalensis as a nurse plant and compared it with three other microsites in tropical woodlands: Brachystegia floribunda (a dominant woodland species), Uapaca kirkiana (a woodland species), and a treeless site. We quantified the seed rain, postdispersal seed predation, germination, and seedling survival of Syzygium guineense ssp. afromontanum (a common forest species). Within each microsite, we quantified the overall probability of recruitment. We also measured seedling abundance of S. guineense ssp. afromontanum. We found that Ficus natalensis exerted both positive and negative impacts on the establishment of S. guineense ssp. afromontanum. Ficus natalensis facilitated seed deposition, seed germination, and seedling survival. On the other hand, seed removal at postdispersal stage was highest under F. natalensis. Interestingly, B. floribunda also had positive effects on germination and seedling survival, but not on seed deposition. When we excluded the seed arrival stage from our estimation of the recruitment probability, the highest value was found under B. floribunda, not under F. natalensis. When we included the seed arrival stage, however, the order of recruitment probability between F. natalensis and B. floribunda was reversed. The probability was one order of magnitude higher under F. natalensis than under B. floribunda. Our estimation of the probability which included the seed arrival stage was consistent with natural patterns of S. guineense ssp. afromontanum establishment. Despite the presence of opposite effects, the net effects of F. natalensis on S. guineense ssp. afromontanum recruitment in tropical woodlands can be positive.     

Analysis of antioxidant enzyme activity during germination of alfalfa under salt and drought stresses

To understand the adaptability of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) to environmental stresses, we analyzed the activity of several antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT), in alfalfa shoots and roots subjected to salt and drought stresses during germination. The germination rate of six alfalfa cultivars was comparatively studied under 200 mM NaCl or 35% PEG treatment. Alfalfa Xinmu No. 1 and Northstar varieties were selected as stress-tolerant and -sensitive cultivars, respectively, and were used for further characterization. After NaCl or PEG treatment, Xinmu No. 1 showed enhanced seedling growth, compared with Northstar. Xinmu No. 1 also exhibited low levels of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production and lipid peroxidation, compared with Northstar. In addition, Xinmu No. 1 showed higher enzymatic activity of SOD, APX, CAT, and POD in its shoots and roots than Northstar. These results seem to indicate that Xinmu No. 1 cultivar's tolerance to salt or drought stresses during germination is associated with enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes. This study highlights the importance of antioxidant enzymes in the establishment of alfalfa seedlings under drought and salinity conditions typical of desertification.     

GERMINATION AND SEEDLING RESPONSE OF ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS POPULATIONS OF UNIOLA PANICULATA

Germination response following various periods of cold treatment and seedling response to temperature, daylength, and salinity were studied for several Atlantic and Gulf coasts populations of Uniola paniculata L. Results indicated that Atlantic coast Florida populations did not require cold treatment prior to germination at 95–65 F, but that populations from Virginia and North Carolina did. Gulf coast populations exhibited a germination response intermediate between those just mentioned. Seedling studies revealed that alternating diurnal thermoperiods with daytime temperatures of 80 F and above produced good vegetative growth in all populations with little preference for either short- or long-day conditions. Gulf coast populations produced the most biomass under all treatment conditions. Seedlings from a North Carolina and a Florida population indicated no difference in substrate salt tolerance. Salt tolerance was reduced in the higher temperature thermoperiod for both populations. Seedlings from these two populations produced more biomass in a salt spray treatment than in substrate salinity treatments.     

Ecological role of distinct fruit‐wing perianth color in synchronization of seed germination in Haloxylon salicornicum

Haloxylon salicornicum is a perennial shrub that grows in sandy and stony desert areas. This species produces two types of dispersal unit with yellow and pink winged perianths that are wind dispersed. This species has been considered as an excellent sand binder and can tolerate extreme temperature, drought and salinity. We compared the germination characteristics of both colored dispersal units (with and without a wing) under various light, temperature and salinity treatments. It was found that wing color, presence of wings, temperature and light have a significant effect on germination percentage and germination rate. The presence of a winged perianth significantly reduced the germination percentage and germination rate in both yellow and pink dispersal units. De‐winged yellow dispersal units were able to tolerate higher salinity and, therefore, their germination was higher in all the tested concentrations of NaCl compared with pink de‐winged dispersal units. However, salinity tolerance in both pink and yellow dispersal units decreased with increasing salinity concentration. The germination‐recovery percentage was also higher for yellow compared with pink dispersal units. The present study has demonstrated that both morphological and physiological differences exist in different colored dispersal units, which might represent the combination of different complementary adaptive strategies and have ecological significance for Haloxylon salicornicum's successful survival in harsh desert environmental conditions.     

Two calcium dependent protein kinases are differently regulated by light and have different activity patterns during seedling growth in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pharbitis nil</Emphasis>

In this study using biochemical approaches we identified two calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) named PnCDPK52 and PnCDPK56 in soluble protein extracts from seedlings of Pharbitis nil. Both enzymes phosphorylated the specific substrate histone III-S in the presence of Ca²⁺ and cross-reacted with antibodies against the CDPK. PnCDPKs exhibited quite different activity and protein levels during germination and successive stages of seedling growth. PnCDPK52 protein level was high in seeds and during germination, whereas PnCDPK56 increased in the next stages of seedling growth, being the dominant enzymes in mature seedlings, of the light- and dark-grown plant. In all cases both activity and accumulation of protein PnCDPK56 was higher in dark grown plants whereas exposure to light reduced both factors. When etiolated cotyledons were exposed to light, the activity of PnCDPK56 was reduced to the basal level within 5 h. Conversely, increasing activity of PnCDPK56 in cotyledons of green plants shifted to darkness was extremely rapid, reaching the maximum level after just 1 h of darkness and then gradually decreased. Further lengthening of the darkness to 16 h resulted in a strong increase in activity at 12 h. These data indicate that at least two isoforms of CDPK are involved in germination and seedling growth of P. nil. The differences in PnCDPKs strongly argue for the pleiotropic role of these isoforms. It seems that PnCDPK52 is associated with the germination process and PnCDPK56 with seedling growth. Moreover it suggests that activity of PnCDPK56 is controlled by light via the photoreceptor-dependent pathway.     

Mapping QTL for drought stress-induced premature senescence and maturity in cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]

Cowpea is an important crop for subsistence farmers in arid regions of Africa, Asia, and South America. Efforts to develop cultivars with improved productivity under drought conditions are constrained by lack of molecular markers associated with drought tolerance. Here, we report the mapping of 12 quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with seedling drought tolerance and maturity in a cowpea recombinant inbred (RIL) population. One hundred and twenty-seven F₈ RILs developed from a cross between IT93K503-1 and CB46 were screened with 62 EcoR1 and Mse1 primer combinations to generate 306 amplified fragment length polymorphisms for use in genetic linkage mapping. The same population was phenotyped for maintenance of stem greenness (stg) and recovery dry weight (rdw) after drought stress in six greenhouse experiments. In field experiments conducted over 3 years, visual ratings and dry weights were used to phenotype drought stress-induced premature senescence in the RIL population. Kruskall–Wallis and multiple-QTL model mapping analysis were used to identify QTL associated with drought response phenotypes. Observed QTL were highly reproducible between stg and rdw under greenhouse conditions. Field studies confirmed all ten drought-response QTL observed under greenhouse conditions. Regions harboring drought-related QTL were observed on linkage groups 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 accounting for between 4.7 and 24.2% of the phenotypic variance (R ²). Further, two QTL for maturity (R ² = 14.4–28.9% and R ² = 11.7–25.2%) mapped on linkage groups 7 and 8 separately from drought-related QTL. These results provide a platform for identification of genetic determinants of seedling drought tolerance in cowpea. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Seed dispersal effectiveness in a plant–lizard interaction and its consequences for plant regeneration after disperser loss

Mutualistic disruptions, such as those promoted by the loss of seed dispersers, can have negative effects on the plant regeneration of those species that strongly depend upon them. In order to adequately assess how plant communities are affected by such disruptions, we need to know the importance of the dispersal phase, both in its quantitative and qualitative components. We examined this in the narrow interaction between the shrub Daphne rodriguezii and its (only) disperser, the lizard Podarcis lilfordi. We quantified fruit removal and the effect of fruit/seed-size selection, seed treatment in the disperser’s guts and seed deposition patterns on seedling emergence and survival. In the only locality in which lizards persist, they removed most fruits and showed preference for larger ones in one of the two study years. Seed treatment in lizard’s guts had no effect on germination, although it tended to reduce the effect of seed size on germination (differences between large vs. small seeds in seed germination were higher for non-ingested seeds). Probability of seedling emergence, but not survival, was higher in the locality with lizards. Dispersed seeds under heterospecific shrubs showed higher seedling survival than those under conspecifics in all localities, especially the year with higher rainfall. Our findings support that the movement of seeds to nurse shrubs by lizards is the most important component of the seed dispersal process in the only remaining locality where both species coexist.