Seed release by invasive thistles: the impact of plant and environmental factors

Dispersal is a key process in biological studies of spatial dynamics, but the initiation of dispersal has often been neglected, despite strong indications that differential timing of dispersal can significantly affect dispersal distances. To investigate which plant and environmental factors determine the release of plumed seeds by the invasive thistles Carduus acanthoides and Carduus nutans, we exposed 192 flower heads of each species to increasing wind speeds in a full-factorial wind tunnel experiment with four air flow turbulence, three flower head wetness and two flower head temperature levels. The number of seed releases was highest under dry and turbulent conditions and from heads that had already lost a considerable number of seeds, but was not affected by flower head size, head angle or temperature. Inspection of the trials on video showed that higher wind speeds were needed to meet the seed release threshold in laminar flows and for C. acanthoides heads that had been wet for a longer time. Species differences were minimal, although seed release was more sensitive to lower levels of turbulence in the larger-headed and more open C. nutans heads. Knowledge of seed release biases towards weather conditions favourable for long-distance dispersal improves our understanding of the spread of invaders and allows managers to increase the efficiency of their containment strategies by applying them at crucial times.     

What happens when fire is too early? Observations of fire-stimulated fruit opening releasing underdeveloped seeds for an endemic Cerrado shrub

The relation of fire with the reproductive process of species from tropical grasslands and savannas has long been investigated. Post-fire flowering is well documented in the Cerrado, but fire-mediated fruit opening and seed dispersal has rarely been described, with very few historical records being known. Even less is known about the effects of different fire seasons on species reproduction. Here, we describe the fire-stimulated fruit opening of Jacaranda ulei, an endemic Cerrado shrub with medical importance to traditional communities. We show that fruits opened within 2 weeks after an early dry season fire, but there were almost no viable seeds as fruits were still immature when burned. When put together with the known records for other species, dry dehiscent fruits and anemochory arise as common traits that favour fire-mediated fruit opening. As these are common attributes in the Cerrado, it is possible that several other species also have fire-stimulated seed dispersal but remain vastly unnoticed and underreported in the literature. Additionally, the peak reproductive effort of these species coincides with the period of prescribed burns of the Integrated Fire Management Program and, consequently, several species could also have their reproductive cycle interrupted to disperse immature seeds. We hope our note encourages further studies on the fire-mediated fruit opening and seed dispersal of Cerrado species, particularly in relation to fire season and seed quality.     

影响加拿大一枝黄花种子非随机脱落的因素

为揭示加拿大一枝黄花(Solidago canadensis)种群扩散机制, 明确种子的脱落及风传扩散在其种群蔓延中的作用, 在人工环境下测定了不同湍流强度、风速和湿度处理下种子脱落的差异, 并对脱落种子与未脱落种子进行形态学特征对比。结果表明: 加拿大一枝黄花的种子脱落受湍流、风速和湿度等因素的共同影响。水平气流下种子的脱落阈值为5.1 m·s^-1, 并随着风速增加, 种子的脱落率增加。与模拟水平气流相比, 模拟垂直气流下种子的脱落阈值显著偏小。相对于层流状态, 湍流的存在显著提高了种子的脱落率, 平均增幅超过300%; 但单纯提高湍流强度对种子脱落率的影响不显著。增加湿度则显著降低种子的脱落率。种子形态学特征对比结果表明, 脱落种子的冠毛数量和冠毛夹角显著高于未脱落种子。该研究结果为研究加拿大一枝黄花种子脱落规律和风传扩散机制提供了科学依据, 也为其他入侵性杂草种子的扩散机制及入侵过程提供了 借鉴。     

Molecular evolution of shattering loci in U.S. weedy rice

Cultivated rice fields worldwide are plagued with weedy rice, a conspecific weed of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.). The persistence of weedy rice has been attributed, in part, to its ability to shatter (disperse) seed prior to crop harvesting. In the United States, separately evolved weedy rice groups have been shown to share genomic identity with exotic domesticated cultivars. Here, we investigate the shattering phenotype in a collection of U.S. weedy rice accessions, as well as wild and cultivated relatives. We find that all U.S. weedy rice groups shatter seeds easily, despite multiple origins, and in contrast to a decrease in shattering ability seen in cultivated groups. We assessed allelic identity and diversity at the major shattering locus, sh4, in weedy rice; we find that all cultivated and weedy rice, regardless of population, share similar haplotypes at sh4, and all contain a single derived mutation associated with decreased seed shattering. Our data constitute the strongest evidence to date of an evolution of weeds from domesticated backgrounds. The combination of a shared cultivar sh4 allele and a highly shattering phenotype, suggests that U.S. weedy rice have re‐acquired the shattering trait after divergence from their progenitors through alternative genetic mechanisms.     

Report on wind dispersal in a lowland moist forest in central French Guiana

An analysis of the flowering plant flora of a lowland moist forest in central French Guiana reveals 298 species with adaptations for wind dispersal. This represents 16.2% of the flowering plant flora and 9.8% of the class Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons). The most diverse wind-dispersed families are the Orchidaceae in the Liliopsida (monocotyledons) with 135 species and the Bignoniaceae in the Magnoliopsida with 37 species. The wind-dispersed species of central French Guiana have evolved either small, dust-like seeds, fruits or seeds with various kinds of wings, fruits or seeds with tufts of hairs, or expanded wing- or parachute-like persistent calyces. Most wind-dispersed species, among the liliopsids, are epiphytes and, among the magnoliopsids, trees or lianas. In central French Guiana, collections of these species with mature diaspores have been gathered most often in October and March, the months with peak wind velocities. In contrast, collections from June and July, when wind velocities are at a minimum, are rare.     

Increases in air temperature can promote wind-driven dispersal and spread of plants

Long-distance dispersal (LDD) of seeds and pollen shapes the spatial dynamics of plant genotypes, populations and communities. Quantifying LDD is thus important for predicting the future dynamics of plants exposed to environmental changes. However, environmental changes can also alter the behaviour of LDD vectors: for instance, increasing air temperature may enhance atmospheric instability, thereby altering the turbulent airflow that transports seed and pollen. Here, we investigate temperature effects on wind dispersal in a boreal forest using a 10-year time series of micrometeorological measurements and a Lagrangian stochastic model for particle transport. For a wide range of dispersal and life history types, we found positive relations between air temperature and LDD. This translates into a largely consistent positive effect of +3°C warming on predicted LDD frequencies and spread rates of plants. Relative increases in LDD frequency tend to be higher for heavy-seeded plants, whereas absolute increases in LDD and spread rates are higher for light-seeded plants for which wind is often an important dispersal vector. While these predicted increases are not sufficient to compensate forecasted range losses and environmental changes can alter plant spread in various ways, our results generally suggest that warming can promote wind-driven movements of plant genotypes and populations in boreal forests.     

杂草种子传播研究进展

种子传播将母株生殖周期的末端与它们后代种群的建立连结了起来,广泛认为,其对植被结构具有深刻的影响。种子传播的整个过程称为种子传播循环。研究表明,杂草种子传播的因子多种多样,包括仅依赖自身来完成的主动传播,以及依赖风、水、动物、人类等外界媒介的被动传播。其中,人类传播杂草种子是影响最广泛的一种,对现代植物的分布格局产生了深刻的影响。杂草种子的传播,对杂草种子库的数量和空间动态影响很大。研究种子传播的主要方法有荧光染料标记法、放射性同位素标记法、稳定同位素分析、分子遗传标记等。结合近几年国内外的研究进展,作者就杂草种子传播对种子库数量和空间动态影响的精确直接研究、杂草种子传播的过程及传播后的命运、杂草种子适应传播的机理、生态控草措施研究、外来杂草入侵蔓延与其种子传播的关系等方面提出了展望。