Abstract

ROVERE, Adriana E  and  PREMOLI, Andrea C. Asymmetric seed dispersal of Embothrium coccineum (Proteaceae) in Chiloé temperate forest, Chile. Ecol. austral [online]. 2005, vol.15, n.1, pp.1-7. ISSN 1667-782X.

Spatial patterns of seed dispersal are an important determinant of the spatial structure of plant populations, and their study may allow to infer the advance of a given species throughout the landscape. This is particularly relevant in a pioneer tree species like Embothrium coccineum (Proteaceae) which grows in disturbed environments of the temperate forest in southern South America. We evaluated spatial patterns of anemochorous seed dispersal of E. coccineum at a fragmented forest site located in northern Chiloé Island, Chile. Seed traps were placed around three isolated trees in an open forest area following the four cardinal directions. Results showed that the density of dispersed seeds declined with increasing distance to the tree, thus fitting a leptokurtic dispersal distribution. About a 95% of the seeds were delivered within a 5 m radius around the mother tree, while the longest detected distance of primary dispersal was 20 m. Seed dispersal from a parent plant reached different distances at each cardinal point, which resulted in an asymmetrical spatial pattern of seed distribution produced by the prevailing winds in the study area.

Keywords : Wind dispersal; Dispersal distance; Seed shadow.

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