Seeds Travel Furthest When They Travel Light

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Plant traits, especially seed size, significantly influence how far birds can disperse seeds.

Researchers from the University of Cádiz studied how plant characteristics affect seed retention times in birds. Claudio A. Bracho-Estévanez and colleagues discovered that smaller seeds tend to remain in birds’ digestive systems longer than larger ones, potentially leading to greater dispersal distances. This finding has important implications for plant migration and adaptation to climate change.

The study revealed that seed size is the primary plant trait affecting retention times in birds. Smaller seeds are typically defecated, spending more time in the bird’s gut, while larger seeds are often regurgitated quickly. For example, seeds weighing less than 5 mg spent 40-60 minutes inside birds, compared to just 20-30 minutes for seeds over 50 mg.

To uncover these patterns, the researchers conducted experiments with captive birds, offering them fruits from 31 plant species. They measured how long it took for seeds to pass through the birds’ digestive systems. The team also compiled data from previous studies, analyzing a total of 231 plant-bird species interactions across various bird groups.

This research builds on previous work showing that bird body size affects seed retention times. However, it adds a crucial new dimension by demonstrating that plant traits, particularly seed size, play an equally important role. This insight helps explain why some plant species may be better equipped than others to track climate change through bird-mediated dispersal.

Bracho-Estévanez, C. A., Cuadrado, M., Sánchez, I., Onrubia, A., & González-Varo, J. P. (2024). Plant traits determine seed retention times in frugivorous birds: Implications for long-distance seed dispersal. Functional Ecology, 00, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14642


Cross-posted to Bluesky, Mastodon & Threads.

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