Fruit secondary metabolites shape seed dispersal effectiveness.

Trends Ecol Evol

Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Derring Hall Room 2125, 926 West Campus Drive, Mail Code 0406, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.

Published: December 2021

Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) play a central role in seed dispersal and fruit defense, with potential for large impacts on plant fitness and demography. Yet because PSMs can have multiple interactive functions across seed dispersal stages, we must systematically study their effects to determine the net consequences for plant fitness. To tackle this issue, we integrate the role of fruit PSMs into the seed dispersal effectiveness (SDE) framework. We describe PSM effects on the quantity and quality of animal-mediated seed dispersal, both in pairwise interactions and diverse disperser communities, as well as trade-offs that occur across dispersal stages. By doing so, this review provides structure to a rapidly growing field and yields insights into a critical process shaping plant populations.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2021.08.005DOI Listing

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