Plant traits associated with seed dispersal by ducks and geese in urban and natural habitats.

Ducks and geese are little studied dispersal vectors for plants lacking a fleshy fruit, and our understanding of the traits associated with these plants is limited. We analyzed 507 faecal samples of mallard () and Canada goose () from 18 natural and urban wetlands in England, where they are the dominant resident waterfowl. We recovered 930 plant diaspores from 39 taxa representing 18 families, including 28 terrestrial and five aquatic species and four aliens.

Floral ultraviolet absorbance area responds plastically to ultraviolet irradiance in .

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is known to have significant effects on the development and performance of plants, including flowers. In multiple species, UV-absorbing floral patterns are associated with environmental conditions such as the solar UV exposure they typically receive. However, it is not known whether plants can increase the UV-absorbing areas found on petals plastically when in a high-UV environment.