The potential role of ducks in wetland seed dispersal

Mueller, Margaret Holt; Valk, Arnold G. van der

doi:10.1672/0277-5212(2002)022[0170:tprodi]2.0.co;2

Cited by 84 publications

(112 citation statements)

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“…by allowing the colonization of new areas, avoidance of sibling and mother-sibling competition and permitting gene flow between isolated or highly fragmented populations (Howe & Smallwood 1982). It also has costs due to loss of propagules or their displacement to habitats unsuitable for germination (Mueller & van der Valk 2002;. However, to show that modifications caused by passage to key reproductive parameters of plants (i.e.…”

Section: An Advantageous Interaction?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Helophyte germination in a Mediterranean salt marsh: Gut-passage by ducks changes seed response to salinity

et al. 2004

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Abstract.Questions: In seeds which are regularly consumed by waterbirds in the field, how does gut-passage modify their response to salinity gradients? Locations: Doñana National Park salt marsh, south-west of Spain. Methods: Seeds of Scirpus litoralis and Scirpus maritimus were collected and force fed to mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). Both the ingested seeds (passage) and non-ingested seeds (controls) were exposed, in germination chambers, to a salinity range similar to that observed in the field (0-32 dS/m). After 30 days, the total percentage germination, the duration of the dormancy period and the germination speed were computed. The response of the different germination parameters to ingestion and salinity was analyzed using generalized lineal models. Recovery tests on seeds that did not germinate in the various treatments and tests of the effect of ingestion on the intrinsic variability in seed response were also performed. Results: An increase in salinity reduced germinability and increased the length of dormancy, while gut passage increased the intrinsic variability of the temporal seed response in both species. In S. litoralis there was a significant interaction between the effects of salinity and passage on germination rate. Passage increased germination rate at low salinities (£2 dS/m) but decreased it at high salinities (≥4 dS/m). Conclusion: Gut-passage by ducks significantly changes seed response to salinity. The outcome of plant-animal interactions can be influenced by environmental gradients. Studies of germination in response to gut passage that do not take such gradients into account may produce misleading results.

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Section: An Advantageous Interaction?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Helophyte germination in a Mediterranean salt marsh: Gut-passage by ducks changes seed response to salinity

et al. 2004

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“…2002;Brochet et al 2009). Additionally, the possibility of epi-and endozoochorous dispersal of Carex species by waterfowl was also documented (Mueller & van der Valk 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remote locality of the littoral Carex extensa (Cyperaceae) in Hungary — long distance dispersal from coastal to inland salt marshes

Király¹,

Bidló²,

Takács

et al. 2013

Biologia

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A remarkable population of Carex extensa (Cyperaceae) was found south of Lake Fertő (Neusiedler See) in Hungary in 2012. This species typically occurs in coastal salt marshes in Europe and was hitherto unknown from the Pannonian Basin. The locality is situated in a territory which has been embanked in 1911. Keeping also in mind that the vegetation developed here from reed beds to saline habitats, we conclude that C. extensa reached the salt marshes of the area through long distance dispersal by water birds from the European coast in the last century. Nevertheless, several other maritime littoral species grow in the region, and the possibility that there is a hidden population of C. extensa at another site(s) nearby cannot be excluded. Lake Fertő is often described as the “westernmost steppe lake” and supports one of the richest European inland littoral floras. Although it appears likely that C. extensa has only recently colonised the site, we consider this discovery to be of significant biogeographical importance.

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“…The role of ducks in wetland seed dispersal has been highlighted by some (e.g. Mueller and van der Valk, 2002). Having passed through the gut, diaspores may still be viable, the more so if they are small and thick-walled (van der Pijl, 1972), which is the case for Z. palustris.…”

Section: Discussion Colonizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoration of a small‐scale forest wetland in a Belgian nature reserve: a discussion of factors determining wetland vegetation establishment

Weyembergh¹,

Godefroid

Koedam

2004

Aquatic Conservation

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ABSTRACT1. The main aim of this restoration attempt within a nature reserve was to recreate sustainable conditions for wetland species, particularly aquatic plants.2. In the process of restoration, two phases of activity were distinguished: a pre-restoration phase, during which information on land-use history and past vegetation was collected and used to establish clear restoration goals; and a restoration phase for stimulating germination and establishment of target species originating from the soil seed bank and species pool.3. Within the first year of the study, pond digging allowed the establishment of extremely rare native species that react positively to mudflat creation and standing water availability. The results of this experiment indicate that pond digging can be a very suitable technique for re-establishing aquatic and wetland vegetation, providing that the site is well chosen.4. An essential prerequisite for successful restoration is a study of the past vegetation of the target site and its surroundings. This work illustrates the importance of past vegetation in affecting current restoration success and provides an example of how restoration projects benefit from knowledge and understanding of both historical and present conditions.

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The potential role of ducks in wetland seed dispersal

Cited by 84 publications

References 20 publications

Helophyte germination in a Mediterranean salt marsh: Gut-passage by ducks changes seed response to salinity

Helophyte germination in a Mediterranean salt marsh: Gut-passage by ducks changes seed response to salinity

Remote locality of the littoral Carex extensa (Cyperaceae) in Hungary — long distance dispersal from coastal to inland salt marshes

Restoration of a small‐scale forest wetland in a Belgian nature reserve: a discussion of factors determining wetland vegetation establishment

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