Diplochory is seed dispersal by a sequence of two or more steps or phases, each involving a different dispersal agent. Here, we describe five forms of diplochory and derive general characteristics of each phase of seed dispersal. The first and second phases of diplochory offer different benefits to plants. Phase one dispersal often results in escape from density-dependent seed and seedling mort...

In this article, I first describe some recent developments in the identification of the structure of dependencies among variables in multivariate data relevant to exploratory path analysis. I then introduce a bootstrap modification of one important method (the SGS algorithm) that is designed to improve error rates of exploratory path analysis in the small data sets that are typical of studies i...

Dispersal is thought to be a key process underlying the high spatial diversity of tropical forests. Just how important dispersal is in structuring plant communities is nevertheless an open question because it is very difficult to isolate dispersal from other processes, and thereby measure its effect. Using a unique situation, the loss of vertebrate seed dispersers on the island of Guam and thei...

It is commonly accepted that species interactions such as granivory are more intense in the tropics. However, this has rarely been tested. A global dataset of post-dispersal seed removal by invertebrates and vertebrates for 79 native plant species from semi-natural and natural terrestrial habitats ranging from 55° N to 45° S, was compiled from the global literature to test the hypothesis that p...

Baker's Law states that it is more likely for self-compatible than for self-incompatible individuals to establish sexually reproducing colonies after long-distance dispersal, because only the former can do so with a single individual. This hypothesis, proposed by H. G. Baker 40 years ago is based largely on the observation that self-compatibility is particularly frequent among colonists of ocea...

Although it is increasingly clear that exotic invasive species affect seed-dispersal mutualisms, a synthetic examination of the effect of exotic invasive species on seed-dispersal mutualisms is lacking. Here, we review the impacts of the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) on seed dispersal. We found that sites with L. humile had 92 per cent fewer native ant seed dispersers than did sit...

The global decline of mutualists such as pollinators and seed dispersers may cause negative direct and indirect impacts on biodiversity. Mutualistic network models used to understand the stability of mutualistic systems indicate that species with low partner diversity are most vulnerable to coextinction following mutualism disruption. However, existing models have not considered how species var...

Growing interest in spatial ecology is promoting new approaches to the study of seed dispersal, one of the key processes determining the spatial structure of plant populations. Seed-dispersion patterns vary among plant species, populations and individuals, at different distances from parents, different microsites and different times. Recent field studies have made progress in elucidating the me...

Habitat fragmentation threatens biodiversity by disrupting dispersal. The mechanisms and consequences of this disruption are controversial, primarily because most organisms are difficult to track. We examined the effect of habitat corridors on long-distance dispersal of seeds by birds, and tested whether small-scale (<20 meters) movements of birds could be scaled up to predict dispersal of seed...