Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.3389/fpls.2022.852167
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Seed size variation of trees and lianas in a tropical forest of Southeast Asia: Allometry, phylogeny, and seed trait - plant functional trait relationships
Author Pothasin, P.; Paradis, E.; Brockelman, W.Y.; Nathalang, A.; Khemrugka, T.; Lomwong, N.; Thripob, P.; Saenprasert, R.; Chanthorn, W.
Source Titel Frontiers in Plant Science
Year 2022
Department OESA
Volume 13
Page From art. 852167
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Supplements https://ndownloader.figstatic.com/collections/5999467/versions/1
Keywords functional traits; leaf toughness; Plant height; Seed Dispersal; succession niche; seasonal tropical forest; Liana; Leaf trait: highlight
Abstract Seed size is a key trait for understanding and predicting ecological processes in a plant community. In a tropical forest, trees and lianas are major components driving ecosystem function and biogeochemical processes. However, seed ecological research on both components remains limited, particularly phylogenetic patterns and relationships with other traits. Here, we compiled a unique dataset of seed size (seed mass and geometrical size metrics) based on collections of more than 5,200 seeds of 196 woody plant species, covering >98 % and 70% of tree and liana stems, respectively, located on a 30-ha plot in a tropical evergreen forest in central Thailand. We aimed to 1) develop allometric equations among seed size metrics to predict seed mass; 2) examine phylogenetic influence on seed size variation; and 3) examine relationships among seed traits and several other functional plant traits. Our allometric equations relating seed mass, seed volume and width were well-fitted with data (R2=0.94, 0.87 respectively). A phylogenetic signal test found that seed size was randomly distributed across the phylogeny. To study the functional trait relationships, we separately tested seed-size data of the tree and liana communities (146 and 50 species, respectively) against mean body size of frugivores, successional niches, leaf and structural traits). For the tree community, seed size was significantly related to mean body size of frugivores, which we believe is a basic driver of seed size because it is related to the gape width affecting dispersal effectiveness. Nearly all leaf traits were significantly positively correlated with seed size (P < 0.03). The significant positive correlation of leaf area and greenness suggested the high-energy demand of large-seeded species. We found a strong positive correlation between seed size and leaf toughness, suggesting a coordination between seed size and leaf defense. However, all these patterns disappeared in the same analysis applied to the liana community. Liana seed-size variation was lower than that of trees, perhaps because lianas grow in relatively more uniform conditions in the forest canopy. Frugivore size was the strongest driver of seed size variation. Our study shows a surprising contrast between trees and lianas that is worth further investigation.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=26053
Pothasin, P., Paradis, E., Brockelman, W.Y., Nathalang, A., Khemrugka, T., Lomwong, N., Thripob, P., Saenprasert, R., Chanthorn, W. (2022):
Seed size variation of trees and lianas in a tropical forest of Southeast Asia: Allometry, phylogeny, and seed trait - plant functional trait relationships
Front. Plant Sci. 13 , art. 852167