TY  - JOUR
A1  - Lozada-Gobilard, Sissi Donna
A1  - Jeltsch, Florian
A1  - Zhu, Jinlei
T1  - High matrix vegetation decreases mean seed dispersal distance but increases long wind dispersal probability connecting local plant populations in agricultural landscapes
JF  - Agriculture, ecosystems & environment : an international journal for scientific research on the relationship of agriculture and food production to the biosphere
N2  - Seed dispersal plays an important role in population dynamics in agricultural ecosystems, but the effects of surrounding vegetation height on seed dispersal and population connectivity on the landscape scale have rarely been studied. Understanding the effects of surrounding vegetation height on seed dispersal will provide important information for land-use management in agricultural landscapes to prevent the spread of undesired weeds or enhance functional connectivity. We used two model species, Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia, growing in small natural ponds known as kettle holes, in an agricultural landscape to evaluate the effects of surrounding vegetation height on wind dispersal and population connectivity between kettle holes. Seed dispersal distance and the probability of long-distance dispersal (LDD) were simulated with the mechanistic WALD model under three scenarios of "low", "dynamic" and "high" surrounding vegetation height. Connectivity between the origin and target kettle holes was quantified with a connectivity index adapted from Hanski and Thomas (1994). Our results show that mean seed dispersal distance decreases with the height of surrounding matrix vegetation, but the probability of long-distance dispersal (LDD) increases with vegetation height. This indicates an important vegetation-based trade-off between mean dispersal distance and LDD, which has an impact on connectivity. Matrix vegetation height has a negative effect on mean seed dispersal distance but a positive effect on the probability of LDD. This positive effect and its impact on connectivity provide novel insights into landscape level (meta-)population and community dynamics - a change in matrix vegetation height by land-use or climatic changes could strongly affect the spread and connectivity of wind-dispersed plants. The opposite effect of vegetation height on mean seed dispersal distance and the probability of LDD should therefore be considered in management and analyses of future land-use and climate change effects.
KW  - Seed dispersal by wind
KW  - Long-distance seed dispersal
KW  - Matrix vegetation
KW  - Kettle holes
KW  - Agricultural landscapes
KW  - Metapopulation dynamics
Y1  - 2021
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2021.107678
SN  - 0167-8809
SN  - 1873-2305
VL  - 322
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  -