The effect of samara wing presence on predation of Acer pseudoplatanus (Sapindaceae) seeds on the ground
Abstract
The key selective pressure shaping the morphology of samaras is seen as enhancing primary wind‐borne dispersal from the parent plant to the ground. However, the consequences of the samara wing of primarily wind‐dispersed tree species for post‐dispersal processes has not been well studied. We explored whether the presence of this wing in Acer pseudoplatanus either deters or promotes predation after dispersal, either by increasing the time and energy required to predate the seed or by increasing the seed's visibility to predators. We found that wing‐removed fruits were preferred, suggesting that the presence of samaras makes seed handling more expensive for granivores. Further, we found that fewer seeds were consumed from treatments that contained the most winged seeds, thus there was no evidence of the samaras making seed finding easier for granivores. We conclude that the presence of the wing may offer an anti‐predatory benefit as well as aiding primary dispersal.
Citation
Der Weduwen , D & Ruxton , G D 2020 , ' The effect of samara wing presence on predation of Acer pseudoplatanus (Sapindaceae) seeds on the ground ' , Plant Species Biology , vol. Early View . https://doi.org/10.1111/1442-1984.12266
Publication
Plant Species Biology
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
0913-557XType
Journal article
Rights
Copyright © 2020 The Society for the Study of Species Biology. This work has been made available online in accordance with publisher policies or with permission. Permission for further reuse of this content should be sought from the publisher or the rights holder. This is the author created accepted manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.1111/1442-1984.12266
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