Strategies of diaspore dispersal investment in Compositae: the case of the Andean highlands

Author:

Tovar Carolina1ORCID,Hudson Lucia1,Cuesta Francisco2,Meneses Rosa Isela34,Muriel Priscilla5,Hidalgo Oriane16,Palazzesi Luis7,Suarez Ballesteros Carlos8,Hammond Hunt Eleanor1,Diazgranados Mauricio1,Hind D J Nicholas1,Forest Félix1,Halloy Stephan9,Aguirre Nikolay10,Baker William J1,Beck Stephan4,Carilla Julieta11,Eguiguren Paúl10,Françoso Elaine1,Gámez Luis E12,Jaramillo Ricardo5,Llambí Luis Daniel1314,Maurin Olivier1,Melcher Inga1516,Muller Gemma1,Roy Shyamali1,Viñas Paul17,Yager Karina18,Viruel Juan1

Affiliation:

1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , Richmond , UK

2. Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud – BIOMAS, Universidad de las Américas , Quito , Ecuador

3. Universidad Católica del Norte , San Pedro de Atacama , Chile

4. Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés , Bolivia

5. Laboratorio de Ecofisiología, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Ecuador , Quito , Ecuador

6. Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona) , Barcelona, Catalonia , Spain

7. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales (CONICET) , Buenos Aires , Argentina

8. Banco de semillas, Jardín Botánico de Bogotá , Bogotá , Colombia

9. Biosecurity New Zealand, Ministry for Primary Industries , Wellington , New Zealand

10. Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales del Ambiente y Biodiversidad, Carrera de Ingeniería Forestal, Universidad Nacional de Loja , Loja , Ecuador

11. Instituto de Ecología Regional (IER), Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) , Tucumán , Argentina

12. Laboratorio de Dendrología, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Ambientales, Universidad de Los Andes , Mérida , Venezuela

13. Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecologicas, Universidad de Los Andes , Mérida 5101 , Venezuela

14. Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecorregión Andina , Germán Alemán E12-123, Quito , Ecuador

15. Institute for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam , The Netherlands

16. Naturalis Biodiversity Center , Leiden , The Netherlands

17. Fondo del Agua Quiroz , Piura , Perú

18. School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, NY , USA

Abstract

Abstract Background and Aims Understanding diaspore morphology and how much a species invests on dispersal appendages is key for improving our knowledge of dispersal in fragmented habitats. We investigate diaspore morphological traits in high-Andean Compositae and their main abiotic and biotic drivers and test whether they play a role in species distribution patterns across the naturally fragmented high-Andean grasslands. Methods We collected diaspore trait data for 125 Compositae species across 47 tropical high-Andean summits, focusing on achene length and pappus-to-achene length ratio, with the latter as a proxy of dispersal investment. We analysed the role of abiotic (temperature, elevation and latitude) and biotic factors (phylogenetic signal and differences between tribes) on diaspore traits and whether they are related to distribution patterns across the Andes, using phylogenomics, distribution modelling and community ecology analyses. Key Results Seventy-five percent of the studied species show small achenes (length <3.3 mm) and 67% have high dispersal investment (pappus length at least two times the achene length). Dispersal investment increases with elevation, possibly to compensate for lower air density, and achene length increases towards the equator, where non-seasonal climate prevails. Diaspore traits show significant phylogenetic signal, and higher dispersal investment is observed in Gnaphalieae, Astereae and Senecioneae, which together represent 72% of our species. High-Andean-restricted species found across the tropical Andes have, on average, the pappus four times longer than the achene, a significantly higher dispersal investment than species present only in the northern Andes or only in the central Andes. Conclusions Small achenes and high diaspore dispersal investment dominate among high-Andean Compositae, traits typical of mostly three tribes of African origin; but traits are also correlated with the environmental gradients within the high-Andean grasslands. Our results also suggest that diaspore dispersal investment is likely to shape species distribution patterns in naturally fragmented habitats.

Funder

Global Environmental Fund

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Universidad de las Américas

Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Plant Science

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