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Plant dispersal strategies in primary succession on the Tolbachinsky Dol volcanic Plateau (Russia)
Author(s) -
Korablev Anton,
Smirnov Vadim,
Neshataeva Valentina,
Kuzmin Igor,
Nekrasov Timofey
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of vegetation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1654-1103
pISSN - 1100-9233
DOI - 10.1111/jvs.12901
Subject(s) - biological dispersal , ecology , ecological succession , habitat , seed dispersal , vegetation (pathology) , prevailing winds , biology , seed dispersal syndrome , geography , population , medicine , pathology , meteorology , demography , sociology
Questions Dispersal strategies are crucial in the colonization of disturbed landscapes. This influences species expansion in early‐successional areas, determines dispersal distances, and affects the structure of communities. Volcanic eruptions destroy vegetation over vast areas and trigger community assembly processes in hostile environments. The questions are (a) Which dispersal strategies are advantageous during the colonization of primary areas? (b) Which environmental constraints drive species distributions according to their dispersal strategies? (c) Which dispersal or establishment traits are beneficial in the filtering processes during the community assembly? Location The study area was located in a primary volcanic habitat formed by the volcanic eruption in 1975–1976 in Tolbachinskii Dol Plateau, Kamchatka, Russia. Methods The composition of vascular plant species along environmental gradients was recorded. The proportion of species with different dispersal strategies was analysed under various conditions to determine the most successful dispersal mode. Logistic regressions were used to investigate the relationship between dispersal modes and environmental variables. Filtering processes acting on dispersal or establishment traits were revealed using linear modelling. Results Species without appendages for wind dispersal predominated in remote exposed sites, while species with seeds adapted for effective wind dispersal were common in more vegetated habitats, which support trapping and facilitation. Endozoochorous seeds occurred in woody communities and predominated in mature forests. The results show that the determinants of species composition according to dispersal mode are woody debris, shrub layer coverage and microrelief. Dispersal modes and life‐forms converged in the most severe habitats. Conclusions On the tephra plain, species without special adaptations for wind dispersal benefitted through the colonization of primary habitats, whereas anemochorous seeds were blown into natural traps. The aerodynamic characteristics of seeds and the turbulent features of habitats were important in primary succession, as well as biotic facilitation and environmental conditions. Both dispersal and environmental filters interactively shaped the community structure in early succession.