Long-distance endozoochorous dispersal of submerged macrophyte seeds by migratory waterbirds in northern Europe - a critical review of possibilities and limitations

By P. Clausen, B. Nolet, Anthony David Fox, M. Klaassen. 2002

184 citations recorded by the source corpus.

We review whether migratory Anatidae, i.e., swans, geese and ducks, could be acting as vectors for dispersal of Zostera, Ruppia and Potamogeton propagules by endozoochory (carrying seeds in their guts). We list six prerequisites that must all be fulfilled, if successful dispersal should occur. Several Anatidae species feed on these macrophytes, and undertake rapid long-distance movements, making dispersal possible. We identify four problems, which in combination leads us to conclude that long-distance dispersal events are likely to be rare. (i) Most long-distance movements are out of phase with the reproductive efforts of the plants, and if birds arrive at sites when plants still bear seeds, they are likely to depart well after seed stocks have been depleted. (ii) Seed transport by birds will usually be uni-directional, from north to south on autumn migrations. (iii) Most of the gut contents of migratory birds are likely to have been discarded within 300 km of departure. (iv) In many cases, birds will arrive in habitats seriously different from those they departed, i.e., any seeds carried along will have low chances of surviving in their new site. We suggest that northbound dispersal by endozoochory can only occur during spring if waterbirds feed on seeds that have not been depleted and remained frozen down or buried in sediments, or during moult- or post-moult migrations. Moult migration takes place in summer in phase with the reproductive efforts of the plants. Also epizoochorous dispersal (external attachment) is subject to restrictions i, ii and iv.

Subfields: Ecology, Nature and Landscape Conservation

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/6955d1cbdb9914ef4924b3beffdf8e60b63db842

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Ecology

1. A. Green
2. Luis Santamaría
3. J. Figuerola
4. M. Soons
5. A. Brochet
6. M. Klaassen
7. Gerrit W. Heil
8. M. Guillemain

In Nature and Landscape Conservation

1. A. Green
2. M. Soons
3. Luis Santamaría
4. J. Figuerola
5. A. Brochet
6. M. Klaassen
7. Gerrit W. Heil
8. Hervé Fritz

Citations in the corpus

• Small seed size increases the potential for dispersal of wetland plants by ducks (2008, methodology): “Such conditions occur only during long migratory flights, the mechanism for reaching maximum dispersal distances via transport by ducks (Figuerola & Green 2002; Green et al. 2002; but see Clausen et al. 2002).”
• Ecosystem Services Provided by Birds (2008, background): “Given the migratory routes of many waterbirds and shorebirds and the widespread distributions of many aquatic organisms (Santamaria 2002), long-distance dispersal (20–1000 km) must occur, but its frequency relative to local dispersal is unknown (Clausen et al. 2002).”
• Field evidence of dispersal of branchiopods, ostracods and bryozoans by teal (Anas crecca) in the Camargue (southern France) (2009, background): “Concerning internal transport, statoblasts and ephippia can be retained for up to 44 h inside duck guts, although most are defecated within 4 h of ingestion (Charalambidou et al., 2003a, b). As teal fly at ca. 58 km/h ( Clausen et al., 2002 ), long distances can be covered during the retention time ”
• Implications of waterbird ecology for the dispersal of aquatic organisms (2002, background): “We also try to minimize overlap with Clausen et al. (2002) who present a critical view of the potential for dispersal of submerged plants (Zosteraceae, Potamogetonaceae and Ruppiaceae) by Anatidae (especially geese and swans) in northern Europe, discussing various essential steps to effective…”
• The role of waterbirds in the dispersal of aquatic alien and invasive species (2015, background): “Waterbirds tend to massively reduce the size of their digestive organs prior to longdistance migration (Piersma & Gill, 1998), thus affecting the volume of propagules carried (Clausen et al., 2002).”
• Passive internal transport of aquatic organisms by waterfowl in Doñana, south-west Spain (2003, background): “However, analysis of A. crecca ringed in Denmark and recovered a few days later indicates that distances moved can sometimes exceed 100 km/day (Clausen et al., 2002).”