ZOOCHORY AND PECULIARITIES OF FOREST COMMUNITY FORMATION: A REVIEW

• Main Authors: O. I. Evstigneev, V. N. Korotkov, I. A. Murashev, P. V. Voevodin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Penza State University Publishing House 2017-03-01
• Series: Russian Journal of Ecosystem Ecology
• Subjects: seed dispersal; diaspores; coniferous-broadleaved forest; zoochory; home range; succession
• Online Access: http://rjee.ru/en/rjee-2-1-2017-2/

Based on the analysis of the literature on the home range of animals, information on the distances of diaspore dispersals by animals is provided for plants of coniferous-broadleaved forests. Mass and moderate dispersals of diaspores are important for formation of plant communities. Diaspores are moved in mass quantities within the diurnal areas of animals and in moderate quantities within the borders of seasonal areas. A continuous series is built on the range of mass dissemination of plant diaspores by animals, from tens of metres (small rodents) to one kilometre (large mammals). In coniferous-broadleaved forests three groups of plant species have been distinguished on adaptation to diaspore dispersals by animals. The first group includes plants with juicy fruits (e.g., Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aucuparia, Vaccinium myrtillus). A wide range of animals disperse diaspores of these plants at a distance of 20 m to 1,000 m, mainly in the endozoochoric way. The second group includes plants with large and dry seeds (e.g., Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus robur). The seeds of these plants are dispersed by animals that stock seeds at a distance of up to 500 m in the synzoochoric way. The third group includes plants with small and dry diaspores (e.g., Aegopodium podagraria, Melica nutans, Stellaria holostea и др.). Their seeds can be moved by large birds, bears, ungulates in the endozoochoric way in large quantities at a distance of up to 1,000 m. Due to the extremely low number of those animals, plants with small and dry seeds have lost intercenotic diaspore flows that are needed for changes of plant communities and for restoration succession. As a result, subclimax communities with a diminished species composition of plants are formed.