Plants as reef fish: fitting the functional form of seedling recruitment.
Abstract
The life histories of many species depend first on dispersal to local sites and then
on establishment. After dispersal, density-independent and density-dependent mortalities
modify propagule supply, determining the number of individuals that establish. Because
multiple factors influence recruitment, the dichotomy of propagule versus establishment
limitation is best viewed as a continuum along which the strength of propagule or
establishment limitation changes with propagule input. To evaluate the relative importance
of seed and establishment limitation for plants, we (1) describe the shape of the
recruitment function and (2) use limitation and elasticity analyses to quantify the
sensitivity of recruitment to perturbations in seed limitation and density-independent
and density-dependent mortality. Using 36 seed augmentation studies for 18 species,
we tested four recruitment functions against one another. Although the linear model
(accounting for seed limitation and density-independent mortality) fitted the largest
number of studies, the nonlinear Beverton-Holt model (accounting for density-dependent
mortality) performed better at high densities of seed augmentation. For the 18 species,
seed limitation constrained population size more than other sources of limitation
at ambient conditions. Seedling density reached saturation with increasing seed density
in many studies, but at such high densities that seedling density was primarily limited
by seed availability rather than microsite availability or density dependence.
Type
Journal articlePermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/15876Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1086/518945Publication Info
Poulsen, JR; Osenberg, CW; Clark, CJ; Levey, DJ; & Bolker, BM (2007). Plants as reef fish: fitting the functional form of seedling recruitment. Am Nat, 170(2). pp. 167-183. 10.1086/518945. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/15876.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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John Poulsen
Associate Professor of Tropical Ecology
John Poulsen is an ecologist with broad interests in the maintenance and regeneration
of tropical forests and conservation of biodiversity. His research has focused on
the effects of anthropogenic disturbance, such as logging and hunting, on forest structure
and diversity, abundance of tropical animals, and ecological processes. He has conducted
most of his research in Central Africa, where he has also worked as a conservation
manager, directing projects to sustainably manage natural resources i

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