These findings align with previous research showing faster germination after gut passage, and add new evidence that this can translate into real fitness benefits for plants. (10/10)

👉 doi.org/qfrv

#PlantDispersal #SeedEcology #Endozoochory #AoBpapers

So is bird-mediated dispersal effective? Yes,but mostly when the faeces break apart, e.g. in water or via insects. That’s when seeds can benefit from gut passage without being trapped in a tough, inhibitory matrix. (9/10)

Across both species, one pattern was clear: earlier germination = bigger plants (and more seeds for J. bufonius). Anything that delayed emergence ultimately reduced performance. (8/10)

Interestingly, J. bufonius germinated faster inside faeces, but this delay in establishment pushed it to invest more in reproduction later, producing more seeds per unit biomass. (7/10)

But the faecal matrix itself often held plants back.
❌ Slower germination in E. palustris
❌ Reduced germination, growth and biomass in both species
❌ Lower total seed production in J. bufonius (6/10)

The results? A complex interplay between gut passage and the faecal matrix.
Gut passage alone wasn’t harmful, sometimes it even helped.
✔️ It sped up germination for J. bufonius (when no faeces were present).
✔️ It increased the final height of E. palustris. (5/10)

They compared seeds that passed through mallard guts vs. control seeds, planted either directly in soil or inside mallard faeces. Over 11 weeks in the greenhouse, they tracked germination, growth, biomass and seed production. (4/10)

Researchers worked with two species dispersed by European waterbirds:
🌱 Juncus bufonius (annual mudflat plant)
🌱 Eleocharis palustris (perennial aquatic plant) (3/10)

Many wetland plants hitch long-distance rides inside migratory waterbirds. But how effective is this dispersal? And what happens to the seeds after they’re egested? This new study tests what gut passage and bird droppings mean for germination and plant performance. (2/10)

📌 The transition from bat to bee pollination in the dwarf form of C. brasiliense is shaped by changes in floral traits, not by polyploidy or absence of bats. Anthesis timing and nectar chemistry play key roles in pollinator-mediated divergence across the Cerrado. (7/7)

👉 doi.org/qfdp

#PlantScience

What about genome changes? Despite the striking ecological divergence, both forms had the same genome size and chromosome number. No evidence of polyploidy driving the shift. (6/7)

Field observations confirmed the shift:
🐝 Bee visitation was >50× higher than bat visitation.
Higher nectar sugar content = more bees.
And diurnal visitors, especially large bees, significantly boosted fruit and seed set. (5/7)

The dwarf form shows a suite of traits aligned with bee pollination:
• smaller flowers
• anthesis later at night, extending into early morning
• nectar peaking at dawn
• sucrose-enriched, hexose-dominant nectar (4/7)