Landscape features predict broad‐scale seed rain patterns across fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Abstract The seed rain, that is, the flux of seeds landing on a given location, is a fundamental ecological process driving community assembly and forest regeneration. Because seed rain studies usually focus on a particular site, the influence of landscape features—such as deforestation and fragmentation—on seed dispersal remains poorly understood at the broad scale. We investigated how patch size, forest cover, number of patches, precipitation and latitude influence seed rain parameters (proportion of zoochorous species, seed density, species richness and within‐site spatial turnover) spanning a latitudinal gradient from 7° S to 29° S in a highly fragmented global biodiversity hotspot: the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. This is the first study to synthesize seed rain patterns across such a large extent. We compiled a database from 1905 seed traps in 52 study patches. Over 1.3 million seeds were sampled and 1029 taxa were identified to at least the family level. Total precipitation and forest cover were the most important predictors for the proportion of zoochorous species. Seed density increased with the number of patches (fragmentation) for both zoochorous and non‐zoochorous species. Species richness and turnover were strongly predicted by forest cover; therefore, increasing with habitat amount, especially in sites with higher precipitation levels. Synthesis . Along with precipitation, forest cover emerges as a fundamental driver of alpha and beta diversity in the seed rain. This highlights the role of habitat amount at the landscape level over patch‐level features, like patch size, for seed dispersal. However, increased seed density can be related to higher dispersal rates in forest borders. Understanding these drivers of seed rain can help predict forest regeneration trajectories that shape the future configuration of fragmented landscapes.

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Journal
Journal of Ecology
Published
2026-05-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70328
Primary Topic
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
Type
article
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article

Landscape features predict broad‐scale seed rain patterns across fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Luís Fernando Tavares de Menezes, Sustanis Horn Kunz, Vinícius Londe, Flavio Antônio Maës dos Santos et al.
Journal of Ecology
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
article

Landscape features predict broad‐scale seed rain patterns across fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Luís Fernando Tavares de Menezes, Sustanis Horn Kunz, Vinícius Londe, Flavio Antônio Maës dos Santos, Antônio Jorge Tourinho Braga, Flávia Moraes de Jesus, Débora Cristina Rother, Rinaldo Luíz Caraciolo Ferreira, Pavel Dodonov, Adriana Maria Zanforlin Martini, Marilena Menezes Silva Conde, Elivane Salete Capellesso, Larissa Lopes Mellinger, Marcos Vinicius Wincker Caldeira, Henrique Machado Dias, Daniella Vinha, André Targa Cavassani, Marcelo Augusto Meratti de Oliveira, Sandra Bos Mikich, Victor P. Zwiener, L. Felipe Daibes, Jorge Yoshio Tamashiro, Monique Perini, Gerhard Gottsberger, Amanda S. Santos, Tanise Luisa Sausen, Rita de Cássia Quitete Portela, Marco Aurélio Pizo, Angela Luciana de Ávila, Ricardo G. César, Paulo Alves de Almeida, Cléber Covre, Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues, Carlos Alfredo Joly, Fabiana Maraschin-Silva, Romualdo Morelatto Begnini, Valéria Forni Martins, Luiz Fernando Duarte de Moraes, Daniel Piotto, Joselane Príscila Gomes da Silva, Eliana Cazetta, Raquel F. Zorzanelli, Milena Gama, Ana Lícia Patriota Feliciano Marangon, José Marcos Barbosa, Jaqueline Pêgo Quintino Santos, Janaine Isabela da Silva Rocha, Nelson Augusto Santos Junior, Talita Zupo, Julia Fleming Pimentel, Carlos Rodrigues da Silva, Fulbert J. K. Gnonlonfoun, Luiz Carlos Marangon, Cintia Gomes Freitas, Leticia Bolian Zimback, Luiz Roberto Zamith, Rafael Barbizan Sühs, Ute Christiane Knörr, Marcelo Trindade Nascimento, Marcia C. M. Marques, Haldre S. Rogers, Luís Fábio Silveira, Renato Augusto Ferreira de Lima, Jerônimo Boelsums Barreto Sansevero
article en

Abstract

Abstract The seed rain, that is, the flux of seeds landing on a given location, is a fundamental ecological process driving community assembly and forest regeneration. Because seed rain studies usually focus on a particular site, the influence of landscape features—such as deforestation and fragmentation—on seed dispersal remains poorly understood at the broad scale. We investigated how patch size, forest cover, number of patches, precipitation and latitude influence seed rain parameters (proportion of zoochorous species, seed density, species richness and within‐site spatial turnover) spanning a latitudinal gradient from 7° S to 29° S in a highly fragmented global biodiversity hotspot: the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. This is the first study to synthesize seed rain patterns across such a large extent. We compiled a database from 1905 seed traps in 52 study patches. Over 1.3 million seeds were sampled and 1029 taxa were identified to at least the family level. Total precipitation and forest cover were the most important predictors for the proportion of zoochorous species. Seed density increased with the number of patches (fragmentation) for both zoochorous and non‐zoochorous species. Species richness and turnover were strongly predicted by forest cover; therefore, increasing with habitat amount, especially in sites with higher precipitation levels. Synthesis . Along with precipitation, forest cover emerges as a fundamental driver of alpha and beta diversity in the seed rain. This highlights the role of habitat amount at the landscape level over patch‐level features, like patch size, for seed dispersal. However, increased seed density can be related to higher dispersal rates in forest borders. Understanding these drivers of seed rain can help predict forest regeneration trajectories that shape the future configuration of fragmented landscapes.

Journal of EcologyVol. 114(5)
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR), Universidade Federal da Bahia (BR), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (BR), The Nature Conservancy (US), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (BR), Universidade Federal Fluminense (BR), Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (BR), Universidade Federal de São Carlos (BR), Universidade de São Paulo (BR), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) (BR), Universität Ulm (DE), Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (BR), Instituto Federal do Paraná (BR), Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Baiano (BR), Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR), Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (BR), State University of Norte Fluminense (BR), University of Florida (US), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (BR), Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (BR), Fundación Biodiversidad (ES), Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (BR), Institute for Biodiversity (DE), Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia (BR), Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (BR), Secretaria do Meio Ambiente (BR), Secretaria da Educação (BR), São Paulo Museum of Art (BR), Universidade Estadual do Amapá (BR), Instituto de Geociencias (ES), Vale Technological Institute (BR), Oldham Council (GB), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (BR), Universidade Federal do Paraná (BR), Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (BR), Virginia Tech (US), Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) (BR)
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo, Instituto Serrapilheira
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
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