2025/04/15 by Shoji Naoe · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies #Species Distribution and Climate Change #Plant and animal studies
paper · doi:10.1080/13416979.2025.2489804
openalex publication_date 2025/04/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/09
Long-distance seed dispersal (LDD) is critical for plant survival and expansion under climate change. However, studies on the directionality of LDD, which determines the effectiveness of LDD under climate change, are limited. The directionality of LDD can be classified into three categories: elevational (uphill or downhill), latitudinal (north or south), and longitudinal (east or west). This review examined known and potential drivers of the directionality of LDD by animal, wind, river flow, and ocean current, which are major biotic or abiotic modes of seed dispersal. In elevational LDD, temperate, subarctic, and subtropical animals are likely to disperse seeds towards higher elevations in spring and summer to efficiently track the warming temperature. In latitudinal LDD, spring migrants, westerlies, tropical cyclones, and warm currents are likely to disperse seeds towards higher latitudes. Importantly, several potential drivers of directional LDD were predicted to cause seed dispersal towards warmer and thus unsuitable areas for plants under global warming. Regarding elevational LDD, temperate, subarctic, and subtropical animals are likely to disperse seeds towards lower elevations in autumn and winter; additionally, katabatic winds and river flow are likely to disperse seeds towards lower elevations. Regarding latitudinal LDD, autumn migrants, trade winds, polar easterlies, and cold currents are likely to disperse seeds towards lower latitudes. It is important to clarify if the directionality of LDD in each seed dispersal mode promotes plant migration under current climate change.