Predicting seed dispersal
distances from simple plant traits
RIIN TAMME, LARS GÖTZENBERGER, MARTIN ZOBEL,
JAMES M. BULLOCK, DANNY A. P. HOOFTMAN,
ANTS KAASIK, MEELIS PÄRTEL
We collected available maximum dispersal distance data
for plant species
576 plant species are currently represented in our database
We collected plant trait data from original studies or databases
dispersal syndrome
growth form
seed mass
seed releasing height
terminal velocity
We related these plant traits to maximum dispersal distances
Average maximum
dispersal distance
increases from species with
no special mechanisms for
dispersal to ballistic, ant,
wind, and animal dispersal
1.1 m
3.6 m
6.5 m
47.6 m
196 m
5.2 m
Average maximum
dispersal distance
also increases from
herbs to shrubs and
trees
24.4 m
295 m
We then built models to predict plant species’ maximum dispersal
distances from simple plant traits
PREDICTED MAXIMUM DISPERSAL DISTANCE (LOG; M)
We used 2/3 of the
data to build the
models and 1/3 of
the data as a test set
to test the predictions
For the test set we
predicted dispersal
distances using
parameters from the
models and related these
to observed values
OBSERVED MAXIMUM DISPERSAL DISTANCE (LOG; M)
Simple plant traits
explained up to 60%
of variation in
maximum dispersal
distances
We provide a function dispeRsal to predict maximum dispersal
distances for users’ own datasets
How to predict plant species’
dispersal distances using
dispeRsal function in
?
Download and install
http://www.r-project.org
R is a free software
environment for
statistical computing
and graphics
Double-clicking the
file automatically
opens R and loads
the dispeRsal
function
Download and load dispeRsal function
http://www.botany.ut.ee/dispersal
Simply download the
dispeRsal file
You can use Excel or
similar software to
prepare the dataset
Prepare the data file
Your data file has to follow a specific format
Species GF
DS
SM
TV
RH
Prepare the data file
Your data file has to follow a specific format
Species GF
It is also possible to
only include genus
level
DS
SM
TV
RH
Enter the species
names without
authorship
Enter either tree,
shrub, or herb
Species growth form
Prepare the data file
Your data file has to follow a specific format
Species GF
DS
SM
TV
RH
You can use different
online databases to
obtain data on
species’ dispersal
syndrome
Prepare the data file
Your data file has to follow a specific format
Species GF
Enter either animal,
ant, ballistic,
wind.none, or
wind.special
DS
SM
TV
RH
Species dispersal
syndrome
Seed mass
Prepare the data file
Your data file has to follow a specific format
Species GF
If no data is
available, you can
leave the cell empty
DS
SM
TV
RH
Enter the value in
log10 transformed
format (using mg)
Enter the value in
log10 transformed
format (using m/s)
Seed terminal
velocity
Prepare the data file
Your data file has to follow a specific format
Species GF
DS
SM
TV
RH
If no data is
available, you can
leave the cell empty
Enter the data in
log10 transformed
format (using m)
If no data is
available, you can
leave the cell empty
Prepare the data file
Your data file has to follow a specific format
Species GF
Seed releasing
height (or plant
height)
DS
SM
TV
RH
For example…
Species
GF
DS
SM
TV
RH
Acer platanoides
tree
wind.special
2.14
0.01
1.35
Abies alba
tree
wind.special
1.90
Viola montana
herb
ballistic
Viola arvensis
herb
ballistic
-0.29
0.48
-0.79
Viola arvensis
herb
ant
-0.29
0.48
-0.79
1.46
Make sure your data
file is in the same
directory as the
dispeRsal file
For example…
Species
GF
DS
SM
TV
RH
Acer platanoides
tree
wind.special
2.14
0.01
1.35
Abies alba
tree
wind.special
1.90
Viola montana
herb
ballistic
Viola arvensis
herb
ballistic
-0.29
0.48
-0.79
Viola arvensis
herb
ant
-0.29
0.48
-0.79
Save your file in a
comma separated file
format (.csv)
1.46
Note that you can
enter a species
multiple times to
predict dispersal
distance for different
syndromes
You may need to
modify the values for
separator (sep) and
decimal (dec)
depending on your
file format
Read in your data to
your.data <- read.table(“YourFileName.csv”, header=TRUE, sep=“;”, dec=“.”)
Use dispeRsal function
dispeRsal(your.data, model=5)
Choose the model
depending on the data
available (you can run
the function several
times using different
models)
Note that the simplest
model (5) only uses DS
and GF data even for
species that have more
data available
Use dispeRsal function
dispeRsal(your.data, model=5)
1 uses DS, GF, TV
2 uses DS, GF, SM,
RH
3 uses DS, GF, RH
4 uses DS, GF, SM
5 uses DS, GF
The value for model
can be either 1, 2, 3,
4, or 5
The output…
Species
Order
Family
DS
log10MDD
_Family
log10MDD
_Order
log10MDD
_measured
Acer
platanoides
Sapindales
Sapindaceae
wind.special
2.36
2.32
2.68
Abies alba
Pinales
Pinaceae
wind.special
2.57
2.32
3.85
Viola montana
Malphigiales
Violacea
ballistic
0.61
0.47
NA
Viola arvensis
Malphigiales
Violacea
ballistic
0.61
0.47
0.38
Viola arvensis
Malphigiales
Violacea
ant
0.82
0.69
NA
The function
automatically
assignes your
species to a family
and an order
The output…
Species
Order
Family
DS
log10MDD
_Family
log10MDD
_Order
log10MDD
_measured
Acer
platanoides
Sapindales
Sapindaceae
wind.special
2.36
2.32
2.68
Abies alba
Pinales
Pinaceae
wind.special
2.57
2.32
3.85
Viola montana
Malphigiales
Violacea
ballistic
0.61
0.47
NA
Viola arvensis
Malphigiales
Violacea
ballistic
0.61
0.47
0.38
Viola arvensis
Malphigiales
Violacea
ant
0.82
0.69
NA
Note that the
maximum dispersal
distance values are
log10 transformed (in
m)
The output…
The function predicts
dispersal distances
taking account the
taxonomy of the
species (family or
order)
Species
Order
Family
DS
log10MDD
_Family
log10MDD
_Order
log10MDD
_measured
Acer
platanoides
Sapindales
Sapindaceae
wind.special
2.36
2.32
2.68
Abies alba
Pinales
Pinaceae
wind.special
2.57
2.32
3.85
Viola montana
Malphigiales
Violacea
ballistic
0.61
0.47
NA
Viola arvensis
Malphigiales
Violacea
ballistic
0.61
0.47
0.38
Viola arvensis
Malphigiales
Violacea
ant
0.82
0.69
NA
Note that the
maximum dispersal
distance values are
log10 transformed (in
m)
If possible, also the
measured maximum
dispersal distance
from the original data
source is given
The output…
Species
Order
Family
DS
log10MDD
_Family
log10MDD
_Order
log10MDD
_measured
Acer
platanoides
Sapindales
Sapindaceae
wind.special
2.36
2.32
2.68
Abies alba
Pinales
Pinaceae
wind.special
2.57
2.32
3.85
Viola montana
Malphigiales
Violacea
ballistic
0.61
0.47
NA
Viola arvensis
Malphigiales
Violacea
ballistic
0.61
0.47
0.38
Viola arvensis
Malphigiales
Violacea
ant
0.82
0.69
NA
For more information…
http://www.botany.ut.ee/dispersal
dispeRsal is being presented by a research article in Ecology, which we kindly ask
you to cite in case you use the tool and its output for your own publications
Riin Tamme, Lars Götzenberger, Martin Zobel, James M. Bullock, Danny A. P.
Hooftman, Ants Kaasik, and Meelis Partel (In press). Predicting species' maximum
dispersal distances from simple plant traits. Ecology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/131000.1