Size matters for violent discharge height and settling speed of Sphagnum spores: important attributes for dispersal potential.

Annals of Botany
Sebastian Sundberg

Abstract

Initial release height and settling speed of diaspores are biologically controlled components which are key to modelling wind dispersal. Most Sphagnum (peat moss) species have explosive spore liberation. In this study, how capsule and spore sizes affect the height to which spores are propelled were measured, and how spore size and spore number of discharged particles relate to settling speed in the aspherical Sphagnum spores. Spore discharge and spore cloud development were filmed in a closed chamber (nine species). Measurements were taken from snapshots at three stages of cloud development. Settling speed of spores (14 species) and clusters were timed in a glass tube. The maximum discharge speed measured was 3.6 m s(-1). Spores reached a maximum height of 20 cm (average: 15 cm) above the capsule. The cloud dimensions at all stages were related positively to capsule size (R(2) = 0.58-0.65). Thus species with large shoots (because they have large capsules) have a dispersal advantage. Half of the spores were released as singles and the rest as clusters (usually two to four spores). Single spores settled at 0.84-1.86 cm s(-1), about 52 % slower than expected for spherical spores with the same diameters. Settling speed displayed a ...Continue Reading

References

Jul 26, 2002·Nature·Ran NathanSimon A Levin
Apr 13, 2006·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Olav SkarpaasKatriona Shea
May 16, 2006·Trends in Plant Science·Anna Kuparinen
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Jun 26, 2009·The New Phytologist·Jeffrey G DuckettKaren S Renzaglia
Oct 1, 2000·The New Phytologist·S Sundberg, H Rydin

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Citations

Jul 24, 2010·Science·Johan L van Leeuwen
Jul 24, 2010·Science·Dwight L Whitaker, Joan Edwards
May 12, 2011·Integrative and Comparative Biology·Patrick T MartoneThomas Speck
Sep 12, 2015·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Q GuoZ Chen
Jun 15, 2016·Annals of Botany·Florian ZanattaAlain Vanderpoorten
Jul 28, 2016·PloS One·Aimée SakesPaul Breedveld
Apr 2, 2010·The New Phytologist·Sebastian Sundberg
May 27, 2011·American Journal of Botany·A Jonathan ShawBlanka Shaw
Dec 23, 2011·The New Phytologist·Eric F KarlinA Jonathan Shaw
Sep 29, 2012·Plant Biology·H KorpelainenV Virtanen
Jul 16, 2017·Microbiology Spectrum·Jacob J Golan, Anne Pringle

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