Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41578673›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of botany2026

Wind-driven seed dispersal differentially promotes seed trapping and retention across alpine plants.

Courtenay A Ray, Savannah R Troy, Emily V Xie, Thomas M Jenkins, Gavin Belfry, Aidan Wells, Perry de Valpine, Benjamin W Blonder

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in American journal of botany, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Courtenay A RayDepartment of Botany, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, 82017, WY, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2276-5915
Savannah R TroyRocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, PO Box 519, Crested Butte, 81224, CO, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5552-7289
Emily V XieDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Mulford Hall, 120 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, 94720, CA, USA.
Thomas M JenkinsRocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, PO Box 519, Crested Butte, 81224, CO, USA.
Gavin BelfryRocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, PO Box 519, Crested Butte, 81224, CO, USA.
Aidan WellsRocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, PO Box 519, Crested Butte, 81224, CO, USA.
Perry de ValpineDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Mulford Hall, 120 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, 94720, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8329-6796
Benjamin W BlonderDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Mulford Hall, 120 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, 94720, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5061-2385

Funding

C.A.R. was supported through Arizona State University's RTI Graduate Student Support, the Colorado Mountain Club Kurt Gerstle Fellowship, the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Snyder Endowment Graduate Fellowship, the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Jean Langenheim Fellowship, the UC Berkeley chapter of Sigma Xi's Grants-in-Aid of Research Award, and the U.S. National Science Foundation (grant PRFB- 2410511). E.X. was supported by the Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) grant from the Rausser College of Natural Resources at UC Berkeley. G.B. was supported by the Ryan Brown Scholarship. B.W.B. was supported by the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (Navjot Sodhi fellowship and core fellowship programs), a grant from the Peder Sather Center for Advanced Study, and the U.S. National Science Foundation (grant DEB-2425575).
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

premiseSeed dispersal can mediate species interactions between plants across life stages. Plants can physically stop seed movement (seed trapping) and prevent further dispersal following entrapment (seed retention). We therefore hypothesized seed trapping and retention rates depend on the physical attributes of interacting seeds and plants, including seed traits and plant length.

methodsFor combinations of co-occurring plant species in an alpine community, we experimentally measured seed trapping and retention potential. To measure seed trapping, we determined the rate at which seeds were unable to physically pass through vegetation without stopping after being launched at plants. To assess seed retention, we compared the rate that seeds left vegetation following entrapment across plant and seed species and by seed traits.

resultsSeed trapping rates were higher for larger-sized plants and differed among plant species but not seed species. Seed trapping and retention rates were higher for plant species with denser vegetation. Seeds with a pappus were retained less than seeds without, and we observed interactive effects between plant and seed species identity on retention rates.

conclusionsSeed trapping and retention rates are influenced by species identities and the physical attributes of plants and seeds. Because both processes can contribute to where a seed is ultimately dispersed, seed trapping and retention may mediate species co-occurrence and further species interactions.

Indexed as

MagnoliopsidaSeed DispersalSeedsTundraWindMicroclimateSpecies Specificityalpinecommunity assemblycommunity ecologydispersalseed retentionseed trappingspecies interactions

Identifiers

PMID41578673
PMCPMC12918901

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.