Find research datasets worth reusing
Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.
28
datasets available to search
ShareScore release 0.9.0
Dataset results
28 results for “seed rain”
Data from: Quantifying seed rain patterns in a remnant and a chronosequence of restored tallgrass prairies in north central Missouri
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Tally of seeds collected in seed-rain traps and the trees around the traps in Guánica Forest, Puerto Rico
Tropical dry forests that experience severe disturbances often remain degraded for long time periods, during which non‐native grasses and trees dominate. One barrier to native tree regeneration in degraded areas may be seed dispersal limitation. To better understand how dispersal limitation influences recovery from degradation, we tested whether the mode and rates of seed dispersal differed in degraded sites dominated either by the exotic tree Leucaena leucocephala or open areas dominated by introduced pasture grasses. We also tested whether L. leucocephala stands facilitate the recruitment of native trees by increasing their seed input compared to open grass areas.
Black spruce seed counts from seed rain traps in the 2004 burns off the Steese, Taylor, and Dalton Highways, collected in 2005-2007.
This dataset contains seed counts of black spruce seed rain collected in traps at 39 intensive study sites within the 2004 burns of interior Alaska. Data are presented as raw data from trap collections at each site. All sites were in communities dominated by black spruce before burning, and were located 100 to 600 m from the road, beyond the range of any visible road effects and away from any signs of other human disturbance.
Black spruce seed viability from seed rain traps in the 2004 burns off the Steese, Taylor, and Dalton Highways, collected in 2005-2007.
This dataset contains viability estimates of black spruce seed collected in traps at 39 intensive study sites within the 2004 burns of interior Alaska. Data are presented as raw data from trap collections at each site. All sites were in communities dominated by black spruce before burning, and were located 100 to 600 m from the road, beyond the range of any visible road effects and away from any signs of other human disturbance.
Climate and microhabitat shape the prevalence of endozoochory in the seed rain of tropical montane forests
<p>Endozoochory, the dispersal of seeds by animal ingestion, is the most dominant mode of seed dispersal in tropical forests and is a key process shaping current and future forest dynamics. However, it remains largely unknown how endozoochory is associated with environmental conditions at regional and local scales. Here, we investigated the effects of elevation, climate and microhabitat conditions on the proportion of endozoochorous plant species in the seed rain of the tropical Andes of southern Ecuador. Over one year, we measured seed rain in 162 seed traps on nine 1-ha forest plots located at 1000 m, 2000 m, and 3000 m a.s.l. We recorded climatic conditions (mean annual temperature and rainfall) in each plot and microhabitat conditions (leaf area index and soil moisture) adjacent to each seed trap. In total, we recorded 331,838 seeds belonging to 323 morphospecies. Overall, the proportion of endozoochorous species in the seed rain decreased with elevation. Relative biomass of endozoochorous species decreased with increasing rainfall, whereas the relative seed richness of endozoochorous species increased with increasing temperature and leaf area index. These findings suggest an interplay between climate factors and microhabitat conditions in shaping the importance of endozoochorous plant species in the seed rain of tropical montane forests. We conclude that changing climatic and microhabitat conditions are likely to cause changes in the dominant dispersal modes of plant communities which may trigger changes in current and future dynamics of tropical forests.</p>
Climate and microhabitat shape the prevalence of endozoochory in the seed rain of tropical montane forests
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: The role of nocturnal omnivorous lemurs as seed dispersers in Malagasy rain forests
<p>Fruit-eating animals play important roles as seed dispersal agents in terrestrial systems. Yet, the extent to which seed dispersal by nocturnal omnivores may facilitate germination and the recruitment of plant communities has rarely been investigated. Characterizing their roles in seed dispersal is necessary to provide a more complete picture of how seed dispersal processes affect ecosystem functioning. We investigated the roles and impacts of two species of nocturnal omnivorous lemur species, <em>Microcebus</em> <em>jollyae</em> and <em>M. rufus</em>, on seed dispersal in Madagascar's rain forests, through analysis of fecal samples and germination experiments. Data show that these lemur species, which are among the world's smallest primates, dispersed 22 plant species from various forest strata and that the defecated seeds germinated faster and at higher rates than control seeds for the eight plant species we tested. Even though mouse lemurs dispersed both native and non-native plant species, non-native plant species represented a relatively small proportion (17%). These results demonstrate that overlooked nocturnal omnivores can act as important seed dispersers, which may have critical implications for forest regeneration and the maintenance of plant diversity in fragmented/degraded forests. Finally, we provide critical insights into the previously unobserved behavior and diet of endangered nocturnal lemurs for their effective conservation.</p>
Data from: Post-fire recovery in coastal sage scrub: seed rain and community trajectory
Disturbance is a primary mechanism structuring ecological communities. However, human activity has the potential to alter the frequency and intensity of natural disturbance regimes, with subsequent effects on ecosystem processes. In Southern California, human development has led to increased fire frequency close to urban areas that can form a positive feedback with invasive plant spread. Understanding how abiotic and biotic factors structure post-fire plant communities is a critical component of post-fire management and restoration. In this study we considered a variety of mechanisms affecting post-fire vegetation recovery in Riversidean sage scrub. Comparing recently burned plots to unburned plots, we found that burning significantly reduced species richness and percent cover of exotic vegetation the first two years following a 100-hectare wildfire. Seed rain was higher in burned plots, with more native forb seeds, while unburned plots had more exotic grass seeds. Moreover, there were significant correlations between seed rain composition and plant cover composition the year prior and the year after. Collectively, this case study suggests that fire can alter community composition, but there was not compelling evidence of a vegetation-type conversion. Instead, the changes in the community composition were temporary and convergence in community composition was apparent within two years post-fire.
Data from: Successional status, seed dispersal mode and overstorey species influence tree regeneration in tropical rain-forest fragments in Western Ghats, India
The effects of fragmentation and overstorey tree diversity on tree regeneration were assessed in tropical rain forests of the Western Ghats, India. Ninety plots were sampled for saplings (1–5 cm diameter at breast height (dbh); 5×5-m plots) and overstorey trees (>9.55 cm dbh; 20×20-m plots) within two fragments (32 ha and 18 ha) and two continuous forests. We tested the hypotheses that fragmentation and expected seed-dispersal declines (1) reduce sapling densities and species richness of all species and old-growth species, and increase recruitment of early-successional species, (2) reduce the prevalence of dispersed recruits and (3) increase influence of local overstorey on sapling densities and richness. Continuous forests and fragments had similar sapling densities and species richness overall, but density and richness of old-growth species declined by 62% and 48%, respectively, in fragments. Fragments had 39% lower densities and 24% lower richness of immigrant saplings (presumed dispersed into sites as conspecific adults were absent nearby), and immigrant densities of old-growth bird-dispersed species declined by 79%. Sapling species richness (overall and old-growth) increased with overstorey species richness in fragments, but was unrelated to overstorey richness in continuous forests. Our results show that while forest fragments retain significant sapling diversity, losses of immigrant recruits and increased overstorey influence strengthen barriers to natural regeneration of old-growth tropical rain forests.
Data from: ENSO and frost co-determine decade-long temporal variation in flower and seed production in a subtropical rain forest
Flower and seed production of plants can be greatly influenced by both natural climatic oscillations and local weather extremes. However, owing to the rarity of long-term monitoring studies conducted at a sufficient temporal scale to capture climatic oscillations and the unpredictability of extreme weather events, evidence that demonstrates how these two external forcings act in concert to drive plant reproduction remains scarce. In addition, considerable variation in species' phenological responses to the external climatic forcings was often observed. Phylogenetic relationships may mediate this inter-specific variation, but previous studies yielded inconsistent results when testing this hypothesis. We monitored the flower and seed production in a subtropical rainforest, Fushan, Taiwan (24°45'N, 121°35'E), for over ten years (since September 2002). In March 2005, a record low temperature (-1.3°C) occurred at Fushan and caused great frost damage to plants. We used weekly phenological records and long-term meteorological data to assess the effects of climatic fluctuations and extreme weather event on plant reproductive output. We show that the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indices, which integrated local climatic variables at Fushan over several months, were strongly associated with flower and seed production. The 2005 spring frost also had long-lasting effects on the flower and seed production of several species. In particular, we detected phylogenetic signals in the relationships between phenological responses of flowering production and several climatic variables (maximum temperature, irradiance, and ENSO34 index). By contrast, the relationships between seed production and climatic variables, as well as phenological responses to the frost event, did not exhibit a phylogenetic signal. Synthesis: Our findings add to the growing evidence that together the natural climatic oscillation (ENSO) and the extreme weather event (frost) determined the temporal variation in flower and seed production. In addition, phylogenetically closely related species resembled each other in their flowering responses to abiotic variation in this subtropical rainforest. Improved understanding of these abiotic and biotic interactions may help predicting population- and community-level phenological responses under future climate changes.
Data from: Landscape structure mediates zoochorous-dispersed seed rain under isolated pasture trees across distinct tropical regions
Context: Isolated pasture trees play an important role in forest recovery within fragmented tropical landscapes by attracting seed dispersers and facilitating seedling growth. However, studies with conflicting results have led to confusion about what drives variation in zoochorous-dispersed seed rain patterns under isolated tree canopies. Objectives: To assess the role of landscape and biological factors impacting zoochorous-dispersed seed rain under isolated pasture trees across three tropical regions of the world. Methods: We measured seed dispersal under 144 isolated pasture trees found in 12 fragmented tropical and sub-tropical landscapes in Australia, Colombia and Nigeria. Using linear mixed effect models, we modeled seed diversity, abundance, richness and evenness as functions of the biological features and landscape context of isolated trees. Results: Throughout all regions, the amount of woody vegetation surrounding trees in pastures was negatively related to rainforest seed diversity, evenness and abundance. Seed diversity and evenness increased significantly with the distance of isolated trees to forest fragments in the Australian sub-tropics, but elsewhere, seed diversity and evenness tended to decline with distance to forest, though not significantly. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the tree composition of landscapes surrounding isolated pasture trees is important for influencing zoochorous-dispersed seed rain, regardless of the region studied. Our study highlights the prominent role of landscape-scale, rather than local-scale factors on seed dispersal to isolated pasture trees, while providing strong evidence that early stage successional processes involving isolated pasture trees are similar throughout global tropical regions.
Data from: Fire-sensitive species dominate seed rain in a long unburned Cerrado: implications for plant community diversity and woody encroachment in savannas
Woody encroachment is becoming common in tropical savannas. Seed rain data and seed addition experiments in a long unburned Brazilian savanna indicate that abundant seed rain of fire-sensitive species can surpass limitations to recruitment and lead to woody encroachment. Thus, active fire management may be required to maintain savanna diversity.
Rothwald seed rain data
<p>Given the limited dispersal distances for many temperate and tropical tree species (Ribbens et al. 1994, Nathan and Muller-Landau 2000, Martin and Canham 2010), the effect of spatial variability in seed input at the forest floor is fine-scaled and unfolds at the stand level. However, although seed input into plant communities represents a fundamental template for future plant population structure (albeit not a good proxy for reproductive success of plants), the fine scale spatial variation of seeds at the forest floor, its temporal variation with different sizes of seed crops, and its consequences for tree recruitment are poorly understood. This is partly because of limited data on fine scale spatial variation of seed deposition.</p>
Data from: Frugivore diversity increases evenness in the seed rain on deforested tropical landscapes
<p>The diversity of tropical forests is strongly shaped by mutualistic interactions involving plants and frugivores that disperse their seeds. However, it is little known how decreases in the diversity of frugivores can affect seed dispersal patterns, plant community composition and species' coexistence in tropical forest landscapes. Here, we investigated the effects of bird frugivore diversity on seed dispersal of rare plant species and on the magnitude of equalizing effects on the seed rain in open areas within 12 fragmented landscapes in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We monitored the production of bird-dispersed seeds and bird abundance in forest fragments, and sampled the seed rain and the activity of birds attracted to experimental tree nuclei established in neighboring pastures. The activity of frugivores in tree nuclei was positively correlated with the diversity of birds recorded in nearby forest fragments, and the seed rain diversity increased with frugivore activity. The proportion of seeds dispersed more frequently than expected by chance in tree nuclei increased linearly with the species' richness of birds. The richness and abundance of active frugivores in deforested areas promoted a seed rain with evenness and diversity up to five times greater than the seed pool available in forest fragments due to the proportional increase in the dispersal of rare plant species and a concomitant proportional decrease in the dispersal of dominant fruiting plants. Furthermore, every additional bird species detected in a site was associated with a 10% increase in the equalizing effect on dispersed seeds' relative abundance. Our results show that the aggregated behavior of avian frugivore communities on deforested areas results in higher species richness in the seed rain of plant communities and underscore the urgency to reduce bird species' loss and the simplification of their communities in tropical landscapes.</p>
Data from: Extensive seed and pollen dispersal and assortative mating in the rain forest tree Entandrophragma cylindricum (Meliaceae) inferred from indirect and direct analyses
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Fire-sensitive species dominate seed rain in a long unburned Cerrado: implications for plant community diversity and woody encroachment in savannas
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Effects of habitat fragmentation on parental correlations in the seed rain of a bird-dispersed species
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Frugivore diversity increases evenness in the seed rain on deforested tropical landscapes
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: ENSO and frost co-determine decade-long temporal variation in flower and seed production in a subtropical rain forest
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Rothwald seed rain data
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.