Mode of seed dispersal shapes placement of rainforest trees

The apple might not fall far from the tree, but new research shows that how it falls might be what is most important in determining tree distribution across a forest. A recent study of the seed dispersal methods of rainforest trees demonstrates that these methods play a primary role in the organization of plant species in tropical forests.

Joshua B. Plotkin, a junior fellow in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, and co-author Tristram Seidler published the results of their study on seed dispersal methods in the journal Public Library of Science - Biology (PLoS Biology).

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