DOI: 10.5061/dryad.612jm643n
title: Plant dispersal syndromes are unreliable as predictors of zoochory and long-distance dispersal by ungulates and waterbirds

description: Plant dispersal syndromes are allocated based on diaspore morphology and
 used to predict mechanisms of dispersal. Many authors assume that only
 angiosperms with endozoochory, epizoochory or anemochory syndromes have a
 long-distance dispersal (LDD) mechanism. Too much faith is often placed in
 classical syndromes to explain historical dispersal events and to predict
 future ones. The “endozoochory syndrome” is actually a “frugivory
 syndrome” and has often diverted attention from endozoochory by
 non-frugivores (e.g. waterbirds and large herbivores) that disperse a
 broad range of angiosperms, for which they likely provide the maximum
 dispersal distances. Neither the endozoochory nor the epizoochory
 syndromes provide helpful predictions of which plants non-frugivores
 disperse, or by which mechanism. We combined data from Albert et al.
 (2015a), Soons et al. (2016) and Julve (1998) to show that only 4% of
 European plant species dispersed by ungulate endozoochory belong to the
 corresponding syndrome, compared to 36% for ungulate epizoochory and 8%
 for endozoochory by migratory ducks. In contrast, the proportions of these
 species that are assigned to an “unassisted syndrome” are 37%, 31% and
 28%, respectively. Since allocated syndromes do not adequately account for
 zoochory, empirical studies often fail to find the expected relationship
 between syndromes and LDD events such as those underlying the colonization
 of islands or latitudinal migration. We need full incorporation of
 existing zoochory data into dispersal databases, and more empirical
 research into the relationship between plant traits and the frequency and
 effectiveness of different dispersal mechanisms (paying attention to
 unexpected vectors). Acknowledging the broad role of non-frugivores in
 facilitating LDD is crucial to improve predictions of the consequences of
 global change, such as how plant distributions respond to climate change,
 and how alien plants spread. Networks of dispersal interactions between
 these vertebrates and plants are a vital but understudied part of the Web
 of Life. The datasets we present here illustrate these limitations of
 syndromes, and include data from Brochet et al. (2010) regarding the
 syndromes of plants dispersed by Eurasian Teal via epizoochory or
 endozoochory.
description: This dataset is a compilation of previously published and freely
 available datasets on seed dispersal and plant traits from the following
 sources: Albert, A. et
 al. 2015. Seed dispersal by ungulates as an ecological filter: a
 trait-based meta-analysis. - Oikos 124: 1109-1120. Julve, P. 1998.
 Baseflor. Index botanique, écologique et chorologique de la flore de
 France. - accession date 2020/07/01
 (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/philippe.julve/catminat.htm). Soons, M. B. et
 al. 2016. Seed dispersal by dabbling ducks: an overlooked dispersal
 pathway for a broad spectrum of plant species. - Journal of Ecology 104:
 443-455. Brochet, A.-L.
 et al. 2010. Plant dispersal by teal (<i>Anas crecca</i>) in
 the Camargue: duck guts are more important than their feet. - Freshwater
 Biology 55: 1262-1273.  
description: There are missing values when a plant species that appears in the
 seed dispersal datasets of Soons et al., Brochet et al. or Albert et al.
 is not listed in the trait database Baseflor. See the
 ReadMe sheet within the Excel file for all other information