Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION: The recalcitrant seeds of Brosimum alicastrum, a widespread tropical tree, have an exceptional ability to resist desiccation, which we propose has contributed to the dominance of the species across a broad precipitation gradient in forests of Latin America. Seed desiccation sensitivity is relatively common in tree species of tropical rain forests. For such species, pre-germination survival may be as important as seedling establishment in determining reproductive success, yet the adaptive traits important for survival are poorly understood. We studied seeds of Brosimum alicastrum Sw., a dominant tree species across a very broad precipitation gradient in Central America. This ecological success seems counterintuitive to the putative presence of seed desiccation sensitivity, that potentially severely limits propagule survival. We evaluated the anatomical, chemical and physiological traits for pre-germination survival in Brosimum alicastrum. Seeds were subjected to a series of desiccation experiments to determine the role of the seed coat and cuticular layers in controlling the rate of water loss. The structural properties were characterised using light and electron microscopy and complemented by biochemical and biophysical characterization of the seed cuticle. We confirm that Brosimum alicastrum seeds are highly desiccation sensitive but exhibit an exceptional resistance to desiccation. We show that the mechanisms for this trait of exceptional control of water loss are multifaceted and relate to the structural, biochemical and biophysical properties of the cuticle surrounding the embryo. When the cuticle is punctured, seed resistance to drying is lost and the seeds die rapidly. We propose that, combined with dispersal by winged fauna, this unique feature of seed desiccation resistance enables this species to colonise and occupy a broad range of edaphic and precipitation niches and so contribute to its prevalence in the forests of Latin America.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Brosimum alicastrum seeds were highly desiccation sensitive.
- Taxon
- Brosimum alicastrum
Brosimum alicastrume0 - Organ / stage
- seedse0
- Outcome
- seeds are highly desiccation sensitivee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Brosimum alicastrum seeds are highly desiccation sensitive”
Claim · model-written summary
Brosimum alicastrum seeds showed exceptional resistance to desiccation.
- Taxon
- Brosimum alicastrumBrosimum alicastrume0
- Organ / stage
- seedse0
- Outcome
- exceptional resistance to desiccatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Brosimum alicastrum seeds are highly desiccation sensitive but exhibit an exceptional resistance to desiccation”
Claim · model-written summary
Cuticle structural, biochemical and biophysical properties were related to control of seed water loss.
- Taxon
- Brosimum alicastrumBrosimum alicastrume1
- Organ / stage
- embryoe0
- Outcome
- exceptional control of water losse0
- Qualifier
- structural, biochemical and biophysical properties of the cuticle surrounding the embryoe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“mechanisms for this trait of exceptional control of water loss are multifaceted and relate to the structural, biochemical and biophysical properties of the cuticle surrounding the embryo”
e1“Brosimum alicastrum seeds are highly desiccation sensitive”
Claim · model-written summary
Puncturing the cuticle removed seed resistance to drying.
- Taxon
- Brosimum alicastrumBrosimum alicastrume1
- Treatment
- cuticle is puncturede0
- Outcome
- seed resistance to dryinge0
- Direction
- loste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When the cuticle is punctured, seed resistance to drying is lost”
e1“Brosimum alicastrum seeds are highly desiccation sensitive”
Claim · model-written summary
Seeds died rapidly after cuticle puncture.
- Taxon
- Brosimum alicastrumBrosimum alicastrume1
- Treatment
- cuticle is puncturede0
- Outcome
- seeds die rapidlye0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When the cuticle is punctured, seed resistance to drying is lost and the seeds die rapidly”
e1“Brosimum alicastrum seeds are highly desiccation sensitive”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors propose seed desiccation resistance contributes to the species prevalence across Latin American forests.
- Taxon
- Brosimum alicastrumBrosimum alicastrume1
- Outcome
- prevalence in the forests of Latin Americae0
- Qualifier
- seed desiccation resistancee0
- Setting
- forests of Latin Americae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“this unique feature of seed desiccation resistance enables this species to colonise and occupy a broad range of edaphic and precipitation niches and so contribute to its prevalence in the forests of Latin America”
e1“Brosimum alicastrum seeds are highly desiccation sensitive”