TY  - JOUR
A1  - Schmiedel, Doreen
A1  - Tackenberg, Oliver
T1  - Hydrochory and water induced germination enhance invasion of Fraxinus pennsylvanica
T2  - Forest ecology and management
N2  - Highlights
• Floating ability facilitates water dispersal.
• Hydrochorous seed dispersal is more effective than wind dispersal.
• Storage in water induced germination rate.
Abstract
In many Central European countries Fraxinus pennsylvanica is an invasive species that spreads rapidly in floodplain forests. The aim of this study was to analyse anemochorous and hydrochorous dispersal distances and to compare the findings with dispersal data for the native Fraxinus excelsior. A simulation revealed that wind dispersal distances are similar for both species, reaching to 120–250 m. By contrast, the mean floating time (50% floating samaras) measured in an experiment was 2 days in the case of F. pennsylvanica and 0.5 days for F. excelsior. This high floating ability facilitates water dispersal over several kilometres in both species, but for the invasive species the modelled mean dispersal distance was 3.7 times higher. A germination test of F. pennsylvanica seeds revealed that the rate, onset and speed of germination increase with the duration of the inundation. After a maximum storage time in water of about 15 days the germination rate amounts to 78%, which was higher than the germination rate of seeds without storage in water (53%). We also found that regeneration was enhanced in flooded areas. Hydrochory, therefore, may be viewed as an important factor explaining the successful invasion of F. pennsylvanica in floodplain forests in Central Europe.
KW  - Hydrochory
KW  - Buoyancy
KW  - Wind dispersal
KW  - Green ash
KW  - Secondary dispersal
Y1  - 2013
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/76875
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-768753
SN  - 0378-1127
VL  - 304
SP  - 437
EP  - 443
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  -