Spatial patterns of seed dispersal, their determinants and consequences for recruitment

Growing interest in spatial ecology is promoting new approaches to the stud y of seed dispersal, one of the key processes determining the spatial struc ture of plant populations. Seed-dispersion patterns vary among plant specie s, populations and individuals, at different distances from parents, differ ent microsites and different times. Recent field studies have made progress in elucidating the mechanisms behind these patterns and the implications o f these patterns for recruitment success. Together with the development and refinement of mathematical models, this promises a deeper, more mechanisti c understanding of dispersal processes and their consequences.