Seed size and number make contrasting predictions on seed survival and dispersal dynamics: A case study from oil tea Camellia oleifera

摘要: Seed size and number vary greatly both within among plant individuals, populations or species. However, we know little about how individual variation in seed relates to survival dispersal dynamics animal-dispersed plants. Based on the large-seed hypothesis predator satiation hypothesis, developed a synthetic framework testable predictions for interact predict survival-dispersal patterns at tree scales, tested these effects using rodent-dispersed oil tea, Camellia oleifera. Our results showed that num- ber varied considerably fruit mean each was negatively cor- related with of seeds per fruit. We placed groups individual-weighed way mimicked from trees tracked fate seeds. This situ source decreased increasing size, but subsequent dispersed increased larger size. In addition, tree, proportion as increased. demonstrate have strong contrasting tea. Moreover, two factors are not independent their after dispersal, may be more important determining further handling by scatterhoarding animals.