Hydrochorous Seed Transport in the Lower Traisen River before and after Riverbed Restoration
Hydrological restoration was carried out in a Lower Traisen, a small river within the floodplain of the Danube. The main goal was the reestablishment of typical riparian plant communities by using the potential of natural dispersal processes. We studied the transport of plant diaspores in the river...
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/13/2409 |
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| author | Leonid Rasran Kati Vogt Marc Trattnig Karl-Georg Bernhardt |
| author_facet | Leonid Rasran Kati Vogt Marc Trattnig Karl-Georg Bernhardt |
| author_sort | Leonid Rasran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hydrological restoration was carried out in a Lower Traisen, a small river within the floodplain of the Danube. The main goal was the reestablishment of typical riparian plant communities by using the potential of natural dispersal processes. We studied the transport of plant diaspores in the river water before and after the reconstruction of the riverbed. Aquatic seed traps were placed upstream and downstream of the restoration site. We identified the transported species and tested the viability of propagules. Functional species traits were analyzed to predict the probability of successful hydrochorous dispersal and changes in the transport pool due to the restoration. One-third of the local species pool was detected as being diaspores in the river. We observed a significant increase of ruderal species and neophytes, while the competitors and stress-tolerant competitors declined. Hydrochory is an important dispersal pathway for numerous plant species in the study area, including those without specific adaptations to this vector. Hydrochorous transport appears to be a sink for large-seeded species, primarily adapted to endozoochory. Follow-up management should be recommended to control the invasive species and to improve the structural and biological diversity of the Traisen Valley by supporting target species, which are also represented in the transport pool. |
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2cd8c784178a42a3b327fbc743bdba79 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:32:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-2cd8c784178a42a3b327fbc743bdba792023-11-18T17:17:02ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472023-06-011213240910.3390/plants12132409Hydrochorous Seed Transport in the Lower Traisen River before and after Riverbed RestorationLeonid Rasran0Kati Vogt1Marc Trattnig2Karl-Georg Bernhardt3Institute of Botany, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, A-1180 Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Botany, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, A-1180 Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Botany, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, A-1180 Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Botany, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, A-1180 Vienna, AustriaHydrological restoration was carried out in a Lower Traisen, a small river within the floodplain of the Danube. The main goal was the reestablishment of typical riparian plant communities by using the potential of natural dispersal processes. We studied the transport of plant diaspores in the river water before and after the reconstruction of the riverbed. Aquatic seed traps were placed upstream and downstream of the restoration site. We identified the transported species and tested the viability of propagules. Functional species traits were analyzed to predict the probability of successful hydrochorous dispersal and changes in the transport pool due to the restoration. One-third of the local species pool was detected as being diaspores in the river. We observed a significant increase of ruderal species and neophytes, while the competitors and stress-tolerant competitors declined. Hydrochory is an important dispersal pathway for numerous plant species in the study area, including those without specific adaptations to this vector. Hydrochorous transport appears to be a sink for large-seeded species, primarily adapted to endozoochory. Follow-up management should be recommended to control the invasive species and to improve the structural and biological diversity of the Traisen Valley by supporting target species, which are also represented in the transport pool.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/13/2409dispersalmonitoringseed viabilityinvasive speciesriparian vegetationplant strategies |
| spellingShingle | Leonid Rasran Kati Vogt Marc Trattnig Karl-Georg Bernhardt Hydrochorous Seed Transport in the Lower Traisen River before and after Riverbed Restoration Plants dispersal monitoring seed viability invasive species riparian vegetation plant strategies |
| title | Hydrochorous Seed Transport in the Lower Traisen River before and after Riverbed Restoration |
| title_full | Hydrochorous Seed Transport in the Lower Traisen River before and after Riverbed Restoration |
| title_fullStr | Hydrochorous Seed Transport in the Lower Traisen River before and after Riverbed Restoration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hydrochorous Seed Transport in the Lower Traisen River before and after Riverbed Restoration |
| title_short | Hydrochorous Seed Transport in the Lower Traisen River before and after Riverbed Restoration |
| title_sort | hydrochorous seed transport in the lower traisen river before and after riverbed restoration |
| topic | dispersal monitoring seed viability invasive species riparian vegetation plant strategies |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/13/2409 |
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