Factors driving seed dispersal in a Neotropical river-floodplain system

ABSTRACT Dispersal is a key process affecting the diversity of natural communities. We addressed hydrochory of wetland plant seeds in the Middle Paraná River floodplain. We first studied seed dispersal by drifting macrophytes in the Paraná River main channel (MC), in a high discharge secondary channel (HD) and in two low discharge channels (LD) during an extraordinary flood. We then experimentally analyzed the effect of standing (SW) and moving water (MW) on seed buoyancy of different plant communities. We recorded seeds of 27 taxa distributed in 12 families. Taxa richness ranged from 17 in ...