ID: 613 / 56

Category: Symposia

Track: Pending

Proposed Symposium Title: MECHANISMS AND CONSEQUENCES OF DISPERSAL IN LAND PLANTS: TOWARDS A MORE UNIVERSAL UNDERSTANDING

Abstract: Dispersal is the movement of individuals and genes through space. This mechanism has immediate and far-reaching consequences, impacting population structure and dynamics and consequently shaping the distribution of species. In addition, dispersal can have consequences at higher organizational levels by influencing the distribution and abundance of species in space and time and thereby determining patterns of diversity at broader scales. The study of plant dispersal processes, however, has mostly focused on the spermatophytes, that is, the seed plants. Hence, our view of the mechanisms and consequences of dispersal in other terrestrial plant taxonomic groups is limited and our comprehension of plant dispersal in general is strongly biased. Such a gap of knowledge in other ecologically-important terrestrial plant taxa such as bryophytes and pteridophytes prevents us from acquiring a more holistic understanding of how plant dispersal shapes populations, communities, and, more broadly, biodiversity patterns, making future research that conceptually brings together these mechanisms necessary. The goal of this symposium is to compile up-to-date knowledge on the mechanisms, and consequences of plant dispersal across all embryophytes (i.e. all terrestrial plant groups), with a special emphasis on the understudied taxa. Dispersal is a highly complex process that encompasses historical (phylogenetic signal – common ancestry), biological (phenotypic traits related to pre- or post-zygotic dispersal; establishment-related phenotypic traits), ecological (biotic and abiotic factors), and anthropogenic (changes to the biotic and abiotic factors) aspects that interact with each other at different spatial and temporal scales. By compiling studies across taxonomic groups, we aim to gain a better understanding of how these aspects interplay to determine the final outcome of dispersal. Ultimately, this knowledge will allow the formulation of more universal questions and hypotheses about the impact of dispersal processes on population and community structure or biodiversity patterns.

Speaker 1: Dr. Emily B. Sessa Patricia K. Holmgren Director of the William & Lynda Steere Herbarium in The New York Botanical Garden esessa@nybg.org “The Ultimate Dispersers? How Dispersal Has Shaped Global Patterns of Fern Biodiversity”

Speaker 2: Dr. Javier Valverde Postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Evolutionary Ecology at the Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC) javi.val.mor@gmail.com “Pollen dispersal in flowering plants: importance of pollinators from single visits to regional patterns”

Speaker 3: Dr. Irene Mendonza Postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Integrative Ecology at the Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC) irene.mendoza@ebd.csic.es “Seed dispersal effectiveness in Spermatophyta: what can we apply to the rest of terrestrial plants”

Topics (Up to three): Reproductive Biology

Topic 2: Biogeography / Phylogeography

Topic 3: Ecology and Plant Communities

Justification: This symposium aims to gather research in various taxonomic systems within the overarching field of plant dispersal. Our proposal covers a conceptually diverse number of topics (3, 5, 10, 28, and 30), which we believe will endow this symposium with novelty and make it an interesting forum for many attendees to the IBC2024 congress. So far, we have assembled three young researcher speakers from different countries that have made promising contributions to this field in contrasting taxons. This set will be completed by taking into account the diversity of gender, institutions, and research approaches.