Restriction of Dispersal Due to Reduction of Dispersal Structures

Abstract

Antitelechory is the hindering of longdistance dispersal of diaspores by the initial placement of diaspores (at, near or below the soil surface) or by the morphological characteristics of the diaspores (Ellner and Schmida 1981). The number of publications on antitelechory is very limited in comparison to those on telechory. This may be due to the fact that most of the publications on dispersal were written by European authors. Central Europe has a temperate, moist climate with closed vegetation cover and competition for space and nutrients is severe. Diaspores of a perennial plant which stay in the near vicinity of the mother plant have little chance of finding suitable conditions for germination and growth, since the mother plant has already occupied the space. Under these circumstances it would be necessary for the species to develop mechanisms to transport the diaspores away from the mother plant.