Introduction

Abstract

Closely related in subject matter to the preceding set of papers, papers in this final section deal with an array of population and community level aspects of frugivory and seed dispersal. A common theme that runs through papers by Platt and Herman, Martinez-Ramos and Alvarez-Buylla and Brokaw is the role played by dispersal mechanisms in determining the spacing patterns of juvenile plants. Platt and Herman examine dispersion patterns of plants in a subtropical Florida hardwood hammock and find that post-dispersal factors that influence juvenile growth and survivorship override differences in dispersal methods in determining dispersion patterns. They conclude that recurrent natural disturbances and the scatter-hoarding behavior of squirrels are important factors that promote successful recruitment in large-seeded, shade-tolerant tree species.