Distribution patterns and corresponding dispersal outcomes of seeds following secondary wind dispersal

Seed dispersal outcomes such as antitelechory, atelechory, telechory, and seed storage, reflect plants' functional responses in dispersal. How diaspore attributes affect seed distribution patterns and corresponding dispersal outcomes following secondary wind dispersal remains a critical question requiring urgent resolution. Here, we investigated diaspore distribution patterns of 36 species (without appendages, winged, spiny, and hairy) with different morphological attributes (mass, projected area, wing loading, shape, and terminal velocity) under eight wind speeds (from 3 to 12.1 m/s) and three sand surface configurations (the upwind slope, downwind slope, and upwind slope with barriers) during secondary wind dispersal using a wind tunnel. The distribution probabilities of antitelechory (resistant to long distance dispersal), atelechory (short distance dispersal), telechory (long distance dispersal), and seed storage (seed burial) of diaspores were calculated to analyze the effect of diaspore attributes on plant dispersal outcomes. We found that 10.43 m/s (in this study) is the threshold at which wind speed affects seed distribution pattern. Gentle slope has no significant effect on seed distribution pattern. Barriers can effectively reduce the probability of seeds' telechory. Hairy and winged appendages promote the telechory of diaspores, while non-appendaged diaspores tend to antitelechory; the dispersal outcome directionality of spiny diaspores is regulated by their morphological characteristics. These findings allow us to examine associations of seed dispersal outcomes and their final distribution patterns under controlled conditions by combining the appendage types and morphological parameters of diaspores with environmental conditions such as wind speed. • The occurrence of short-distance dispersal has a wind speed threshold (10.43 m/s). • The gentle slope has no significant effect on seed distribution patterns. • Barriers can effectively reduce the probability of seeds' long-distance dispersal. • The outcome of seed wind dispersal can be predicted based on diaspore morphologies .