Overview

Seed dispersal is the movement of seeds away from the parent location and influences the seedscape.

The seedscape is the biotic and abiotic environment surrounding seeds that affect later stages of plant recruitment (Beckman & Rogers 2013).

See a summary of our research approaches and themes below. Select a theme for more details.

Top illustration is from Beckman et al 2020.

Approaches

Empirical studies conducted by the Beckman Research Group aid the development and evaluation of theoretical models to scale from local, spatial interactions of individual plants to patterns at larger spatial, temporal, and organizational levels. Models point to potential mechanisms underlying observed patterns and guide the development of experiments to test hypotheses related to our research questions. Using experiments, observations, and statistical models, we link ecological interactions within the seedscape to plant functional traits and evolutionary history to enable prediction for unstudied species, gain insight into mechanisms for species coexistence, and examine ecosystem function under global change. Because empirical approaches are limited in spatiotemporal scales and levels of ecological organization, we integrate information from empirical studies with novel process-based models (computational and mathematical) to examine the degree to which these interactions influence plant spatial patterns, population persistence, and biological diversity.

Research Themes

Select a theme for more details.

Variation in Seed Dispersal

We use interdisciplinary approaches to examine variation in seed dispersal and consequences for plant peformance, populations, and communities. (Illustration from Beckman et al 2020).

Plant Performance within the Seedscape

Using field, lab, and greenhouse experiments, we examine how variation in plant performance is explained by the abiotic and biotic environment, functional traits, and shared evolutionary history among plants.

Seed Dispersal and the Seedscape

To examine the relative influence of dispersal, natural enemies, and limiting resources on plant communities, we develop and evaluate spatial models with empirical studies.

Seed Dispersal Ecology Under Global Change

We use interdisciplinary approaches to investigate how dispersal disruption will alter plant populations, communities, and ecosystems.

Seed Dispersal and Evolution

We integrate dispersal ecology with demography to gain insight into plant populations. (Image credit: M. Pintar and Schreiber & Beckman 2020)

Fruit Chemistry and Evolution

We use comparative metabolomics, observational field studies, and phylogenetically-controlled experimentation to examine why plants produce different chemical compounds. (Image credit: Elsa Jos)

Projects

Thank you to the following organizations for their support: Dayton Natural History Fund of the Bell Museum of Natural History; Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota; Ecological Society of America; GAPSA; Graduate School, University of Minnesota; Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Smithsonian ForestGEO; and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.