Seed Ecology of Capsella bursa-pastoris (Cruciferae): Dispersal Mechanism and the Soil Seed Bank )

Abstract

Summary Seed rain, seed transport and the formation of the soil seed bank within the common weed Capsella bursa-pastoris are analysed. Properties of the mucilaginous seeds thought to be essential for understanding effective seed dispersal are investigated. The size of the buried seed population is estimated. Earthworms act an important part in the formation and dynamics of the soil seed bank. It is argued that short distance transport of seeds would result in the development of clinal variation patterns, whereas long distance transport would account for founder populations. On the whole, it is demonstrated that the knowledge of seed ecology is important for understanding the genetic structures of natural populations of Capsella .