Picture a mature, broad-branched tree like an oak, maple or fig. How does it reproduce so that its offspring don’t grow up in its shadow, fighting for light? The answer is seed dispersal. Plants have ...

Many plants rely on animals to reproduce, regenerate and spread. But the current sixth mass extinction is wiping out seed-dispersing wildlife that fill this role, altering entire ecosystems. Thousands ...

Trees of the species Pouteria bullata, which is endemic to Brazil and whose common name is guapeva-vermelha, are found solely in the Atlantic Rainforest biome and produce sweet succulent fruit. “Seed ...

Jan. 13 (UPI) --As ecosystems warm or dry out because of climate change, plants and animals are being forced to move in search of friendly conditions. Animals can swim, scamper and fly, but plants are ...

Mammal and bird losses cut a plant’s ability to adapt to global climate change by 60 percent. Pictured: Cedar waxwing Andrew C via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 2.0 Half of all plant species rely on ...

A recent study conducted by Yale School of the Environment researchers discovered that animals — particularly flightless mammals — are key players in the seed dispersal of trees in recovering tropical ...

Fruiting plants rely on fruit-eating animals for seed dispersal. These animals have become increasingly scarce, especially ...

As Earth heats up from the burning of fossil fuels, the climate conditions that species have adapted to are increasingly shifting away from their historical ranges. But while birds and other animals ...

In African savannahs, mound-building termites induce higher diversity in plant communities. Biotic and abiotic filters, such as nutrients and disturbances (for example, herbivory or fire), may ...

Restoring degraded forests can be expensive and complicated, but Brazilian researchers may have a simple technique to add to the restoration toolbox: enlisting fruit-eating animals to spread seeds. A ...

For most animal-dispersed plants – especially those with large seeds, which require large animals like tapirs, elephants and hornbills to spread them – these changes mean a big reduction in seed ...