Seed to seedling transitions in successional habitats across a tropical landscape

Recognition that tree recruitment depends on the balance between seed arrival and seedling survival has led to a surge of interest in seed-dispersal limitation and seedling-establishment limitation in primary forests. Virtually unaddressed are comparisons of this balance in mature and early successional habitats. We assessed seed rain and seedling recruitment dynamics of tree species in primary forest, secondary forest and pasture released from grazing in a tropical agricultural landscape. Seed to seedling ratios (seed effectiveness; Φi) for 43 species in southern Mexico determined differences in the extent to which seeds produced seedlings by habitat, life history, and dispersal mode. Reproductive potential as estimated by the transition from seed rain to seedling recruitment, differed by habitats, and varied dramatically by life history and dispersal mode. Expected recruit densities (Eit) were higher for animal-dispersed than wind-dispersed species, and for non-pioneer than pioneer sp...