Pre-dispersal seed predators and fungi differ in their effect on Luehea seemannii capsule development, seed germination and dormancy across two Panamanian forests

Pre-dispersal seed predation can greatly reduce crop size affecting recruitment success. Additionally, non-fatal damage by seed predators may allow infection by fungi responsible for post-dispersal seed losses. The objectives of this study were (1) to quantify pre-dispersal seed predation and fungal infection in a Neotropical tree species, Luehea seemannii, that produces dehiscent fruits and wind-dispersed seeds, and (2) to link pre-dispersal effects on seed quality to seed survival in the soil. To examine how seed predators and fungi influence seed losses, mesh exclosures, fungicide and the combination of both treatments were applied to separate branches in the canopy of trees in Gamboa and Parque Natural Metropolitano (PNM), Panama. To determine if treatments affect seed viability and survival in the soil, half of the seeds collected from each treatment were buried for four weeks in forest soils and subsequently allowed to germinate before and after the breaking of dormancy. Overall, ...