Data from: How are the phenologies of ripening and seed release affected by species' ecology and evolution?

The phenology of seed ripening and release are important for dispersal, reproductive success and survival of plants. Most phenological studies, however, consider early phenological phases. Here, we examined the ecological and evolutionary basis of ripening and seed release phenology. We monitored single flower phenology for 104 plant species from 30 families and three life forms from central Europe. Further, we undertook an associate monitoring study along an elevational gradient over two years. We calculated temperature demands (as growing degree days) for ripening and seed release and examined them with respect to the species' seed mass, life form, dispersal mode and phylogeny. We found a strong correlation between species' seed mass and temperature demands for ripening. For both variables seed mass and temperature demands for seed ripening, we found a strong effect of the species phylogeny. These phylogenetic signals strongly indicate that the evolutionary history of the species' lineage affects its seed mass and the temperature demands for seed ripening. Among the studied life forms, shrub species showed the most efficient ripening process. Anemochorous species showed lower relative humidity during seed release than epizoochorous species. For anemochorous species, the synchronisation of release timing with periods that show favourable environmental conditions for wind dispersal could be interpreted as a phenological adaptation to increase dispersal distances. According to the monitoring along the elevational gradient, individuals from higher altitudes showed lower temperature demands for ripening than individuals from lower altitudes. This might tentatively indicate physiological adaptations to lower temperature demands for locations with a shorter growing season. Our study provides basic insights into the ecological, environmental and evolutionary constraints that shape the ripening and seed release phenology of plants. We introduce data that can be used to advance existing models of ripening phenology, seed release and plant spread.

种子成熟与脱落的物候学特征，对于植物的传播、繁殖成功及生存至关重要。然而，现有多数物候学研究多聚焦于植物的早期物候阶段。本研究针对植物种子成熟与脱落物候的生态与进化基础展开了系统探究。我们对采自中欧地区、隶属于30个科、3种生活型的104种植物的单花物候进行了监测；此外，我们还在两年周期内沿海拔梯度开展了配套监测工作。我们计算了种子成熟与脱落所需的温度需求（以生长度日growing degree days为单位），并结合物种的种子质量、生活型、传播方式及系统发育关系开展了相关性分析。研究结果显示，物种的种子质量与种子成熟所需的温度需求之间存在显著相关性。针对种子质量与种子成熟所需温度需求这两个核心变量，我们均发现物种系统发育关系存在显著影响。此类系统发育信号有力证实，物种谱系的进化历史会对其种子质量及种子成熟所需的温度需求产生显著调控作用。在本次研究所涉及的生活型中，灌木类植物的成熟过程效率最高。风媒传播（anemochorous）物种在种子脱落阶段的相对湿度，低于体外动物传播（epizoochorous）物种。对于风媒传播物种而言，种子脱落时间与利于风力传播的环境窗口期的同步性，可被视为一种旨在提升传播距离的物候适应性策略。基于沿海拔梯度的监测结果，高海拔区域的植物个体，其种子成熟所需的温度需求低于低海拔区域的个体。这或可初步表明，针对生长季更短的生境，植物演化出了降低温度需求的生理适应性特征。本研究为阐明调控植物成熟与脱落物候的生态、环境及进化限制因素提供了基础认知。本研究提供的相关数据，可用于改进现有成熟物候、种子脱落及植物扩散相关模型。