Cambios en el tamaño de semillas en cuatro formaciones vegetales del Sur de Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract:The size of the seed is a fundamental characteristic for the dispersal, establishment, and development of plants. That is why the study of this characteristic of the seeds in different ecosystems is of great importance to be able to know the germination capacities of the plant species of southern Ecuador. In this study we evaluate what is the variation in the size and mass of seeds within four plant formations? Are there morphological differences in the seeds between the different plant formations and how is the size correlated with the mass and volume of the seeds ?, and, finally, we analyze how the form of growth and type of dispersal of plant species influence the mass of the seeds. Finding that the seeds have variations in size and weight in the different plant formations, the Montane Forest seeds stand out in all the morphological characteristics analyzed, and that the mass of the seeds and the type of dispersion are highly correlated.