Seed-Enemy Interactions

Lindsay McCulloch, Paul-Camilo Zalamea, Jim Dalling, A. Arnold, Noelle Beckman, Carolina Sarmiento

Tropical ecosystems are known for their rich biodiversity and complex ecological interactions. Among these interactions, seed-enemy relationships play a crucial role in shaping plant community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Seed enemies, ranging from herbivores to microbes, can significantly influence seed survival, germination, and establishment. This ultimately affects the plant community composition, biodiversity, resilience, and even restoration of tropical forests. Seeds represent a critical plant stage that influences the future generations of plant communities, with plant species exhibiting a diversity of seed allocation strategies–from seed physical or chemical defenses to seed number and size–that influence seed-enemy relationships. Understanding how these plant-enemy interactions unfold at the seed stage and their consequences for these ecosystems is critical with increasing environmental change, including land use change, climate change, and increases in disturbance.  

This symposium will explore the diverse ways in which seed enemies interact with seeds in tropical environments. These interactions, though often overlooked, can have far-reaching effects on ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity maintenance, and forest regeneration. Seed predators, including insects and rodents, and microbial pathogens can damage and reduce seed viability and even kill seeds. However, these enemy pressures or effects may vary by plant species and/or environment. The complex interplay between these biotic agents may either limit or enhance plant recruitment, shaping forest structure and resilience. 

The goal of this session is to bring together experts from various fields—plant ecology, microbial biology, and ecosystem science—to examine the impacts of seed-enemy interactions on the functioning of tropical ecosystems. We aim to assess how these interactions influence not only individual plant species but also entire ecosystems across the tropics, focusing on a range of topics including plant community composition, forest regeneration, and ecosystem recovery following disturbances. The session will also highlight the role of seed-enemy dynamics in ecosystem resilience. For instance, how might certain enemy species facilitate the recovery of some plant species while hindering others? How do changes in environmental conditions, such as warming or habitat fragmentation, influence these dynamics? Attendees will gain insights into the complexities of seed-enemy interactions and their broader implications for tropical forest regeneration and conservation strategies. This symposium will provide a comprehensive understanding of how seed-enemy interactions can shape the long-term trajectory of tropical ecosystems, offering new perspectives on the resilience and recovery of these globally impactful ecosystems.