Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7697-4189
Defense Date
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Integrative Life Sciences
First Advisor
Catherine M. Hulshof De La Peña
Abstract
Seed dispersal is a crucial ecological function that enables plants to alter their distributional range, avoid intense competition and natural enemies near the parent plant, and recover from disturbances. These processes shape species and functional composition of forests. Wind has traditionally been considered the dominant dispersal mechanism in Ameri-Caribbean dry forests, yet growing evidence suggests that other dispersal mechanisms also play significant roles in this ecosystem, responding differently to biotic and abiotic conditions. Still, how dispersal syndrome composition influences plant communities, the ecological drivers underlying these patterns, and the effects of climate change on dispersal syndrome dominance remain poorly understood. This dissertation examines seed dispersal across scales, from continental-scale variability in dispersal syndrome composition to its role in shaping successional trajectories and population dynamics at the local scale in Ameri-Caribbean dry forests. We hypothesize that the dominance of species with contrasting dispersal syndromes, such as wind- and frugivore-dispersed species, is driven by different ecological factors, that these species respond differently to climate change, and that they play distinct roles in structuring the unique biodiversity patterns of Ameri-Caribbean dry forests. By taking this cross–scale approach, this research provides valuable insights into the drivers of biodiversity in Ameri-Caribbean dry forests and how biodiversity may respond to climate change.
Rights
© Pablo Lopez-Bustamante
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
8-6-2026