The effects of pre-dispersal seed predation on rare and common astragalus species in the Karsanak area in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province

Predation is the common fate of most seeds produced by plants. Loss of seeds due to predation can be harmful to plants and causes such species to become rare, as rare species are vulnerable to extinction through processes that disrupt the mechanisms of plant dispersal. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of pre-dispersal seed predation on rare astragalus species and their common counterparts.

In order to investigate the effects of pre-dispersal seed predation, 12 species including 6 species with herbaceous life form (including three rare species (A. Caraganae, A. Heterophyllus and A. Holopsilus) and three common species (A. Angustiflorus, A. Curvirostris and A. Effusus) and 6 species with shrub life form (including three rare species (A. Cephalanthus, A. Camphylanthus and A. Cemerinus) and three common species (A. Verus, A. Susianus and A. Rhodosemius) were compared in 2018 and 2019. From each plant type, 20 and from each plant type 10 pods (for each plant type 200 pods), randomly selected and the parameters of area size, perimeter length, length, width, length-to-width ratio, circularity, and distance between IS and CG from the seed center were measured and compared for both pods and seeds of these species. Also, pod mass and seed mass, number of pods and seeds attacked by predators, number of healthy seeds, pod shape and seed shape of species were compared.

The results of comparing the mean morphological characteristics of seeds between herbaceous and shrub astragalus species showed the highest and lowest area size, perimeter length, length, width, length-to-width ratio, circularity, and distance between IS and CG from the seed center, was related to common astragalus species. in the case of shrub species, most of the characteristics were related to common astragalus species, and the lowest characteristics were related to rare astragalus species. The results of morphological characteristics of pods between herbaceous and shrub species showed that the highest and lowest characteristics belonged to both groups of common and rare species. The results showed that the highest and lowest means of seed mass, number of damaged seeds, number of healthy seeds, and seed shape under the influence of pre-dispersal seed predation among herbaceous species showed that the highest and lowest means of seed mass, number of damaged seeds, belonged to common species. the highest and lowest numbers of healthy seeds and seed shapes belonged to rare species. Among the shrub astragalus species, the highest seed mass, the number of damaged seeds, the number of healthy seeds, and the seed shape were related to common astragalus species, and the lowest of these characteristics were related to rare astragalus species.

The overall results showed that the more species that can produce seeds of larger and smaller sizes, the better the distribution status. And the larger the seed and pod mass of the plant and the larger the shape, the more predators attack those species, but the amount of predator attacks does not lead to the rarity of the species.

The role of pre-dispersal seed predation on rare and common astragalus species was investigated.
Morphological characteristics of seeds and life forms of rare and common astragalus species were compared.