Environmental morphing enables informed dispersal of the dandelion diaspore

Seale, Madeleine; Zhdanov, Oleksandr; Soons, Merel B.; Cummins, Cathal; Kroll, Erika; Blatt, Michael R.; Zare-Behtash, Hossein; Busse, Angela; Mastropaolo, Enrico; Bullock, James M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0529-4020; Viola, Ignazio M.; Nakayama, Naomi. 2022 Environmental morphing enables informed dispersal of the dandelion diaspore. eLife, 11, e81962. 17, pp. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.81962

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Abstract/Summary

Animal migration is highly sensitised to environmental cues, but plant dispersal is considered largely passive. The common dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, bears an intricate haired pappus facilitating flight. The pappus enables the formation of a separated vortex ring during flight; however, the pappus structure is not static but reversibly changes shape by closing in response to moisture. We hypothesised that this leads to changed dispersal properties in response to environmental conditions. Using wind tunnel experiments for flow visualisation, particle image velocimetry, and flight tests, we characterised the fluid mechanics effects of the pappus morphing. We also modelled dispersal to understand the impact of pappus morphing on diaspore distribution. Pappus morphing dramatically alters the fluid mechanics of diaspore flight. We found that when the pappus closes in moist conditions, the drag coefficient decreases and thus the falling velocity is greatly increased. Detachment of diaspores from the parent plant also substantially decreases. The change in detachment when the pappus closes increases dispersal distances by reducing diaspore release when wind speeds are low. We propose that moisture-dependent pappus-morphing is a form of informed dispersal allowing rapid responses to changing conditions.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.81962
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Biodiversity (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	2050-084X
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	06 Jan 2023 17:32 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/533837

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