Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Multi-Scale Analysis Of Seed Dispersal Contributes Tothe Resolution Of Reid’S Paradox, James A. Powell, N. E. Zimmermann

James A. Powell

‘‘Reid’s paradox’’ is the mismatch between theoretical estimates of invasion rates for plants and ‘‘observed’’ rates of plant migration, particularly in the Holocene postglacial migration northwards. While Reid couched his paradox in terms of the migration of oaks in Great Britain, observers have documented the same problem in a wide variety of species. In almost all cases, these authors suggest that occasional, long-distance events, probably mitigated by active dispersal factors (ants, birds, rodents) are responsible. Clark and co-workers have shown that order statistics can bridge the gap between theory and predictions, essentially using ‘‘fat-tailed’’ dispersal kernels raised to high powers …