Figure 1.

The Effects of Geographic Distance, Plant Habitat Quality, and Landscape Features on Dispersal Kernels (Brown Curves), the Behavior of Large Mammals (Dispersal Vectors; Blue Curves), and the Consequences for Patterns of Effective Dispersal (Green Curves).

Bars across the bottom of each graph indicate habitat quality. Green regions of the landscape indicate high habitat quality, and yellow regions indicate low quality.

(A) For dispersal within high-quality habitat, the three curves are parallel such that effective dispersal reflects the dispersal kernel.

(B) The movement of the vector and the dispersal kernel are similar, but plants do not become established in areas of low habitat quality, and effective dispersal declines to zero.

(C) The effective dispersal kernel recovers as vectors move seeds to a separate area of high-quality habitat.

(D) The presence of a river (blue region in the habitat quality bar) reduces vector movement, and consequently, there are lower rates of effective dispersal in a habitat patch on the opposite side.