Article of Merel Soons and Erik Kleyheeg in Science as 'Editor's Choice'

A recent publication by Dr. Merel Soons et.al. in the Journal of Ecology was highlighted in the ‘Editor’s Choice’ column of this week’s issue of Science. Their research showed that wild ducks disperse many more plant seeds than had previously been assumed, and that many of the seeds were from plants that scientists did not know were also dispersed by ducks. Each week, Science selects a small number of publications from other journals for its ‘Editor’s Choice’ column.

The research by Soons and her colleagues is important because the dispersion of seeds by animals such as wild ducks plays a vital role in biodiversity. If the number of wild duck habitats decreases, or if the number of wild ducks themselves decreases (as was shown by recent counts in the Netherlands), then that will also have negative consequences for the natural dispersion of plants, and as a result of other species as well.

The publication is the result of a collaborative effort by Merel Soons, her former Doctoral Candidate Erik Kleyheeg and two colleagues from Britain and France. Erik Kleyheeg’s doctoral research received full-page coverage in the NRC in 2014.