Seed dormancy in plants can have a significant impact on their ecology. Recent work by Rojas-Villa and Quijano-Abril (2023) classified the seed dormancy class in 14 plant species from the Andean forests of Colombia by using germination trials and several microscopy techniques to describe seed anatomy and morphology. The authors conclude that Cecropia species have both physical and physiological dormancy (of which they call physiophysical dormancy) based on seed morphology and mean germination times of over 30 days. Here, we present seed permeability and germination data from neotropical pioneer tree species: Ochroma pyramidale, Cecropia longipes, and Cecropia insignis, as well as Cecropia peltata (present in Rojas-Villa and Quijano-Abril, 2023), to demonstrate that Cecropia species do not exhibit dormancy and also have high levels of seed permeability. We find that the mean germination time for all three Cecropia species in our study was less than 30 days. This suggests a need for reporting the conditions in which germination trials take place to allow for comparability among studies and using seed permeability tests to accurately identify the physical dormancy class of seeds. Further, we present data from the literature that suggests that dormancy is not a requirement for seed persistence in the seed bank.

Seed dispersal is a pivotal ecological process but remains poorly understood on Madagascar, where lemurs are key dispersers. The black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) possesses many behavioural and ecological attributes potentially conducive to effective seed dispersal, but no studies have investigated dispersal patterns in this species. This 3-mo study quantified aspects of the primary seed dispersal patterns generated by two Varecia variegata groups (7 individuals). Feeding and ranging behaviour was quantified using behavioural observation (345.6 h), dispersal quantity and seed identity was determined by faecal analysis, and 10-wk germination trials tested effects of gut passage on germination of four species. Individual lemurs dispersed an estimated 104 seeds d−1, of 40 species. Most seeds were large (>10 mm); the largest was 42 mm long. Gut passage was rapid (mean 4.4 h) and generally increased germination speed and success. Mean and maximum inferred dispersal distances were 180 and 506 m respectively; low compared with many anthropoids, but possibly typical of lemurs. Though limited by a short study period, results suggest that the ruffed lemur is an effective disperser of seeds and possibly a critical disperser of large-seeded species which other frugivores cannot swallow. Loss of large-bodied seed dispersers such as Varecia variegata may have far-reaching ecological consequences including impacts on forest structure and dynamics.