Dispersal is the process that allows organisms to reach new suitable territories and expand their area of occupancy. In plants, long-distance dispersal (LDD) of diaspores is related to the presence of morphological structures (dispersal syndromes) that favor mobility by wind (anemochorous), sea currents (thalasochorous) and animals (epizoochorous and endozoochorous). The relationship between these LDD structures and the distribution of plant species is related to characteristics of different archipelagoes. Previous studies in several archipelagoes found that the Canary Islands showed the strongest positive relationship between dispersal syndromes and species distributions. It has been long hypothesized that species without specialized structures for dispersal have more difficulties in expanding their areas of occupancy and consequently these species are more threatened because of limited distribution. Nevertheless, the effect of the dispersal ability of plant species on the degree of threat has never been tested in oceanic archipelagoes. In this study, we selected the 262 lowland endemic plant species of the Canary Islands and evaluated the relationship between the presence/absence of the four LDD syndromes and their threat status. A considerable number of threatened (154 spp.) and non-threatened (108 spp.) species were observed, of which 93 had LDD syndromes and 169 did not. Our analyses failed to find statistically significant differences between the number of threatened species with and without LDD syndromes and their IUCN threatened status. In sum, this study shows a poor contribution of dispersal abilities in the degree of threat of endemic plant species in the Canary Islands. | . La dispersión es el proceso que permite a los organismos alcanzar nuevos territorios favorables y expandir su distribución. En plantas, la capacidad dispersiva a larga distancia (LDD, por sus siglas en inglés long-distance dispersal) está relacionada con la presencia de estructuras morfológicas (síndromes de dispersión) en sus diásporas que favorecen su dispersión por el viento (anemocoria), las corrientes marinas (talasocoria) y los animales (epizoocoria y endozoocoria). La relación entre estas estructuras LDD y la distribución de las especies de plantas depende de las características de los diferentes archipiélagos. Estudios previos en distintos archipiélagos mostraron que es en las Islas Canarias donde la relación entre la presencia de síndromes de dispersión y la distribución de las especies es más notable y significativamente positiva. Tradicionalmente se ha asociado la menor capacidad de dispersión de las especies, i.e. ausencia de síndromes de dispersión, con un mayor grado de amenaza para su conservación. Sin embargo, el efecto de la capacidad dispersiva de las plantas en su estado de amenaza nunca ha sido analizado en archipiélagos oceánicos. En este estudio hemos evaluado si la capacidad dispersiva de las 262 especies de plantas endémicas de zona baja de las Islas Canarias, considerando la presencia o ausencia de los cuatro síndromes LDD, está relacionada con su grado de amenaza. Entre las especies endémicas estudiadas se encontraban especies amenazadas (154 spp.) y no amenazadas (108 spp.), de las cuales, 93 tenían síndromes LDD y 169 no. Los análisis no mostraron diferencias significativas entre el número de especies amenazadas con o sin síndromes LDD en relación a su estado de amenaza según la IUCN. Este estudio muestra una escasa contribución de las habilidades dispersivas de las angiospermas a su grado de amenaza en las Islas Canarias. | This study is part of the project CGL2015-67865-P, which has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity. A.J.C. was financed (FPU16/05681) by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. M.L. and Y.A. were financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity (BES-2016-077655 and BES-2013-062843, respectively).

Dispersal is the process that allows organisms to reach new suitable territories and expand their area of occupancy. In plants, long-distance dispersal (LDD) of diaspores is related to the presence of morphological structures (dispersal syndromes) that favor mobility by wind (anemochorous), sea currents (thalasochorous) and animals (epizoochorous and endozoochorous). The relationship between these LDD structures and the distribution of plant species is related to characteristics of different archipelagoes. Previous studies in several archipelagoes found that the Canary Islands showed the strongest positive relationship between dispersal syndromes and species distributions. It has been long hypothesized that species without specialized structures for dispersal have more difficulties in expanding their areas of occupancy and consequently these species are more threatened because of limited distribution. Nevertheless, the effect of the dispersal ability of plant species on the degree of threat has never been tested in oceanic archipelagoes. In this study, we selected the 262 lowland endemic plant species of the Canary Islands and evaluated the relationship between the presence/absence of the four LDD syndromes and their threat status. A considerable number of threatened (154 spp.) and non-threatened (108 spp.) species were observed, of which 93 had LDD syndromes and 169 did not. Our analyses failed to find statistically significant differences between the number of threatened species with and without LDD syndromes and their IUCN threatened status. In sum, this study shows a poor contribution of dispersal abilities in the degree of threat of endemic plant species in the Canary Islands.

Dispersal is the process that allows organisms to reach new suitable territories and expand their area of occupancy. In plants, long-distance dispersal (LDD) of diaspores is related to the presence of morphological structures (dispersal syndromes) that favor mobility by wind (anemochorous), sea currents (thalasochorous) and animals (epizoochorous and endozoochorous). The relationship between these LDD structures and the distribution of plant species is related to characteristics of different archipelagoes. Previous studies in several archipelagoes found that the Canary Islands showed the strongest positive relationship between dispersal syndromes and species distributions. It has been long hypothesized that species without specialized structures for dispersal have more difficulties in expanding their areas of occupancy and consequently these species are more threatened because of limited distribution. Nevertheless, the effect of the dispersal ability of plant species on the degree of threat has never been tested in oceanic archipelagoes. In this study, we selected the 262 lowland endemic plant species of the Canary Islands and evaluated the relationship between the presence/absence of the four LDD syndromes and their threat status. A considerable number of threatened (154 spp.) and non-threatened (108 spp.) species were observed, of which 93 had LDD syndromes and 169 did not. Our analyses failed to find statistically significant differences between the number of threatened species with and without LDD syndromes and their IUCN threatened status. In sum, this study shows a poor contribution of dispersal abilities in the degree of threat of endemic plant species in the Canary Islands.