The distribution pattern of Heritiera littoralis Dryand. on the Ryukyu Islands as affected by seed dispersal via ocean currents

Research on Heritiera littoralis, a sea-drift seed dispersal plant found on the Ryukyu Islands, reveals that its distribution is significantly influenced by ocean currents. The study identified two distinct haplotypes of H. littoralis: one common in the northern part of Okinawa Island and another new haplotype present in the southern part of Okinawa Island, as well as on Ishigaki and Iriomote Islands. This pattern suggests that seeds dispersed via ocean currents can achieve a wider distribution over shorter periods. The findings were derived from an analysis of the non-coding region (intron) of chloroplast DNA rpl16 sequences, providing genetic evidence to support the role of ocean currents in plant dispersal.

FUTAI, K., ISAGI, Y., & WATANABE, H. (2010). The distribution pattern of Heritiera littoralis Dryand. on the Ryukyu Islands as affected by seed dispersal via ocean currents. Tropics, 19(1), 21–27. https://doi.org/10.3759/tropics.19.21