The establishment of plants following long-distance dispersal

Long-distance dispersal (LDD) beyond the range of a species is an important driver of ecological and evolutionary patterns, but insufficient attention has been given to postdispersal establishment. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of the post-LDD establishment phase in plant colonization, identify six key determinants of establishment success, develop a general quantitative framework for post-LDD establishment, and address the major challenges and opportunities in future research. These include improving detection and under-standing of LDD using novel approaches, investigating mechanisms determining post-LDD establishment success using mechanistic modeling and inference, and comparison of establishment between past and present. By addressing current knowledge gaps, we aim to further our understanding of how LDD affects plant distributions, and the long-term consequences of LDD events.

Automated summary

Long-distance dispersal (LDD) beyond a species' range is crucial for ecological and evolutionary patterns, but postdispersal establishment has not received enough attention. This review summarizes the current understanding of post-LDD establishment in plant colonization, identifies key determinants of establishment success, develops a general framework for quantifying post-LDD establishment, and outlines future research challenges and opportunities. These include improving LDD detection and understanding using novel approaches, investigating mechanistic modeling and inference to understand establishment success, and comparing establishment between past and present. By addressing knowledge gaps, this review aims to enhance our understanding of the impacts of LDD on plant distributions and long-term consequences.