New thousand-seed weight dataset for plant species of Central Europe

One of the most important and most easily measurable phys-ical characteristics of plant seeds is their weight, which influ-ences and indicates crucial ecological processes. Seed weight affects spatial and temporal dispersibility, and can also in-fluence seed predation and the germination, growth and survival of seedlings. Providing trait data for species miss-ing from international databases is key to promote stud-ies that advance our understanding of the functioning of plant communities and ecosystems, which is an essential issue in the face of the global climate change and biodi-versity loss. Compared to species from Western and North-western Europe, those with an Eastern or Central European centre of distribution are underrepresented in most interna-tional trait databases. Therefore, the creation of specific trait databases is key to help regional studies. In this respect, it is

Automated summary

Seed weight is an important and measurable physical characteristic of plant seeds, influencing crucial ecological processes. It affects dispersal, predation, germination, growth, and survival of seedlings. Providing trait data for species missing from international databases is essential for advancing our understanding of plant communities and ecosystems in the face of global climate change and biodiversity loss.