Seed dispersal links the end of the reproductive cycle of adult plants with the establishment of their offspring, and is widely accepted to have a profound effect on vegetation structure. Research on the whole process of weed seed dispersal, namely the dispersal cycle, will not only enrich the knowledge on weed biology and ecology, but also help understand mechanisms of invasiveness of alien weeds as well as infestation of arable land by common problematic weed species. These studies may provide a theoretical basis for development of ecological weed control, management of invasive alien species, and even potential reduction on herbicide applications.
Weed seeds are dispersed through a range of means, including self dissemination, by wind, water, animals and humans. Among all these factors, human activities have the most significant impact, frequently affecting weed introduction, distribution, and seed bank. Different techniques have been used to study seed dispersal, include fluorescent pigment labeling, radioisotope labeling, stable isotope analysis and molecular markers. Taking into account recent advances as well as our own experience, the authors wish to provide some new perspectives for future research in this field. It is believed that our research focus should be placed on better understanding the effect of seed dispersal on the size and spatial dynamics of weed seed banks, process of dispersal, fate of dispersed seeds, adaptive mechanism of the seeds, ecological weed-control measures, and relationship between seed dispersal and invasiveness of alien weed species.