The endozoochorous and epizoochorous dispersal of vascular plant species by roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) was investigated in forest areas of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony, Germany. The primary aim of this study was to learn about which plant species and in what numbers diaspores are dispersed by the two wild ungulate species. In particular, the significance of zoochory for species composition and biodiversity of forests was evaluated. Fresh faecal pellets were collected from April-November 2001 in the forests of the two study areas. In addition, the coats and hooves of shot roe deer and wild boar were brushed out. The number of viable seeds was determined by greenhouse germination (seedling emergence method). The samples were spread in trays over sterilized soil from the study forests and were kept under controlled conditions in the greenhouse for 12 months. A total of 2,473 individuals from 77 vascular plant species were recorded. While roe deer exceeded wild boar concerning seed contents in the faeces, the significance of roe deer for epizoochorous dispersal was relatively low compared with wild boar. An analysis of the habitat preference of the vascular plant species dispersed by the two ungulate species revealed a high proportion of species growing in forests as well as in the open landscape, and also of non-forest species, while woody plants and herbaceous species closely tied to forest habitats were severely underrepresented. We also discuss consequences for forest ecology and nature conservation.
Here we use a specific habit of wild boar, i.e. wallowing in mud and subsequent rubbing against trees, to evaluate epizoic dispersal of vascular plant diaspores. We present soil seed bank data from 27 rubbing trees versus 27 control trees from seven forest areas in Germany. The mean number of viable seeds and the plant species number were higher in soil samples near rubbing trees compared with control trees. Ten of the 20 most frequent species were more frequent, and many species exclusively appeared in the soil samples near rubbing trees. The large number of plant species and seeds -approximated > 1000 per tree -in the soils near rubbing trees is difficult to explain unless the majority were dispersed by wild boar. Hooked and bristly diaspores, i.e. those adapted to epizoochory, were more frequent, above that many species with unspecialised diaspores occurred exclusively near rubbing trees. Different to plant species closely tied to forest species which occur both in forest and open vegetation, and non-forest species were more frequent near rubbing trees compared with controls. These findings are consistent with previous studies on diaspore loads in the coats and hooves of shot wild boars. However, our method allows to identify the transport of diaspores from the open landscape into forest stands where they might especially emerge after disturbance, and a clustered distribution of epizoochorically dispersed seeds. Moreover, accumulation of seeds of wetness indicators near rubbing trees demonstrates directed dispersal of plant species inhabiting wet places between remote wallows. Zusammenfassung
The endozoochorous dispersal of vascular plant species by red deer (Cervus elaphus) was investigated in three forest areas of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony. The primary aim of this study was to determine of which plant species and in what numbers diaspores are dispersed by red deer, an animal with eminently large home ranges during a single day as well as over the year. A second aim was to examine the significance of endozoochory for plant species composition and diversity in forests. Special emphasis was placed on whether there are differences between the three study sites and in the course of the vegetation period. Freshly deposited faecal pellet groups were collected in the forests on five dates between May and November 2002 and viable seed content was determined by greenhouse germination (seedling emergence method). A total of 28,009 individuals representing 59 vascular plant species were detected in 220 dung samples. Red deer appears thus as an important vector for endozoochorous dispersal of plants. The number of seedlings found in the faecal pellets differs between plant species and research areas as well as in the course of the vegetation period. Dung seed content is largely dominated by one species, Urtica dioica. Grouping the species found in dung according to their habitat preference showed that mainly species that occur in forests as well as in open vegetation and nonforest species were dispersed endozoochorously, while species occurring mainly under a closed canopy were present in the excrements only in low numbers.1 Not regarding the few specimens of European elk (Alces alces) that have recently immigrated from the East Eur J Forest Res (2005) 124: 55-65
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