TY - JOUR
T1 - Horizontal seed dispersal by dung beetles reduced seed and seedling clumping, but did not increase short-term seedling establishment
AU - Urrea-Galeano, Lina Adonay
AU - Andresen, Ellen
AU - Coates, Rosamond
AU - Ardila, Francisco Mora
AU - Rojas, Alfonso Díaz
AU - Ramos-Fernández, Gabriel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Urrea-Galeano et al.
PY - 2019/10/1
Y1 - 2019/10/1
N2 - Dung beetles are secondary seed dispersers, incidentally moving many of the seeds defecated by mammals vertically (seed burial) and/or horizontally as they process and relocate dung. Although several studies have quantified this ecological function of dung beetles, very few have followed seed fate until seedling establishment, and most of these have focused on the effects of seed burial. We know very little about the effects of horizontal seed movement by dung beetles, though it is generally assumed that it will affect plant recruitment positively through diminishing seed clumping. The objective of our study was to assess the effects of dung beetle activity on the spatial distribution of seeds and seedlings, and on the probability of seedling establishment. In a tropical rainforest in Mexico we carried out two complementary field experiments for each of two tree species (Bursera simaruba and Poulsenia armata), using seeds experimentally imbedded in pig dung and recording their fate and spatial location over time. For both species, dung beetle activity reduced the spatial clumping of seeds and seedlings; however, it did not increase the probability of seedling establishment. We discuss the context- and species-specificity of the combined effects of horizontal and vertical dispersal of seeds by dung beetles, and the need to quantify longterm seedling fates to more accurately determine the effects of seed movement by dung beetles on plant recruitment.
AB - Dung beetles are secondary seed dispersers, incidentally moving many of the seeds defecated by mammals vertically (seed burial) and/or horizontally as they process and relocate dung. Although several studies have quantified this ecological function of dung beetles, very few have followed seed fate until seedling establishment, and most of these have focused on the effects of seed burial. We know very little about the effects of horizontal seed movement by dung beetles, though it is generally assumed that it will affect plant recruitment positively through diminishing seed clumping. The objective of our study was to assess the effects of dung beetle activity on the spatial distribution of seeds and seedlings, and on the probability of seedling establishment. In a tropical rainforest in Mexico we carried out two complementary field experiments for each of two tree species (Bursera simaruba and Poulsenia armata), using seeds experimentally imbedded in pig dung and recording their fate and spatial location over time. For both species, dung beetle activity reduced the spatial clumping of seeds and seedlings; however, it did not increase the probability of seedling establishment. We discuss the context- and species-specificity of the combined effects of horizontal and vertical dispersal of seeds by dung beetles, and the need to quantify longterm seedling fates to more accurately determine the effects of seed movement by dung beetles on plant recruitment.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074083990&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0224366
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0224366
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 31648268
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 14
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 10
M1 - e0224366
ER -