Scatterhoarding Rodents and Tree Regeneration

Abstract

Tree seeds that drop down to the rainforest floor, either naked or embedded in fruit pulp, often disappear after a while. Many authors refer to this phenomenon as seed predation, implicitly assuming that the seed is destroyed by seedeaters such as rodents or ungulates (Forget et al. 1998). However, not all seed removal is by seedeaters. Many species of animals remove seeds while feeding on what is around seeds rather than on the seeds themselves. Terrestrial birds, mammals and reptiles ingest seeds while feeding on fallen fruit (e.g. Fragoso 1997, Érard & Sabatier 1988), tortoises ingest seeds while feeding on dung of frugivorous mammals (B. Josseaume unpublished data.), and dung beetles take and bury seeds with dung (Shephard & Chapman 1998, Andresen 1999, Feer 1999). All these animals may bring viable seeds into favourable conditions.