Study finds elephants plant trees, play big role in forest structure
23rd July, 2018
Elephants play a disproportionately large role in spreading the
seeds of a particular tree in Thailand, according to a recent study.
Its findings indicate that a forest’s composition is likely to change
as certain kinds of animals disappear.
The study, published in
PLOS ONE, was conducted by researchers primarily from institutions in
Thailand who examined the fruit consumption, seed dispersal, and seed
germination trends of Platymitra macrocarpa, a member of the custard
apple family (Annonaceae). Many large animals – collectively called
“megafauna” – eat the fruit of this tree, including Asian elephants
(Elephas maximus), sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), bears and gibbons.
Doing
so is a win-win for both trees and megafauna – the animals get a meal
and the trees get their seeds spread to new areas, complete with a bit
of fertilizer to aid their start in life.
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