TITLE:
Seed Dispersal of Citharexylum tetramerum and Ziziphus penduculata by Carnivorous in a Xerophilous Scrub at Tehuacan, Puebla, Mexico
AUTHORS:
González-Pérez Adrián, Miguel A. Armella, Maria de Lourdes Yáñez-López, María de Lourdes Martinez-Cárdenas, José Alejandro Zavala-Hurtado
KEYWORDS:
Seed Dispersal
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.14 No.9,
September
21,
2023
ABSTRACT: Seed dispersion reduces the depredation rate and increases genetic flow. Some
species of Carnivora consume fruits as a standard component of their diet, so they
become potential seed dispersers. In Mexico, a few studies evaluated carnivorous
as seed dispersers, especially in dry ecosystems. Citharexylum tetramerum and Ziziphus pedunculata are endemic plants from the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán’s
Biosphere Reserve (TCBR); however, there are very little data about dispersal seeds
for both species. We assessed the germination of seeds ingested by carnivores obtained
from feces. We compared them with seeds from fruits as a control group. At the Metropolitan
University laboratory, we germinated seeds, from: plants, scats, and fruits, and
we used Kruskall Wallis Test to compare percentage and germination rate. C. tetramerum seeds ingested by
a carnivorous decreased in germination percentage and rate. In contrast, the percentage
and rate of germination of Z. pedunculata seeds from carnivorous feces were higher than the control
group. However, Z. pedunculata control seeds did not germinate during tests, but at the end of the tests,
we found that 90% of control seeds were not dead, so they were dormant seeds. Carnivores
interact as legitime dispersers for both plants because they are keeping the viability
of seeds. Still, we only showed that Z. pedunculata gut carnivores broke with the dormancy of seeds.
We consider that in future research, it could be essential to identify other animals
that consume fruits of those plants and if it is possible to follow seeds after
they have been removed. Those points could help to get better understanding of those
endemic plants from Tehuacán.