Endozoochory by Goats and White-Tailed Deer: Type of Ruminant Affect Recovery and Germination of Neltuma pallida Seeds
The "algarrobo", Neltuma pallida is a key tree species in the seasonally dry tropical forests in Equatorial Pacific South America, currently at risk. Its regeneration depends on endozoochorous seed dispersal, in which seeds are ingested and later defecated by animals, helping to release and scarify...
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| Formato: | Artículo preliminar |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
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Preprints.org / MDPI
2025
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12955/2958 https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202511.1812.v1 |
| _version_ | 1855490127927705600 |
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| author | Salinas Marcos, Jorge Cruz Luis, Juancarlos Alejandro Aguirre, Lucrecia |
| author_browse | Aguirre, Lucrecia Cruz Luis, Juancarlos Alejandro Salinas Marcos, Jorge |
| author_facet | Salinas Marcos, Jorge Cruz Luis, Juancarlos Alejandro Aguirre, Lucrecia |
| author_sort | Salinas Marcos, Jorge |
| collection | Repositorio INIA |
| description | The "algarrobo", Neltuma pallida is a key tree species in the seasonally dry tropical forests in Equatorial Pacific South America, currently at risk. Its regeneration depends on endozoochorous seed dispersal, in which seeds are ingested and later defecated by animals, helping to release and scarify them. This study compared the role of the native white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and the introduced goat (Capra hircus) in seed dispersal. Seeds were recovered from the dung of both species after experimental feeding and from free-ranging goats grazing in fruiting N. pallida forests. Seed recovery was higher in deer dung (9.4%) than in goat dung (3.1%). Retention time was also shorter in deer (peak at 48 hours) than in goats (peak at 84 hours). Only deer scarification significantly improved germination percentage (Tukey test, p < 0.001) and germination speed (T25 = 8.98 days). Goats reduced germination speed under experimental conditions (T25 = 19.25 days), but slightly improved it under forest conditions (T25 = 12.81 days). These differences are attributed to the morphophysiological traits of each species. Although goats did not enhance overall germination, they maintained it at ~44% and contributed to seed dispersal and dormancy release. |
| format | Artículo preliminar |
| id | INIA2958 |
| institution | Institucional Nacional de Innovación Agraria |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Preprints.org / MDPI |
| publisherStr | Preprints.org / MDPI |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | INIA29582025-12-31T19:35:58Z Endozoochory by Goats and White-Tailed Deer: Type of Ruminant Affect Recovery and Germination of Neltuma pallida Seeds Salinas Marcos, Jorge Cruz Luis, Juancarlos Alejandro Aguirre, Lucrecia Endozoochory Scarification Ruminant Germination Physical dormancy Endozoocoria Escarificación Rumiante Germinación Dormición física https://purl.org/pe-repo/ocde/ford#4.01.00 Cabra; groupers; Venado; Deer; Semilla; Seed; Bosque seco; Dry forests; Prosopis; Capra hircus; Regenaración natural; natural regeneration The "algarrobo", Neltuma pallida is a key tree species in the seasonally dry tropical forests in Equatorial Pacific South America, currently at risk. Its regeneration depends on endozoochorous seed dispersal, in which seeds are ingested and later defecated by animals, helping to release and scarify them. This study compared the role of the native white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and the introduced goat (Capra hircus) in seed dispersal. Seeds were recovered from the dung of both species after experimental feeding and from free-ranging goats grazing in fruiting N. pallida forests. Seed recovery was higher in deer dung (9.4%) than in goat dung (3.1%). Retention time was also shorter in deer (peak at 48 hours) than in goats (peak at 84 hours). Only deer scarification significantly improved germination percentage (Tukey test, p < 0.001) and germination speed (T25 = 8.98 days). Goats reduced germination speed under experimental conditions (T25 = 19.25 days), but slightly improved it under forest conditions (T25 = 12.81 days). These differences are attributed to the morphophysiological traits of each species. Although goats did not enhance overall germination, they maintained it at ~44% and contributed to seed dispersal and dormancy release. This research was funded by the Vice-Rectorate for Research of the National Agrarian University La Molina through a thesis grant competition, and the APC was funded by the Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA), through the research goat project (CUI Nº 2506684). 2025-12-29T16:25:17Z 2025-12-29T16:25:17Z 2025-11-25 info:eu-repo/semantics/workingPaper Salinas Marcos, J., Cruz Luis, J., & Aguirre, L. (2025). Endozoochory by Goats and White-Tailed Deer: Type of Ruminant Affect Recovery and Germination of Neltuma pallida Seeds. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202511.1812.v1 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12955/2958 https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202511.1812.v1 eng Preprints.org info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ application/pdf application/pdf Preprints.org / MDPI PE Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria Repositorio Institucional - INIA |
| spellingShingle | Endozoochory Scarification Ruminant Germination Physical dormancy Endozoocoria Escarificación Rumiante Germinación Dormición física https://purl.org/pe-repo/ocde/ford#4.01.00 Cabra; groupers; Venado; Deer; Semilla; Seed; Bosque seco; Dry forests; Prosopis; Capra hircus; Regenaración natural; natural regeneration Salinas Marcos, Jorge Cruz Luis, Juancarlos Alejandro Aguirre, Lucrecia Endozoochory by Goats and White-Tailed Deer: Type of Ruminant Affect Recovery and Germination of Neltuma pallida Seeds |
| title | Endozoochory by Goats and White-Tailed Deer: Type of Ruminant Affect Recovery and Germination of Neltuma pallida Seeds |
| title_full | Endozoochory by Goats and White-Tailed Deer: Type of Ruminant Affect Recovery and Germination of Neltuma pallida Seeds |
| title_fullStr | Endozoochory by Goats and White-Tailed Deer: Type of Ruminant Affect Recovery and Germination of Neltuma pallida Seeds |
| title_full_unstemmed | Endozoochory by Goats and White-Tailed Deer: Type of Ruminant Affect Recovery and Germination of Neltuma pallida Seeds |
| title_short | Endozoochory by Goats and White-Tailed Deer: Type of Ruminant Affect Recovery and Germination of Neltuma pallida Seeds |
| title_sort | endozoochory by goats and white tailed deer type of ruminant affect recovery and germination of neltuma pallida seeds |
| topic | Endozoochory Scarification Ruminant Germination Physical dormancy Endozoocoria Escarificación Rumiante Germinación Dormición física https://purl.org/pe-repo/ocde/ford#4.01.00 Cabra; groupers; Venado; Deer; Semilla; Seed; Bosque seco; Dry forests; Prosopis; Capra hircus; Regenaración natural; natural regeneration |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12955/2958 https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202511.1812.v1 |
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