Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T11:27:50.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Frugivory and seed dispersal of woody species by the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in a mid-elevation tropical evergreen forest in India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2013

P. S. Jothish
P. S. Jothish*
Affiliation:
Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Palode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala – 695 562, India
*
1Email: jothishtbgri@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract:

Frugivory and seed dispersal by the Asian elephant, Elephas maximus, in a mid-elevation tropical evergreen forest in India was studied by dung analysis and conducting seed germination trials on ingested and control seeds. A total of 384 dung piles were observed during the period February 2007 to December 2008. Fruits/seeds and seedlings of 27 woody species were observed from the dung piles. Seed germination experiments showed that seeds from dung were viable and germination time of ingested seeds was significantly lower than that of control seeds. It was observed that 43.6% of the seedlings in the dung piles established as saplings. The study suggests that the Asian elephant is a legitimate seed disperser in tropical forests in its range.

Keywords

dung analysismegaherbivoreseed germinationseedling survivalSilent Valley
Type
Short Communication
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 29 , Issue 2 , March 2013 , pp. 181 - 185
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

LITERATURE CITED

ALEXANDRE, D. Y. 1978. Dispersal of seeds by elephants in Tai forest, Ivory-Coast. Revue d'Ecologie – la Terre et la Vie 32:47–72.Google Scholar
BASHA, C. S. 1999. Forest types of Silent Valley. Pp. 109–116 in Manoharan, T. M., Biju, S. D., Nayar, T. S. & Easa, P. S. (eds.). Silent Valley whispers of reason. Kerala Forest Department, Thiruvananthapuram.Google Scholar
BLAKE, S., DEEM, S. L., MOSSIMBO, E., MAISELS, F. & WALSH, P. 2009. Forest elephants: tree planters of the Congo. Biotropica 41:459–468.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
CAMPOS-ARCEIZ, A. & BLAKE, S. 2011. Megagardeners of the forest – the role of elephants in seed dispersal. Acta Oecologica 37:542–553.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
CHEN, J., DENG, X., ZHANG, L. & BAI, Z. 2006. Diet composition and foraging ecology of Asian elephants in Shangyong, Xishuangbanna, China. Acta Ecologica Sinica 26:309–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DUDLEY, J. P. 2000. Seed dispersal by elephants in semiarid woodland habitats of Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. Biotropica 32:556–561.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
GAUTIER-HION, A., DUPLANTIER, J. M., QURIS, R., FEER, F., SOURD, C., DECOUX, J. P., DUBOST, G., EMMONS, L., ERARD, C., HECKETSWEILER, P., MOUNGAZI, A., ROUSSILHON, C. & THIOLLAY, J. M. 1985. Fruit characteristics as a basis of fruit choice and seed dispersal in a tropical forest vertebrate community. Oecologia 65:324–337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
KITAMURA, S., YUMOTO, T., POONSWAD, P. & WOHANDEE, P. 2007. Frugivory and seed dispersal by Asian elephants, Elephas maximus, in a moist evergreen forest of Thailand. Journal of Tropical Ecology 23:373–376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
LIEBERMAN, D., LIEBERMAN, M. & MARTIN, C. 1987. Notes on seeds in elephant dung from Bia National Park, Ghana. Biotropica 19:365–369.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MANILAL, K. S. 1988. Flora of Silent Valley tropical rain forest of India. Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. 398 pp.Google Scholar
NCHANJI, A. C. & PLUMPTRE, A. J. 2003. Seed germination and early seedling establishment of some elephant-dispersed species in Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary, south-western Cameroon. Journal of Tropical Ecology 19:229–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
PASCAL, J. P. 1988. Wet evergreen forests of the Western Ghats of India: ecology, structure, floristic composition and succession. Travaux de la Section Scientifique et Technique, French Institute, Pondicherry. 345 pp.Google Scholar
SAMANSIRI, K. A. P. & WEERAKOON, D. K. 2008. A study on the seed dispersal capability of Asian elephants in the northwestern region of Sri Lanka. Gajah 28:19–24.Google Scholar
SHORT, J. 1981. Diet and feeding-behavior of the forest elephant. Mammalia 45:177–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SIVASUBRAMANIYAN, G. & SIVAGANESAN, N. 1996. Role of elephants in Sujalkuttai–Bannari corridor in Sathyamangalam Forest Division, TamilNadu, Southern India. Gajah 15:9–27.Google Scholar
SUKUMAR, R. 1990. Ecology of the Asian elephant in southern India 2. Feeding-habits and crop raiding patterns. Journal of Tropical Ecology 6:33–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SUKUMAR, R. & EASA, P. S. 2006. Elephant conservation in South India: issues and recommendations. Gajah 25:71–86.Google Scholar
THEUERKAUF, J., WAITKUWAIT, W. E., GUIRO, Y., ELLENBERG, H. & POREMBSKI, S. 2000. Diet of forest elephants and their role in seed dispersal in the Bossematie forest reserve, Ivory Coast. Mammalia 64:447–459.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
VINOD, T. R. & CHEERAN, J. V. 2000. Seed dispersal by Asian elephants (Elephas maximus L.) in Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala, South India. Tigerpaper 27:30–32.Google Scholar
VOYSEY, B. C., McDONALD, K. E., ROGERS, M. E., TUTIN, C. E. G. & PARNELL, R. J. 1999. Gorillas and seed dispersal in the Lope Reserve, Gabon. II: survival and growth of seedlings. Journal of Tropical Ecology 15:39–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
YUMOTO, T., MARUHASHI, T., YAMAGIWA, J. & MWANZA, N. 1995. Seed-dispersal by elephants in a tropical rain forest in Kahuzi–Biega National Park, Zaire. Biotropica 27:526–530.CrossRefGoogle Scholar