%0 Journal Article
%T Seed contents of sika deer (Cervus nippon) dung and the fate of seeds in a temperate short grassland in an urban park in Japan
%A Haruna Ishikawa
%J Journal of Ecology and Field Biology
%D 2011
%I 
%X Many studies have suggested the positive effects of grazing by large herbivorous mammals on seed dispersal, but little isknown about how herbivores could affect the fate of ingested seeds. This study examined the effects of seed ingestion bysika deer (Cervus nippon) on seed fate in a temperate grassland established in an urban park long resided by high densitiesof sika deer. I compared species composition and seasonal traits of seed abundance and maturity in the grasslandcommunity with those in deer fecal pellets. In total, 27 herbaceous species were observed, including the predominantZoysia japonica. Seed phenology and production differed among the three dominant species (Z. japonica, Digitariaviolascens, and Hydrocotyle maritima). Pellets contained at least 26 species of herbaceous seeds, and their abundancediffered among species. Of the 26 species, 15 were observed in the vegetation at the study site. The peak of seed abundancein pellets for the dominant species appeared 1 month after the peak of inflorescence production (but most ofthe inflorescences were immature and susceptible to digestion) and consequently corresponded to the peak of matureinflorescence. Because sika deer are likely to ingest seeds at any maturity stage in the grassland and immature seeds areless hardened, ingested immature seeds can suffer great losses. The results suggested that the survival of germable seedswith great losses of immature seeds may be a factor determining which plant species can be successfully dispersed byherbivores.
%K fecal pellets
%K maturity of inflorescences
%K seed ingestion
%K seed phenology
%K sika deer grazing
%K vegetation
%U http://ocean.kisti.re.kr/is/mv/showPDF_ocean.jsp?method=download&pYear=2011&koi=KISTI1.1003%2FJNL.JAKO201127250028970&sp=295&CN1=JAKO201127250028970&poid=kesk&kojic=STHHCL&sVnc=v34n3&sFree=