[MAIPC] [APWG] ARTICLE: Seed Consumption by Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in the Globally Imperiled Pine Rockland Ecosystem of Southern Florida, USA

[Marc Imlay]

So shall we bring back the turtles?

 

From: APWG <apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org> On Behalf Of Park,
Margaret E
Sent: Friday, July 02, 2021 1:56 PM
To: PCA Listserve <native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org>;
apwg at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: [APWG] ARTICLE: Seed Consumption by Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus
polyphemus) in the Globally Imperiled Pine Rockland Ecosystem of Southern
Florida, USA

 

 Adrian Figueroa et al., Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 2021 

 

Abstract

Turtles have been identified as key dispersers of seeds in many ecosystems;
however, seed dispersal by turtles (chelonochory) has received far less
attention than seed dispersal by birds or mammals. We assessed the role of
gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus)-a keystone species-as potential seed
dispersers by analyzing the seed composition of their diet in a globally
imperiled ecosystem: the pine rockland ecosystem of South Florida. The pine
rocklands contain high numbers of both endemic and invasive plant species
that may be dispersed by tortoises. We collected scat samples from wild
gopher tortoises living in the pine rockland habitats in the Richmond Tract
(Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA) and examined the samples to identify seeds
consumed. We extracted 2484 seeds from 53 samples from at least 10
individual tortoises. Of the 2484 individual seeds, we distinguished 33
morphospecies and identified 23 to the species taxonomic level. The 14 most
abundant seed species in the scat constituted > 90% of all seeds eaten by
the tortoises. Three of the 14 most abundant seeds were from nonnative
plants, but none were among the most disruptive invasive species. Tortoises
consumed mostly herbaceous ground cover and fibrous grasses. Given that the
tortoises were consuming several ground cover plants and contained a high
density of those seeds in their scats, they seemed to be consuming the seeds
as bycatch rather than selectively feeding on them, therefore supporting
Janzen's "foliage is the fruit" hypothesis. The prevalence of many seeds and
a variety of seed species in the tortoise scat suggests that gopher
tortoises may be serving the ecological role of a seed dispersal agent for
some of the plants they consume within the pine rocklands.

 

Link to article:
https://meridian.allenpress.com/ccb/article-abstract/20/1/27/465473/Seed-Con
sumption-by-Gopher-Tortoises-Gopherus 

 

 




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