Tree visitation and seed dispersal of wild cherries by terrestrial mammals along a human land-use gradient

The role of terrestrial mammals as seed dispersers of fleshy-fruited plants has only rarely been investigated in temperate regions although recent studies underline the importance of these animals for long-distance seed dispersal. Here we examine the potential role of mammals as seed dispersers of wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) along a gradient of human land-use intensity. We placed camera traps at 21 wild cherry trees to identify the mammal species that visited the trees. We conducted feeding trials to test if the recorded species were legitimate seed dispersers or seed predators and to assess gut passage times. We tested the influence of human land-use intensity by quantifying habitat and landscape structure around the study trees at different spatial scales and analyzing its influence on visitation rates of tree visitors. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), marten (Martes spp.) and badger (Meles meles) were identified as seed dispersers of wild cherry, of which wild boar was largely a seed predator. Habitat and landscape structure at local spatial scales (70 m, 500 m radius) had no effect on the total visitation rates of mammals. At larger spatial scales (1.0–10.0 km radius) total visitation rates increased with increasing proportion of extensively used farmland and seminatural habitat in the area. The proportion of forest had no influence on visitation rates. The results suggest that high proportions of extensively used farmland and seminatural habitat increase the visitation and seed dispersal rates of large mammals. Comparing gut passage times with home range sizes and daily travel distances suggests that these mammals have the potential to disperse seeds over long distances and can provide gene flow in fragmented agricultural landscapes.