Physiological dormancy broken by endozoochory: Austral parakeets (Enicognathus ferrugineus) as legitimate dispersers of calafate (Berberis microphylla) in the Patagonian Andes

Aims Seed dispersal by endozoochory is an important process in plant regeneration and the establishment of new populations. Seeds with dormancy may especially benefit after disperser gut passage. However, the ways in which gut passage affect the germination of plant species with physiological dormancy remain unclear. Here, we experimentally assessed the mutualistic interaction between the Austral parakeet (Enicognathus ferrugineus) as a disperser of calafate (Berberis microphylla), a thorny bush inhabiting the understory of the Austral temperate forests of South America with seeds that are characterized by deep physiological dormancy.