Effects of dung beetles on seedling emergence from herbaceous seeds in the dung of sika deer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cervus nippon</Emphasis>) in a temperate Japanese grassland ecosystem |
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Authors: | Haruna Ishikawa |
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Institution: | (1) Laboratory of Forest Protection, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan |
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Abstract: | The effects of dung form and condition and of dung beetles on the emergence of seedlings from herbaceous seeds in sika deer
dung were examined in a temperate grassland ecosystem dominated by Zoysia japonica and Hydrocotyle maritima. I conducted field experiments to compare seedling emergence between dung exposed to dung beetles and intact dung using both
dung pellets and pats during a typical rainy month (June) and the hottest, drier month (August), when large numbers of seeds
of the dominant species were present in the dung. The exposed dung was immediately attacked and broken up by dung beetles,
whereas dung protected from the beetles remained intact. In June, at least 12 herbaceous species, including Z. japonica, H. maritima, Mazus pumilus, and Plantago asiatica, emerged from the dung, versus at least six species in August. Decomposition rates of the pellets in June and decomposition
scores of the pats in June and August were positively correlated with the number of emerging seedlings, suggesting that the
acceleration of decomposition by dung beetles can positively affect seed germination. In this system of interactions among
sika deer, herbaceous plants, and dung beetles, sika deer dung prevented seeds from germinating, and beetles had an indirect
positive effect on seedling emergence by accelerating decomposition of the dung, although the extent of the effect may depend
on the dung type, plant species, and environmental factors. |
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