Endozoochory by Black Rhinoceroses Enhances Germination of a Key Arid Savanna Tree Species.

ABSTRACT: Megaherbivores are typically regarded as agents of top-down control, limiting woody encroachment through destructive foraging. Yet they also possess traits and engage in behaviours that facilitate plant success. For example, megaherbivores can act as effective endozoochorous seed dispersers. However, studies on facilitative roles are heavily biased towards the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana), with little attention paid to other species or to effects beyond germination, across early ontogenic stages. The African black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), an obligate browser that exhibits frugivory and defecates in fixed dung middens, may offer ecologically distinct dispersal services. We conducted controlled experiments to test whether black rhino interactions with

SUBMITTER: Jones OE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12401563 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature