The role of the brown bear Ursus arctos as a legitimate megafaunal seed disperser.

ABSTRACT: Megafaunal frugivores can consume large amounts of fruits whose seeds may be dispersed over long distances, thus, affecting plant regeneration processes and ecosystem functioning. We investigated the role of brown bears (Ursus arctos) as legitimate megafaunal seed dispersers. We assessed the quantity component of seed dispersal by brown bears across its entire distribution based on information about both the relative frequency of occurrence and species composition of fleshy fruits in the diet of brown bears extracted from the literature. We assessed the quality component of seed dispersal based on germination experiments for 11 fleshy-fruited plant species common in temperate and boreal regions and frequently eaten by brown bears. Across its distribution, fleshy fruits, on average, represe

SUBMITTER: Garcia-Rodriguez A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7809135 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature