Spatial pattern of herbaceous seed dispersal by ungulates in grasslands of Doñana, SW Spain.
Authors: Leiva María José, Fedriani Jose María
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Understanding how different ungulates shape grassland composition requires examining their seed dispersal patterns at fine spatial scales, yet most research has focused on long-distance movement rather than the local dynamics that drive plant community structure. Researchers at Doñana National Park, southwestern Spain, collected and georeferenced faecal samples from ungulates across two grassland sites over four months (early spring to mid-summer), then extracted and identified seeds in the laboratory to compare dispersal patterns between a mixed community of four species (deer, wild boar, cattle, horses) and a deer-dominated site. The mixed-species grassland (Martinazo) showed substantially higher seed dispersal output (1,302 seeds versus 606 seeds) and revealed marked differences in seed composition between species, particularly between cattle and deer, indicating that individual herbivore dietary preferences fundamentally shape local plant distributions. Critically, only the four-species community demonstrated significant spatial clustering of seeds—with short-distance faecal aggregation, spatial correlation among neighbouring deposits, and strong relationships between seed density and local faecal density—suggesting that herbivore diversity itself drives heterogeneous plant establishment patterns at the landscape scale. For equine professionals involved in grazing management, land stewardship and conservation, these findings emphasise that both species selection and stocking density directly influence botanical outcomes; this has direct implications for pasture composition, forage quality, and biodiversity in semi-natural systems, reinforcing the need to consider functional differences among grazing animals when planning herd composition and rotational strategies.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Grazing management that includes mixed ungulate species (wild and domestic) creates more complex and structured plant communities than single-species grazing—consider this when planning grassland restoration or conservation
- •Cattle and horses contribute distinctly different seed dispersal patterns compared to deer; strategic use of different grazing animals can be a tool to influence which plant species establish in target areas
- •The spatial clustering of seed deposition around feces aggregation points means that managing ungulate movement and grazing intensity affects not just overall plant composition but also the fine-scale mosaic of vegetation patches
Key Findings
- •Mixed ungulate communities (deer, wild boar, cattle, horses) dispersed 1,302 seeds versus 606 seeds in deer-only grasslands
- •Cattle and deer showed the most divergent taxonomic seed composition, suggesting herbivore-specific seed selection drives local grassland structure
- •Significant spatial clustering of seed dispersal occurred only in the four-species community, with seeds correlating to local feces density and feces aggregation patterns
- •Ungulate species composition directly influences which plant families establish and dominate grassland areas at fine scales