Seed germination of a myrmecochorous plant endemic to the Brazilian semiarid region: the wolf is not so bad

Studies about seed dispersal and germination are important to understand patterns of plant distribution and abundance, and help establish strategies for environmental conservation. We evaluated the role of two different dispersers, the ant Atta laevigata and the maned wolf Chrysocyon brachyurus, in the germination of Copaifera arenicola seeds, a characteristically myrmecochorous plant species. Germination was evaluated for seeds subjected to four treatments: (1) seeds manipulated by the ant, (2) seeds ingested by the maned wolf, (3) seeds that had the elaiosome removed manually, and (4) seeds with elaiosome (unmanipulated seeds). Seeds manipulated by the ant and seeds that had the elaiosome removed manually required less time to germinate and had higher germination percentages (98.6% and 95.8%, respectively) than the other treatments. However, seeds ingested by the maned wolf also had a high germination percentage (87.7%), above that of unmanipulated seeds (34.7%). Probably, elaiosomes of unmanipulated seeds and small remnants of this structure that resist digestion by maned wolf can decrease to some extent seed germination. We argue that dispersal of C. arenicola seeds by the ant and by the maned wolf result in different patterns of seed distribution in the environment and that they have complementary roles in structuring plant populations.

Automated summary

Studies on seed dispersal and germination are crucial for understanding plant distribution patterns and developing environmental conservation strategies. This study examined the role of two different dispersers, ants and maned wolves, in the germination of Copaifera arenicola seeds. The results showed that seeds manipulated by ants and seeds with the elaiosome removed manually had faster germination and higher germination percentages. However, seeds ingested by maned wolves also had a relatively high germination percentage.