Resumo

FERNANDEZ, Alfonso  e  SAIZ, Francisco. The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.) as seed disperser of the invasive opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) in Robinson Crusoe island, Chile. Mastozool. neotrop. [online]. 2007, vol.14, n.1, pp.19-27. ISSN 0327-9383.

We investigated whether introduced European rabbit on Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile, has the potential to spread the seeds of the exotic Papaver somniferum (opium poppy) via endozoochory. A total of 1320 rabbit droppings were collected during early autumn in the study area and analyzed in laboratory with binocular magnifying glass. Seeds from six different species were found in the droppings: Papaver somniferum (Papaveraceae), Centaurea melitensis (Asteraceae), Amaranthus sp. (Amarantaceae), Melilotus indicus (Fabaceae), Rumex acetosella (Polygonaceae), and one unidentified species. Poppy seeds were dominant. Most seeds (82%) were destroyed during ingestion, but some of the intact seeds found in pellets remained viable. Germination rate of ingested seeds was similar to control seeds but germination success was lower in the former. Poppy seeds were found in pellets deposited inside poppy patches but also up to 100 m away from patches. In this way, rabbit expands the seed shadow of the plant. Our results suggest that, although poppy lacks morphological adaptations to long distance dispersal, seeds reach favorable places for seedling germination and recruitment via consumption by rabbits, an unspecialized seed disperser. Rabbit activity, together with the effect of other animals and some abiotic factors-wind and rain water, principally-contributes to the spread of poppy with implications for the management of both invasive species in the island.

Palavras-chave : Endozoochory; Gut passage; Invasive species; Seed dispersal.

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