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

© Te Author(s) 2021

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: García Rodríguez, Alberto, Albrecht, Jörg, Szczutkowska, Sylwia, Valido, Alfredo, Farwig, Nina, Selva, Nuria
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universidad de León
Repositorio:BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
OAI Identifier:oai:buleria.unileon.es:10612/18924
Acceso en línea:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-80440-9
https://hdl.handle.net/10612/18924
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Sanidad animal
Ursus arctos
Brown bear
Megafaunal frugivores
Seed disperser
Megafaunal
3109 Ciencias Veterinarias
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spelling The role of the brown bear Ursus arctos as a legitimate megafaunal seed disperserGarcía Rodríguez, AlbertoAlbrecht, JörgSzczutkowska, SylwiaValido, AlfredoFarwig, NinaSelva, NuriaSanidad animalUrsus arctosBrown bearMegafaunal frugivoresSeed disperserMegafaunal3109 Ciencias Veterinarias© Te Author(s) 2021[EN] 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, represented 24% of the bear food items and 26% of the total volume consumed. Brown bears consumed seeds from at least 101 fleshy-fruited plant species belonging to 24 families and 42 genera, of which Rubus (Rosaceae) and Vaccinium (Ericaceae) were most commonly eaten. Brown bears inhabiting Mediterranean forests relied the most on fleshy fruits and consumed the largest number of species per study area. Seeds ingested by bears germinated at higher percentages than those from whole fruits, and at similar percentages than manually depulped seeds. We conclude that brown bears are legitimate seed dispersers as they consume large quantities of seeds that remain viable after gut passage. The decline of these megafaunal frugivores may compromise seed dispersal services and plant regeneration processes.SITis study was supported by the BearConnect project funded by the National Science Centre in Poland, (2016/22/Z/NZ8/00121) through the 2015–2016 BiodivERsA COFUND call for research proposals, with the national funders ANR/DLR-PT/UEFISCDI/NCN/RCN. Additional funding from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (project NN304-294037, NS), the National Science Centre in Poland (project DEC-2013/08/M/NZ9/00469, NS), the National Centre for Research and Development (GLOBE, POLNOR/198352/85/2013, NS, JA) is also acknowledged. We thank the director and staf from the Warsaw Municipal Zoological Garden and from the Krakow Botanical Garden, for providing support and facilities to conduct the bear feeding trials and germination experiment. We thank Teresa Berezowska-Cnota for inspecting seed germination in 2010, and Katarzyna Bojarska for coordinating in the feld part of the seed counting in bear faeces. We appreciate the help from volunteers and students of the Carpathian Brown Bear Project in feld data collection in the Bieszczady Mountains. We thank Kim McConkey and one anonymous reviewer that provided constructive suggestions that greatly improved the manuscript.Nature ResearchSanidad AnimalFacultad de Veterinaria2021info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-80440-9https://hdl.handle.net/10612/18924reponame:BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Leóninstname:Universidad de LeónIngléshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:buleria.unileon.es:10612/189242026-06-24T12:43:27Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The role of the brown bear Ursus arctos as a legitimate megafaunal seed disperser
title The role of the brown bear Ursus arctos as a legitimate megafaunal seed disperser
spellingShingle The role of the brown bear Ursus arctos as a legitimate megafaunal seed disperser
García Rodríguez, Alberto
Sanidad animal
Ursus arctos
Brown bear
Megafaunal frugivores
Seed disperser
Megafaunal
3109 Ciencias Veterinarias
title_short The role of the brown bear Ursus arctos as a legitimate megafaunal seed disperser
title_full The role of the brown bear Ursus arctos as a legitimate megafaunal seed disperser
title_fullStr The role of the brown bear Ursus arctos as a legitimate megafaunal seed disperser
title_full_unstemmed The role of the brown bear Ursus arctos as a legitimate megafaunal seed disperser
title_sort The role of the brown bear Ursus arctos as a legitimate megafaunal seed disperser
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv García Rodríguez, Alberto
Albrecht, Jörg
Szczutkowska, Sylwia
Valido, Alfredo
Farwig, Nina
Selva, Nuria
author García Rodríguez, Alberto
author_facet García Rodríguez, Alberto
Albrecht, Jörg
Szczutkowska, Sylwia
Valido, Alfredo
Farwig, Nina
Selva, Nuria
author_role author
author2 Albrecht, Jörg
Szczutkowska, Sylwia
Valido, Alfredo
Farwig, Nina
Selva, Nuria
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Sanidad Animal
Facultad de Veterinaria
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Sanidad animal
Ursus arctos
Brown bear
Megafaunal frugivores
Seed disperser
Megafaunal
3109 Ciencias Veterinarias
topic Sanidad animal
Ursus arctos
Brown bear
Megafaunal frugivores
Seed disperser
Megafaunal
3109 Ciencias Veterinarias
description © Te Author(s) 2021
publishDate 2021
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-80440-9
https://hdl.handle.net/10612/18924
url https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-80440-9
https://hdl.handle.net/10612/18924
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Nature Research
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Nature Research
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
instname:Universidad de León
instname_str Universidad de León
reponame_str BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
collection BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15.300724

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