Hitching a Ride

Written by: Allen Herre

Hitching a Ride:Seed Dispersal by Animals in the Panamanian Rainforest

Numerous plants depend on animal dispersers to transport seeds either internally or externally. Birds generally disperse seeds internally by eating the fruits, which are often small and red and the numerous seeds of which easily pass through the birds’ digestive systems. Some seeds actually have higher rates of germination after passing through animal gut; others benefit from being deposited in nutrient-rich dung. Fruit bats such as the Jamaican, or common, fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) are important seed dispersers in Panama, feeding on many fruits, including those of figs (genus Ficus) and cecropias (genus Cecropia), and distributing some ... (100 of 684 words)

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