Food habits of European rabbit and its role as seed dispersal of two Mosqueta roses: facilitation among non-native species in a semiarid protected area of Argentina?

S. YASMIN BOBADILLA; ARIADNA MARCHETTA; M. A. DACAR; R. A. OJEDA; M. F. CUEVAS

BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2020

1387-3547

Herbivore and plant invasions can modify the structure and functioning of ecosystems through positive interactions that facilitate their mutual establishment. An important consequence of the feeding behaviour of  rabbits is that they can play a key role in seed dispersal by endozoochory. We examined the diet and potential for dispersing Rosa rubiginosa and R. canina (Rosa spp.) of European rabbits introduced in a semiarid protected area of Argentina. We found entire seeds in 100 percent of the samples of Rosa spp. analysed (n=11, 187  pellets). Our results indicate that the passage of Rosa spp. seeds through the digestive tract of rabbits (64%) did  not diminish their viability in comparison to the seeds taken directly from fruits (66%) (χ2=0.09, p>0.05). This  study has identified new positive interactions between an invasive mammal and two invasive plants, a finding that suggests that these invader complexes could have a reciprocal effect on one another, which would  potentially aid their invasive process in a semiarid protected area of Argentina.