Data from: White-tailed deer as the last megafauna dispersing seeds in Neotropical dry forests: the role of fruit and seed traits

Endozoochory is a prominent form of seed dispersal in tropical dry
forests. Most extant megafauna that perform such seed dispersal are
ungulates, which can also be seed predators. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus
virginianus) is one of the last extant megafauna of Neotropical dry
forests, but whether it serves as a legitimate seed disperser is poorly
understood. We studied seed dispersal patterns and germination after
white-tailed deer gut passage in a tropical dry forest in southwest
Ecuador. Over 23 mo, we recorded ca 2000 seeds of 11 species in 385 fecal
samples. Most seeds belonged to four species of Fabaceae: Chloroleucon
mangense, Senna mollissima, Piptadenia flava, and Caesalpinia glabrata.
Seeds from eight of the 11 species dispersed by white-tailed deer
germinated under controlled conditions. Ingestion did not affect
germination of C. mangense and S. mollissima, whereas C. glabrata showed
reduced germination. Nevertheless, the removal of fruit pulp resulting
from ingestion by white-tailed deer could have a deinhibition effect on
germination due to seed release. Thus, white-tailed deer play an important
role as legitimate seed dispersers of woody species formerly considered
autochorous. Our results suggest that more research is needed to fully
understand the ecological and evolutionary effects of the remaining extant
megafauna on plant regeneration dynamics in the dry Neotropics.