Cattle disperse seeds and aquatic plants in Neotropical wetlands

Dispersal by waterbirds and wild mammals is known to be important for
maintaining biodiversity among wetlands. Cattle are known to be important
seed dispersers in terrestrial habitats, however the role of cattle in
plant dispersal among wetlands is poorly known. We analysed the potential
for the dispersal of aquatic plants (seeds, diaspores and whole plants) by
cattle (Bos taurus) through endozoochory in Neotropical wetlands. Ten
fresh faecal samples per site (total 30 samples), were collected in three
farms of the Pampa region, southern Brazil, between September and November
of 2023. A total of 982 propagules and whole plants from 37 wetland plant
taxa, belonging to 14 angiosperm and two fern families, were reported. Ten
of these taxa are aquatic, seven terrestrial and 19 grow both in water and
on land. Viability was confirmed for seeds from 10 angiosperm families,
and for 26% of all seeds tested. Our results suggest cattle provide an
important ecosystem service for wetland biodiversity in grassland areas
through seed dispersal.