Overlooked functional role of ruminants in large-seed dispersal: Evidence from sowing experiments in southwestern China

This dataset contains experimental data on seedling emergence of six tropical tree species subjected to different seed treatments, including ruminant-mediated regurgitation, hand-cleaned seeds, and intact fruits. Regurgitated seeds were collected from two ruminant species, northern red muntjac (Muntiacus vaginalis) and sambar (Rusa unicolor), in a tropical forest reserve in Yunnan, China.For each seed, the dataset records plant species identity, treatment type, disperser identity, emergence success, and time to seedling emergence. The dataset enables evaluation of the effects of ruminant-mediated regurgitation on seed viability and post-dispersal performance across plant species.