Partial recovery of seed dispersal roles for a megafaunal fruit after rhino reintroduction in Asia’s Terai Arc Landscape

This dataset documents the role of greater one-horned rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis) in seed dispersal of the megafaunal-syndrome tree Mallotus nudiflorus in Nepal’s Terai landscape. Data include seed removal events, fruit and seed measurements, and germination rates across sites with rhinos and sites without rhinos for 200–400 years. Seed dispersal effectiveness (SDE) was calculated by combining quantity (fruits consumed) and quality (germination success) of dispersal. The dataset highlights how rhino reintroduction partially restores seed dispersal functions and the importance of sufficient rhino densities for ecosystem recovery.