Endozoochory of aquatic ferns and angiosperms by mallards in Central Europe

1. Modern literature on plant dispersal by birds focuses mainly on the importance of frugivory and scatter-hoarding, yet recent studies show that endozoochory by migratory waterbirds is an important mechanism of long-distance dispersal for a broad range of plants. Nevertheless, there is a lack of empirical field studies that identify the plants dispersed by waterbirds, and relate them to expectations based on dispersal syndromes. To date, there are no detailed studies of the level of spatial variation in the plant taxa dispersed by a waterbird vector.
2. Five sets of faecal samples (total n = 215) were collected from mallards Anas platyrhynchos on autumn migration in the Tisza and Balaton regions in Hungary, central Europe. Intact diaspores were extracted, identified and their germinability assessed under standard conditions. The plant communities recorded at different sites were compared with PERMANOVA and other multivariate methods.
3. Macrospores of the floating watermoss Salvinia ...