Context-dependent forest elephant seed dispersal: Implications for pathways of elephant-driven patterns of biodiversity and carbon storage

Seed dispersal by frugivores facilitates plant reproduction, enhancing germination and seedling survival by reducing risks like diseases and predation under parent trees and potentially directing seeds to favorable sites. Elephants, in particular, are known to strongly impact forests via their seed dispersal patterns because of their ability to disperse many very large seeds across long distances. However, knowledge gaps related to spatio-temporal variability in animal diets, the types and traits of plant species dispersed, and the effectiveness of seed dispersal limit our ability to predict the magnitude of impact that seed dispersers have on plant communities. To better understand how elephant seed dispersal impacts forests, we present a year-long study of fruit availability, forest elephant diet, and seed dispersal across three sites in Gabon showing that: (i) While seeds were prevalent in dung, forest elephants are consuming fewer seeds than in previous studies (ii) There are signif..., METHODS
Data & observational design
Study Areas
We conducted this research in three protected areas in Gabon: Ivindo National Park, Loango National Park, and the Wonga Wongué Presidential Reserve. Ivindo National Park (2990 km2) is covered by primary and secondary lowland humid tropical forests, is home to several major rivers (e.g., Ivindo River and Djidji River), and has many small forest clearings (called bais) throughout the forest (Vande weghe 2009). Loango National Park (1500 km2) has an ocean-to-lowland gradient of coastal savannas to inland forest and features several rivers and a small lagoon. Wonga Wongué Presidential Reserve (4281 km2) is a savanna-forest mosaic ecosystem consisting of 70% secondary forests that are dominated by Aucoumea klaineana and Sacoglottis gabonensis. Overall, the climate in Gabon is bimodal, with a major dry season from June–August and a minor dry season from December–February. The major dry season is cool and cloudy, which is atypical for dry sea..., , # Data from: Context-dependent forest elephant seed dispersal: Implications for pathways of elephant-driven patterns of biodiversity and carbon storage

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7wm37pw4d](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7wm37pw4d)

## Description of the data and file structure

## Abstract/Summary

Seed dispersal by frugivores facilitates plant reproduction, enhancing germination and seedling survival by reducing risks like diseases and predation under parent trees and directing seeds to favorable sites. This process supports forest diversity, restoration, and carbon sequestration while aiding in plant genetic flow and the colonization of new areas. However, knowledge gaps related to spatio-temporal variability in animal diets, the types and traits of plant species dispersed, and the effectiveness of seed dispersal limit our ability to predict the magnitude of impact that seed dispersers have on plant communities. We present a year-long study of fruit availability, forest elephant ...,