Plants hitch rides with box turtles. (Seed Dispersal).In the disappearing ecosystem known as pine rocklands in southern Florida, at least nine plant species find new homes by traveling through a turtle's gut, researchers say. Although people have mentioned turtles as seed dispersers, botanists hadn't studied details of effects in the wild, says Hong Liu of Florida International University Florida International University, primarily at University Park, Miami; coeducational; chartered 1965, opened 1972. A research university, it has 18 colleges and schools and many specialized centers and institutes, including those in biomedical engineering, database in Miami. She and her colleagues wondered whether the substantial turtle population was important to maintaining the pine rocklands. With little soil and lots of rock, this unusual ecosystem stretches from Dade County south into Everglades National Park. The researchers took eastern box turtles captive for a day and identified seeds in their excrement excrement /ex·cre·ment/ (eks´kri-mint) 1. feces. 2. excretion (2). ex·cre·ment n. Waste matter or any excretion cast out of the body, especially feces. . The turtles' favorites included locustberry (Brysonima lucida), which Florida lists as endangered. Another favorite, saw palmetto saw palmetto Any of several shrubby palms chiefly of the southern U.S. and West Indies that have spiny-toothed petioles (leafstalks), especially a common palm (Serenoa repens) of the southeastern U.S., with a usually creeping stem. (Serenoa repens Serenoa repens, n See saw palmetto. ), germinates much more readily if it's had a turtle ride, the researchers found.--S. M. |
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