Seed consumption and dispersal of ant-dispersed plants by slugs
Dokumenttyp:
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Autor(en):
Türke, Manfred; Heinze, Eric; Andreas, Kerstin; Svendsen, Sarah M.; Gossner, Martin M.; Weisser, Wolfgang W.
Abstract:
In beech-dominated forests in Central Europe, many early-spring flowering geophytes show adaptations to seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory). Ants, however, can be rare in mature shaded forest stands. These papers present data to suggest that terrestrial gastropods (snails and slugs) are significant consumers and dispersers of seeds of myrmecochores and discuss the underestimated role of gastropodochory for the dispersal of herbs and other plants.