Endozoochory of large bryophyte fragments by waterbirds

We provide observations confirming that viable fragments of bryophytes are dispersed by migratory birds after surviving transit through the alimentary canal. A specimen of Didymodon insulanus was cultured from a large fragment extracted from faeces of Mallard Anas platyrhynchos at Lake Windermere in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cryptogamie, Bryologie
Main Authors: Wilkinson, David M., Lova-Kiss, Ádám, Callaghan, Des A., Green, Andy J.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2017
Subjects:
Didymodon
Dispersal
Endozoochory
Waterbirds
Vanellus vanellus
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/149432
https://doi.org/10.7872/cryb/v38.iss2.2017.223
Description
Summary:We provide observations confirming that viable fragments of bryophytes are dispersed by migratory birds after surviving transit through the alimentary canal. A specimen of Didymodon insulanus was cultured from a large fragment extracted from faeces of Mallard Anas platyrhynchos at Lake Windermere in Cumbria, England. Similar fragments were recorded elsewhere in England in faeces of Mallard and Lapwing Vanellus vanellus. Endozoochory is likely to be an important dispersal mechanism for bryophyte fragments as well as spores. Peer reviewed

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