Asiatic squirrels as seed dispersers of exotic plants in the Pampas.

Seed dispersal by exotic mammals exemplifies mutualistic interactions that can modify the habitat by facilitating the establishment of certain species. We examined the potential for endozoochoric dispersal of exotic plants by introduced in the Pampas Region of Argentina. We identified and characterized entire and damaged seeds found in squirrel faeces and evaluated the germination capacity and viability of entire seeds in laboratory assays. We collected 120 samples of squirrel faeces that contained 883 pellets in seasonal surveys conducted between July 2011 and June 2012 at 3 study sites within the main invasion focus of in Argentina. We found 226 entire seeds in 21% of the samples belonging to 4 species of exotic trees and shrubs. Germination in laboratory assays was recorded for and sp.; however, germination percentage and rate was higher for seeds obtained from the fruits than for seeds obtained from the faeces. The largest size of entire seeds found in the faeces was 4.2 × 4.0 mm, whereas the damaged seeds had at least 1 dimension ≥ 4.7 mm. Our results indicated that can disperse viable seeds of at least 2 species of exotic trees. predated seeds of other naturalized species in the region. The morphometric description suggested a restriction on the maximum size for the passage of entire seeds through the digestive tract of squirrels, which provides useful information to predict its role as a potential disperser or predator of other species in other invaded communities.