The Noronha Skink (Galliotta atlantica) consumes
fruits of the plant Lycium intricatum, and is in turn
eaten by the Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor).
Image by Simone Giachello.
meridionalis) and the Common Kestrel (Falco tinnuncu-
lus). Moreover, shrikes and kestrels have different
habitat preferences, so this combination of direct and
indirect dispersal ensures seeds are deposited in a
variety of environments. Researchers found that seeds
were present in just 7.3% of G. atlantica droppings, but
31% of kestrel pellets, and over 55.7% of shrike
regurgitations. The percentage of viable seeds,
percentage germination and germination rate were all
highest from shrike regurgitations, followed by lizard
scats, but significantly lower in kestrel pellets. So
whilst ‘secondary’ dispersal is enhanced by the
shrikes, kestrel predation has an overall negative net
effect, since it entails both the consumption of
legitimate direct seed dispersal agents (the lizards)
and reduced germination of seeds acquired from their
lizard prey.
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