@article{SchulzeBuchwaldHeinken2014,
  author    = {Schulze, Kiowa Alraune and Buchwald, Rainer and Heinken, Thilo},
  title     = {Epizoochory via the hooves - the European bison (Bison bonasus L.) as a dispersal agent of seeds in an open-forest-mosaic},
  series = {Tuexenia : Mitteilungen der Floristisch-Soziologischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft},
  journal   = {Tuexenia : Mitteilungen der Floristisch-Soziologischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft},
  number    = {34},
  publisher = {Floristisch-Soziologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft},
  address   = {G{\"o}ttingen},
  issn      = {0722-494X},
  pages     = {131 -- 144},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Large herbivores are significant vectors for the long-distance dispersal of seeds in various habitats, both attached to animals (epizoochory) and via gut passage (endozoochory). The majority of studies on epizoochory have examined dispersal in the fur of domesticated ungulates. Studies on wild ungulates are important to understand dispersal processes in many habitats, but rare due to methodological constraints. We studied epizoochory of seeds by European bison in an open-forest-mosaic (nutrient-poor grassland and heathland, mixed forest) in NW Germany, where bison had been introduced for the purpose of nature conservation. At the study site it was possible to apply a method by which hoof material of free-ranging bison was non-invasively collected. We identified a total of 1082 seeds from 32 plant species in the hoof material. The three most abundant species were Polygonum aviculare, Agrostis capillaris and Betula spp. Seed species originated from various habitat types of the study area, while the majority of seeds derived from trampled areas. Compared to the non-dispersed plant species of the study area, dispersed plant species had a higher seed longevity index, suggesting that many seeds were picked up from the soil seed bank. Epizoochory ranking indices of dispersed seed species, classifying the importance of epizoochory, revealed that transport in the fur may be of minor importance for many species, i.e. epizoochory by the hooves turned out to be negatively correlated to epizoochory in the fur. We conclude that European bison disperses a considerable number of seed species through trampling. Further research should consider epizoochory via the hooves and include integrative approaches to understand the different dispersal mechanisms by ungulates and their long-term synergetic effect on plant communities.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{AlbertAuffretCosynsetal.2015,
  author    = {Albert, Aurelie and Auffret, Alistair G. and Cosyns, Eric and Cousins, Sara A. O. and Eichberg, Carsten and Eycott, Amy E. and Heinken, Thilo and Hoffmann, Maurice and Jaroszewicz, Bogdan and Malo, Juan E. and Marell, Anders and Mouissie, Maarten and Pakeman, Robin J. and Picard, Melanie and Plue, Jan and Poschlod, Peter and Provoost, Sam and Schulze, Kiowa Alraune and Baltzinger, Christophe},
  title     = {Seed dispersal by ungulates as an ecological filter: a trait-based meta-analysis},
  series = {Oikos},
  volume    = {124},
  journal   = {Oikos},
  number    = {9},
  publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell},
  address   = {Hoboken},
  issn      = {0030-1299},
  doi       = {10.1111/oik.02512},
  pages     = {1109 -- 1120},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Plant communities are often dispersal-limited and zoochory can be an efficient mechanism for plants to colonize new patches of potentially suitable habitat. We predicted that seed dispersal by ungulates acts as an ecological filter - which differentially affects individuals according to their characteristics and shapes species assemblages - and that the filter varies according to the dispersal mechanism (endozoochory, fur-epizoochory and hoof-epizoochory). We conducted two-step individual participant data meta-analyses of 52 studies on plant dispersal by ungulates in fragmented landscapes, comparing eight plant traits and two habitat indicators between dispersed and non-dispersed plants. We found that ungulates dispersed at least 44\% of the available plant species. Moreover, some plant traits and habitat indicators increased the likelihood for plant of being dispersed. Persistent or nitrophilous plant species from open habitats or bearing dry or elongated diaspores were more likely to be dispersed by ungulates, whatever the dispersal mechanism. In addition, endozoochory was more likely for diaspores bearing elongated appendages whereas epizoochory was more likely for diaspores released relatively high in vegetation. Hoof-epizoochory was more likely for light diaspores without hooked appendages. Fur-epizoochory was more likely for diaspores with appendages, particularly elongated or hooked ones. We thus observed a gradient of filtering effect among the three dispersal mechanisms. Endozoochory had an effect of rather weak intensity (impacting six plant characteristics with variations between ungulate-dispersed and non-dispersed plant species mostly below 25\%), whereas hoof-epizoochory had a stronger effect (eight characteristics included five ones with above 75\% variation), and fur-epizoochory an even stronger one (nine characteristics included six ones with above 75\% variation). Our results demonstrate that seed dispersal by ungulates is an ecological filter whose intensity varies according to the dispersal mechanism considered. Ungulates can thus play a key role in plant community dynamics and have implications for plant spatial distribution patterns at multiple scales.},
  language  = {en}
}