Food habits of European rabbit and its role as seed dispersal of two Mosqueta roses: Facilitation among non-native species in a semiarid protected area of Argentina?

Abstract

Herbivore and plant invasions can modify the structure and functioning of ecosystems through positive interactions that facilitate their mutual establishment. An important consequence of the feeding behaviour of rabbits is that they can play a key role in seed dispersal by endozoochory. We examined the diet and potential for dispersing Rosa rubiginosa and R. canina (Rosa spp.) of European rabbits introduced in a semiarid protected area of Argentina. We found entire seeds in 100% of the samples of Rosa spp. analysed (n = 11, 187 pellets). Our results indicate that the passage of Rosa spp. seeds through the digestive tract of rabbits (64%) did not diminish their viability in comparison to the seeds taken directly from fruits (66%) (χ2 = 0.09, p > 0.05). This study has identified new positive interactions between an invasive mammal and two invasive plants, a finding that suggests that these invader complexes could have a reciprocal effect on one another, which would potentially aid their invasive process in a semiarid protected area of Argentina.