Plant diversity and composition associated with Himalayan musk deer latrine sites

Abstract

Ungulate dung deposition may influence plant communities through seed dispersal or by animal disturbance and changes in soil nutrient levels on a small scale. The Himalayan musk deer Moschus chrysogaster uses common pellet defecation sites, often termed as “latrines”. In the present study, we aim to assess the plant species composition, density, richness and diversity of seedlings, saplings and trees, shrubs, graminoids and forbs associated with musk deer latrines. We sampled vegetation at latrine sites, associated adjacent sites (5–10 m from the latrines) and control sites (30 m from the latrine sites within the same vegetation cover) in order to compare plant species composition, density, richness and diversity of the latrine sites with those of adjacent sites and control sites. The diversity of graminoid species was higher at latrine sites, indicating that musk deer may disperse certain grass species and that latrine sites may be important microhabitats for some grasses. Generally, plant species densit...