Some large-seeded plants lack effective seed dispersal agents when they are introduced as ornamental plants to new areas, but can rapidly colonize a landscape if seed dispersal functions are restored. We examined whether Gopherus polyphemus (Gopher Tortoise) facilitated the spread of Chrysobalanus icaco (Cocoplum; Chrysobalanaceae) over a 14-year period in a suburban nature preserve (in Jupiter, FL, USA) by: (i) comparing germination patterns among gut-passed, hand-depulped and whole fruit treatments, and (ii) testing hypotheses about environmental predictors of the spatial distribution of C. icaco, including information about G. polyphemus movement pathways and burrow locations. While we did not find a significant difference in the total proportion of C. icaco seeds that germinated in each treatment, time to event analysis revealed that seeds that were found in faeces germinated significantly earlier than seeds that were hand-depulped or that were planted as whole fruits, supporting a lone scarification effect. Point process modeling revealed that the density of C. icaco bushes was higher near G. polyphemus movement pathways and was lower inside Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto) patches, supporting a positive effect of tortoise movement patterns on plant distributions. The density of C. icaco increased from west to east, consistent with westward dispersal from the four founder bushes on the east side of the study area. After removal of outliers, we also detected a negative association between C. icaco spatial density and G. polyphemus burrow density that was presumably explained by the fact that seeds defecated deep within burrows were unlikely to germinate and establish without secondary movement. The results suggest that G. polyphemus contributed to the rapid dispersal of C. icaco by scatter dispersal of seeds (via faeces) in areas where tortoises were active and that movement pathways provided suitable conditions for colonization. The spread of C. icaco by G. polyphemus over a relatively short period of time provides a valuable window into the earliest stages of the colonization process and further supports the role of Chelonians as effective seed dispersal agents for large-seeded plants.

中文翻译：

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Gopherus polyphemus（Gopher Tortoise）的Chrysobalanus icaco（Cocoplum）的内胚层促进了郊区自然保护区的快速发芽和定居。

一些大种子植物在作为观赏植物引入新地区时缺乏有效的种子传播剂，但如果恢复种子传播功能，它们会迅速在景观中定植。我们检查是否穴龟属波吕斐摩斯（鼠龟）促进传播一口可梅;在郊区性质（Cocoplum金壳果科）在14年期间保存（木星，FL，USA）通过：（i）将中肠-发芽模式通过，手工去除果皮和完整水果的处理，以及（ii）测试有关C. icaco空间分布的环境预测因素的假设，包括有关G. polyphemus的信息运动路径和洞穴位置。虽然我们没有发现每种处理中发芽的C. icaco种子的总比例没有显着差异，但事件发生时间分析显示，粪便中发现的种子比手工去皮或种植的种子早发芽。完整的水果，具有孤独感。点过程建模表明，C。icaco灌木丛的密度在多菌灵运动路径附近较高，而在Serenoa repens（Saw Palmetto）斑块内部较低，这支持了乌龟运动方式对植物分布的积极影响。ica icaco的密度从西向东增加，这与研究区域东侧的四个创始人灌木丛向西扩散一致。除去异常值后，我们还检测到了C. icaco空间密度与G. polyphemus洞穴密度之间的负相关关系，这可能是由于以下事实造成的：在洞穴深处排便的种子不发芽就不会发芽而没有次级运动。结果表明，多角phe菌通过散布种子（通过粪便）散布在活跃的乌龟地区，并促进了C. icaco的迅速散播，并且运动途径为定植提供了合适的条件。的传播C. icaco由G.波吕斐摩斯 在相对较短的时间内提供了一个宝贵的窗口，可以了解到殖民化过程的最早阶段，并进一步支持了Chelonians作为大种子植物有效种子分散剂的作用。