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Seed Dispersal of the Cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco) by Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in Southeastern Florida

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Date Issued:
2018
Summary:
Gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) are keystone species mainly due to their burrow construction. Gopher tortoises can also impact the plants around them, but it is rarely quantifiable due to constraints in dispersal studies including time period and seasonality of fruit. The objective of this study was to measure the effect gut-passage has on a native Florida stone-pitted shrub, the cocoplum bush (Chrysobalanus icaco), as well as to attempt to model the relationship between the gopher tortoise and the plant using our unique field site. This study shows that gut-passage has a significant effect on the germination rate of the cocoplum, allowing it to germinate faster than control groups. This study also found that a model involving covariates relating to tortoise movement as a predictor for cocoplum intensity was favored over a homogeneous null model. We believe the pattern of plants is nonrandom and relates to the gopher tortoise’s seed dispersal.
Title: Seed Dispersal of the Cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco) by Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) in Southeastern Florida.
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Name(s): Hanish, Carolyn J., author
Moore, Jon, Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Center for Environmental Studies
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2018
Date Issued: 2018
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 60 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) are keystone species mainly due to their burrow construction. Gopher tortoises can also impact the plants around them, but it is rarely quantifiable due to constraints in dispersal studies including time period and seasonality of fruit. The objective of this study was to measure the effect gut-passage has on a native Florida stone-pitted shrub, the cocoplum bush (Chrysobalanus icaco), as well as to attempt to model the relationship between the gopher tortoise and the plant using our unique field site. This study shows that gut-passage has a significant effect on the germination rate of the cocoplum, allowing it to germinate faster than control groups. This study also found that a model involving covariates relating to tortoise movement as a predictor for cocoplum intensity was favored over a homogeneous null model. We believe the pattern of plants is nonrandom and relates to the gopher tortoise’s seed dispersal.
Identifier: FA00005989 (IID)
Degree granted: Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Gopher tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
Chrysobalanus icaco
Seed dispersal by animals
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00005989
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Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.