Legítima dispersión de semillas Ugni molinae Turcz. (Myrtaceae), por monito del monte, Dromiciops gliroides Legitimate seed dispersal Ugni molinae Turcz. (Myrtaceae), by monito del monte, Dromiciops gliroides

Abstract

We investigated if the marsupial Dromiciops gliroides (Microbiotheriidae) is a legitimate seed disperser of Ugni molinae (Myrtaceae). We compared the germination rate of defecated and not-defecated seeds. The results show that defecated seeds are viable and show a high germination rate than no-defecated seeds. We conclude that D. gliroides is a legitimate seed disperser of U. molinae, and it may affect their reproductive success. These results are the first evidence of a seed disperser for U. molinae, and also support the proposal that D. gliroides have an important role as a seed disperser in the temperate forest of southern South America.