Some Aspects of Seed Dispersal by Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) in Kaudulla National Park, Sri Lanka

Our understanding of the qualitative and quantitative aspects of seed dispersal by Asian elephants is at its infancy. We explored some of these aspects at Kaudulla National Park, Sri Lanka, focusing on the germination potential of dispersed seeds, and the influence of gut passage on germination and latency in the seeds of Bauhinia racemosa. Seeds of ten species were dispersed and their germination potential was generally poor. However, gut passage significantly reduced the latency period of B. racemosa. Long-term research on frugivory, passage times of seeds and ranging behaviour will help develop wildlife management plans.