Seeds of invasive species dispersed

Study finds native mammals disperse ‘Senna Sepctabilis’ in the Western Ghats

A recent study has revealed that native mammals disperse the highly invasive ‘Senna Sepctabilis’ in the Western Ghats. The plant is posing a serious threat to the wildlife habitat in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary as well as the adjacent Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The study, carried out by the Ashoka Trust for Research on Ecology and Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru and the Ferns Nature Conservation Society, Mananthavady, in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, found that mammals such as Asian elephants, chital and the Indian-crested porcupine were dispersing seeds of this tree. The study was published in a recent edition of the international journal Biotropica.

The study was carried out by analysing the faecal samples of wild animals and livestock, collected from the sanctuary.