Journal of Coastal Conservation 7: 57-70, 2001 © EUCC; Opulus Press Uppsala. Printed in Sweden - The importance of seed dispersal in the Alexandria Coastal Dunefield, South Africa - 57 The importance of seed dispersal in the Alexandria Coastal Dunefield, South Africa Castley, J.G.1,2*; Bruton, J.-S.1; Kerley1, G.I.H. & McLachlan, A.2 1Terrestrial Ecology Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Port Elizabeth, P.O. Box 1600, Port Elizabeth 6000, South Africa; 2Present address South African National Parks, P.O. Box 20419, Humewood 6013, Port Elizabeth, South Africa; 3Present address Dean, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Al Khod 123, Sultanate of Oman; *Corresponding author; Fax +27415085415; E-mail
[email protected] Abstract. The endozoochorous dispersal of seeds by mam- Introduction mals and birds between distinct vegetation communities was assessed to determine the importance of these processes in Noss (1983) suggested that the primary goal in the coastal dune field management. Isolated pockets of thicket conservation of natural areas is to ensure the perpetua- vegetation (bush-pockets) within a large coastal dune field tion of ecosystem structure, function and integrity, while provided the opportunity to study vertebrate seed dispersal and its contribution to their origin and maintenance. Mamma- minimizing species loss. These sentiments were sup- lian and avian faeces were collected for the quantification of ported by Walker (1992). However, ecological pro- seeds dispersed via endozoochory. Birds and mammals showed cesses are not generally confined to even large protected considerable overlap, dispersing intact seeds of 17 and 29 areas, and smaller areas may require active management plant species, respectively, but mammals dispersed a greater in an effort to preserve these processes and systems.