Is the European red fox a vector of the invasive basket asparagus (Asparagus aethiopicus) in eastern Australia?
Julie M. O’Connor
A B D , David M. Burrows B , Benjamin L. Allen C and Scott E. Burnett A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Qld 4556, Australia.
B Sunshine Coast Regional Council, 1 Omrah Avenue, Caloundra, Qld 4551, Australia.
C University of Southern Queensland, Institute for Agriculture and the Environment, West Street, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: julie.oconnor@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
Australian Mammalogy 42(2) 204-210 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM19001
Submitted: 8 January 2019 Accepted: 19 August 2019 Published: 12 September 2019
Abstract
Basket asparagus (Asparagus aethiopicus) has become a naturalised invasive plant in some coastal areas of Australia since its introduction in the late 19th century. Its spread through garden waste dumping and avian seed dispersal has been well documented and both are considered to be the primary means of dispersal. While a small number of avian vectors have been identified, no Australian studies have investigated the potential of mammals to disperse basket asparagus seeds. We collected basket asparagus seeds from fox (Vulpes vulpes) scats collected in the field, confirmed the viability of these seeds in germination trials, and further documented the germination of basket asparagus seeds from an undisturbed fox scat in situ. These results demonstrate that foxes consume and disperse basket asparagus seeds, and that these seeds are viable and germinate under field conditions. Foxes not only use basket asparagus stands as harbour, but can also facilitate the plant’s dispersal in coastal ecosystems.
Additional keywords: Asparagus aethiopicus, endozoochory, frugivory, hybrid ecosystem, invasive species, Vulpes vulpes
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