In the present day, a lot of animal species are threatened with extinction. The presented article deals with the fact that Sumatrian rhinos are the most endangered species of rhinoceros. Because of this, several plants are endangered as well, as only large animals can disperse their seeds by eating fruit and then defecating somewhere else. In some areas, like Madagascar, such animals were almost driven to extinction by humans.
Dr. Kim McConkey and Dr. Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz began their study on how Sumatrian rhinos and elephants disperse seeds. They asked local residents how the rhinos had lived on the Malay Peninsula and what they had eaten. The researchers also analyzed the accounts of explorers and hunters of the early 20th century. The result of the research is that 22 plants are not eaten by elephants, therefore rhinos are their only dispersers (“Save the rhino, save the plant”, 2022). Without Sumatrian rhinos, these plants will become extinct as well.
References
Save the rhino, save the plant. (2022). The Economist. Web.