Here is an AI compiled list of factors contributing to ecological succession based on the Australian ecosystem.
Natural Revegetation Processes Involving Animals, Insects & Others
| Agent | Process | Description | Example Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birds | Seed dispersal (endozoochory) | Birds eat fruit and defecate seeds elsewhere, aiding plant spread. | Emus, cassowaries, pigeons |
| Seed dispersal (epizoochory) | Seeds stick to feathers and are dropped elsewhere. | Finches, parrots | |
| Perch-facilitated regrowth | Perching birds drop seeds under roosting sites. | Raptors, crows | |
| Insects | Pollination | Insects transfer pollen between flowers, aiding fertilization and seed production. | Bees, butterflies, beetles |
| Soil aeration | Burrowing insects enhance soil structure and nutrient cycling. | Ants, termites | |
| Seed dispersal (myrmecochory) | Ants carry seeds to nests, where they germinate in nutrient-rich environments. | Various ant species | |
| Mammals | Seed dispersal | Herbivores eat fruits or foliage and disperse seeds through dung. | Kangaroos, bats, possums |
| Soil turnover (bioturbation) | Digging mammals loosen soil, improving seedling establishment. | Bandicoots, wombats | |
| Wind | Wind dispersal (anemochory) | Seeds adapted for wind travel are dispersed over large areas. | Grasses, dandelions, eucalypts |
| Water | Water dispersal (hydrochory) | Seeds float and are carried by streams or floods to new germination sites. | Mangroves, sedges |
| Fire | Fire cueing (pyrogenic germination) | Some seeds require fire to break dormancy and germinate. | Banksia, acacia, grevillea |
| Microorganisms | Soil enrichment | Fungi and bacteria improve soil fertility and plant uptake of nutrients. | Mycorrhizal fungi, nitrogen-fixing bacteria |
| Litter fauna | Decomposition | Leaf litter is broken down, returning nutrients to the soil. | Springtails, earthworms |
| Gravity | Gravity dispersal (barochory) | Seeds fall directly beneath parent plants and germinate nearby. | Oaks, wattles |
A few comments on the table.
(1) Cassowaries are not found in southern Australia where I live, these birds are highly dangerous when protecting their young and deaths have been recorded.
(2) Kangaroos exist in plague proportions with the net effect of retarding ecological succession due to destruction of the habitat.
(3) Spread of acacias is achieved by pollination with European Honeybees being the main culprit which like in your country was an introduced species. Australian bees by comparison are far less aggressive and a few species are stingless.
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