In dry southern Morocco, domesticated goats climb to the precarious tippy tops of native argan trees to find fresh forage. Local herders occasionally prune the bushy, thorny trees for easier climbing and even help goat kids learn to climb. During the bare autumn season, goats spend three quarters of their foraging time "treetop grazing."
Ecologists from the Estación Biológica de Doñana have observed an unusual way in which the goats may be benefiting the trees: the goats spit the trees' seeds. Miguel Delibes, Irene Castañeda, and José M Fedriani reported their discovery in the latest Natural History Note in the May issue of the Ecological Society of America's journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. The paper is open access. Read more: http://www.esa.org/esablog/research/tree-climbing-goats-disperse-seeds-by-spitting/ Miguel Delibes, Irene Castañeda, José M Fedriani. (2017) Tree-climbing goats disperse seeds during rumination. Front Ecol Environ 15(4): 222-223, doi:10.1002/fee.1488 ******** Liza Lester Public Information Manager Ecological Society of America Washington, DC (202) 833-8773 ext. 211 Ecotone: news and views on ecological science Tweeting @esa_org
