Native mammals disperse the highly invasive Senna spectabilis in the Western Ghats, India

Senna spectabilis, a native tree of tropical America is rapidly colonizing the forests of Western Ghats. We identified the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) as the major disperser of Senna, with the dung facilitating germination of the species. The study provides critical information for the management of Senna in tropical Asia. Senna spectabilis(DC.) Irwin & Barneby, a native tree of tropical America, is rapidly invading different forest types globally especially in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, posing severe threats to its biodiversity. The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats is one of the heavily infested areas byS. spectabilis. Here, we identified the native seed dispersers ofS.spectabilis by analyzing the feces of native mammals in the sanctuary. We found that three mammal species were found dispersing their seeds viz. Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), Chital (Axis axis), and Indian crested porcupine (Hystrixindica). Among the animals, elephants dispersed a large number of seeds. These findings have direct and long‐lasting implications for the ongoing efforts to reduce this highly invasive plant species’ spread and management in the Western Ghats.