A preliminary investigation of seed dispersal by elephants (<em>Elephas maximus maximus</em>) in Kumaragala Forest Reserve, Matale District, Sri Lanka

Elephants are capable of dispersing seeds in the wild and hence, have the potential to affect the vegetation dynamics of forests. Only few studies have been conducted in Sri Lanka to study the seed dispersal capability of wild elephants. Thus, this study was initiated to determine the diversity of plant species that are dispersed by the elephants in Kumaragala forest reserve, Central Sri Lanka. Dung piles were searched twice a month and three dung boli were collected randomly from each dung pile. Visible seeds were identified by comparing with a reference seed collection. A total of 84 dung piles were recorded from September 2014 to February 2015. Fifty three dung piles out of 84 (63.1%) contained seeds or seedlings of one or more plant species. Most of the dung piles were found in relatively undisturbed areas of the study site. Twenty two plant species; 15 cultivated (68.2%) and seven non-cultivated (31.8%) plants belonging to nine families were identified from dung boli.  Careya arborea, Megathyrsus maximus and Mimosa pudica were the most commonly noted seedlings. The findings of this study prove that elephants assist in dispersing seeds of some plant species in Kumaragala forest reserve area.