Ficus seed dispersal by frugivore birds on age-old railway bridge columns...
The meter gauge railway bridge column over river Cauvery stays abandoned since 1997 when a new broad gauge track came into existence in the Mysore Hassan route. Common myna parakeets, starlings and other birds have dispersed ficus seeds on top of railway columns.
I am witnessing these old plants survive the harsh summer heat and still stay green during the monsoon months. Almost all columns have a stunt ficus plant, banyan or peepal piercing its root firmly on the column crevices, stay straight and have
and have managed to reach heights up to 3 meters.
What amazes me is...I see these strangular figs at places coil huge trees, strangulate, turn them black, drop down dead over long years, take over and assert its dominance.... have failed here to topple these railway columns built during British times and 103 years old.