Assessing the role of a mammalian frugivorous species on seed germination potential depends on study design: A case study using wild samango monkeys

Stringer, Simon D.; Hill, Russell A.; Swanepoel, Lourens H.; Dalrymple, Sarah E.; Linden, Birthe; Koyama, Nicola F.

doi:10.1016/j.actao.2020.103584

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Most of the species identified as stomatochoric dispersers also disperse seeds by endozoochory—often even the same plant species (Albert et al., 2013; Aziz et al., 2021; Chancellor et al., 2017; Lucas & Corlett, 1998; Sengupta et al., 2014; Stringer et al., 2020). In such cases, the roles of these animals are heavily under‐valued, because the disperser is producing diverse seed shadows that potentially reach a greater diversity of microsites than endozoochory alone.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed dispersal by frugivores without seed swallowing: Evaluating the contributions of stomatochoric seed dispersers

McConkey,

Sushma,

Sengupta

2024

Functional Ecology

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The process of seed dispersal that underpins ecosystem maintenance is performed by diverse arrays of fruit‐eating animals. However, seed dispersal studies are primarily focused on a subset of these animal communities that disperse seeds by endozoochory. Stomatochory (seed dispersal in which seeds are carried externally and are not swallowed) is rarely considered to be effective, despite an increasing number of taxa‐focused studies that indicate otherwise. We collated the available information on stomatochory to provide a quantitative overview of the dispersal mechanism, including plant types and fruit traits dispersed, dispersal distances and germination potential for all available taxa. We compared seed sizes dispersed, dispersal distances and germination potential with corresponding data on endozoochory for bats and primates. We also identified the main taxa dispersing seeds by stomatochory and assessed what factors influenced the distances that they carried seeds to. Stomatochoric dispersers can displace large quantities of seeds, including large seeds and those of large fruits, and over short to long distances (>1 km). Compared with similar‐sized endozoochoric dispersers, they can disperse larger seeds, but over shorter distances, on average. Similar to endozoochory, seed handling by stomatochory also improves the germination potential of dispersed seeds. Dispersal distances achieved by stomatochory were influenced by body mass, daily path length, seed width, fruit type and seed handling techniques. Five main taxonomic groups of stomatochoric dispersers were identified: bats, parrots, squirrels, corvids and Old World monkeys (cercopithecines). Parrots perform dispersal services for the largest fruits and over the longest distances. However, given the lack of research on stomatochory, it is likely other taxa are also important stomatochoric dispersers but have not been identified yet. More research attention must be directed towards seed dispersal services that are not provided by endozoochory. Many stomatochoric dispersers are common animals within communities and could be playing dominant seed dispersal roles, even without swallowing seeds. Community‐wide studies should incorporate all seed dispersal interactions, rather than focusing solely on endozoochory. This will ensure a more robust understanding of community‐wide patterns. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed dispersal by frugivores without seed swallowing: Evaluating the contributions of stomatochoric seed dispersers

McConkey,

Sushma,

Sengupta

2024

Functional Ecology

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“…unpublished data). This significance of figs in supporting samango monkeys when other fruit availability is low may offset the reduced probability of germination of Ficus seeds following ingestion and gut passage (Stringer et al 2020), such that samangos are an important disperser of the tree species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal variation in the behavioural ecology of samango monkeys (Cercopithecus albogularis schwarzi) in a southern latitude montane environment

2021

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Samango monkeys (Cercopithecus albogularis schwarzi) in the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa, experience a highly seasonal climate, with relatively cold, dry winters.They must show behavioural flexibility to survive these difficult conditions near the southern limit of the species' distribution and maintain the minimum nutritional intake they require. Through environmental monitoring and behavioural observations of a habituated group of samango monkeys, we explored how they adapted to the highly seasonal climate they experienced in the mountains. Our results indicated that the monkeys varied their foraging behaviours to account for changes in climate and daylight availability. The samangos increased their food intake in colder months, specifically leaves, likely due to an increased need for calories during winter to maintain body temperature. Samango monkeys have anatomical and physiological adaptations for digesting leaves, and these are likely important in explaining their ability to adapt to the broad range of climatic conditions they experience.

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“…First, pulp removal from the seeds due to ingestion may augment seed germination, as the pulp and juice of the fruits may contain germination inhibitors (Cipollini 2000, Traveset et al 2007. Second, seed scarification, by virtue of which the hard endocarp of seed can be disintegrated by physical and chemical processing in the gut of a frugivore, may aid in the seed's germination (Giannakos 1997, Traveset and Verdú 2002, Baskin and Baskin 2014, Stringer 2020. Third, the residues of accompanying food items, along with the seeds in faeces, may have a fertilising effect on the seedling establishment (Wilson 1998, Traveset et al 2007.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of passage through the common palm civet gut on seed germination of fleshy fruits in Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary, central India

Singh,

Edgaonkar,

Ramesh

2023

Nordic Journal of Botany

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Frugivorous carnivores like civets consume fruits of many species and play an important role in their seed dispersal by virtue of depositing their scats farther away from the parent tree. This study was conducted to understand the role of the common palm civet in affecting the seed germination rate of three plant species (i.e. Syzygium cumini, Phoenix sylvestris and Ficus racemosa) in a tropical moist deciduous forest. We collected scats of common palm civets in Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary, central India, and monitored the germination rate of these species for 90 days. Further, to understand the patterns of seed selection (if there are any), for seeds of a specific size, we compared the length, width, and mass of the civet‐ingested seeds with those of the control seeds. We had to discard the analyses on F. racemosa as none of its seeds in any treatment group germinated even after 50 days. Our results show a differential impact of gut passage: civet‐ingested P. sylvestris seeds experienced a higher germination percentage compared to the control seeds, while gut passage did not alter the seed germination of S. cumini. However, seed germination speed (proportion of seeds germinated per day) for both species, P. sylvestris and S. cumini, was faster for civet‐ingested seeds compared to their respective controls. Our findings also showed that civets preferred seeds that were shorter in length and width, and weighed less, in the case of P. sylvestris; however, no such statistically significant difference was found for seed selection in the case of S. cumini. Thus, our study shows that civets act as a legitimate seed disperser of plant species and exert a differential impact in altering the germination rate.

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Assessing the role of a mammalian frugivorous species on seed germination potential depends on study design: A case study using wild samango monkeys

Abstract: Assessing the role of a mammalian frugivorous species on seed germination potential depends on study design : a case study using wild samango monkeys.', Actao oecologica., 106 . p. 103584.

Cited by 7 publications

References 72 publications

Seed dispersal by frugivores without seed swallowing: Evaluating the contributions of stomatochoric seed dispersers

Seed dispersal by frugivores without seed swallowing: Evaluating the contributions of stomatochoric seed dispersers

Seasonal variation in the behavioural ecology of samango monkeys (Cercopithecus albogularis schwarzi) in a southern latitude montane environment

Effect of passage through the common palm civet gut on seed germination of fleshy fruits in Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary, central India

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