Quantity component of the effectiveness of seed dispersal by birds in the temperate rainforest of Chiloé, Chile

Abstract

SUMMARYThe quantity component of the disperser effectiveness of resident birds during the autumn-winter period has not yet been detailed in temperate rainforests of South America. In this study, the potentially frugivorous bird species in the temperate rainforests of southern Chile during the Austral autumn-winter were identified, and the quantity component of the disperser effectiveness of the birds (number of visits and number of seeds dispersed per hour) were evaluated for the tree species Luma apiculata and Aextoxicon punctatum. During the peak fruiting period of the both L. apiculata and A. punctatum 10 and 14, respectively, individuals of each species were monitored for a total of 10 days. Results show that four bird species consumed L. apiculata fruits. The birds Turdus falcklandii were the main fruit consumers (72 % of the visits), with a mean rate of 2.2 visits per hour and 49.2 seeds dispersed per hour. The frugivorous species visiting A. punctatum were T. falcklandii (97 % of the visits) and Columba araucana (3 %). In A. punctatum, T. falcklandii consumed 65 fruits in 35 visits, with a mean rate of 1.8 visits per hour and 3.4 seeds dispersed per hour. In conclusion, T. falcklandii would be the most effective seed disperser bird for autumn-winter fruiting trees in the Chiloé rainforest of our study site, at least with regard to the quantitative component of disperser effectiveness.Key words: seed disperser, frugivorous bird, endozoochory, fleshy fruit, South America rainforest. RESUMENEl componente cuantitativo de la efectividad de la dispersión de semillas en aves residentes en los bosques lluviosos de Sudamérica durante el período de otoño e invierno no ha sido descrito con detalle. En este estudio se identificaron las potenciales especies de aves frugívoras de los bosques templados del sur de Chile durante el otoño austral y se evaluó el componente cuantitativo de la efectividad de las aves como dispersantes de semillas (número de visitas y número de semillas dispersadas por hora) en las especies arbóreas Luma apiculata y Aextoxicon punctatum. Durante el periodo de máxima fructificación de los árboles L. apiculata y A. punctatum fueron monitoreados 10 y 14 individuos, respectivamente, por un período de 10 días. Los resultados mostraron que cuatro especies de aves consumieron los frutos de L. apiculata. El ave Turdus falcklandii fue el principal consumidor de frutos (72 % de las visitas), con una tasa de 2,2 visitas por hora y 49,2 semillas dispersadas por hora. Los frugívoros que visitaron A. punctatum fueron T. falcklandii (97 % de las visitas) y Columba araucana (3 %). Aquí, T. falcklandii consumió 65 frutos en 35 visitas, con una tasa de 1,8 visitas por hora y 3,4 semillas dispersadas por hora. Se concluye que T. falcklandii sería la más efectiva ave dispersante de semillas de los árboles que fructifican en otoño e invierno en los bosques templados del sur de Chile, al menos con respecto al componente cuantitativo de la efectividad del dispersante.Palabras clave: dispersante de semillas, ave frug...

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