The Fate of Attalea phalerata (Palmae) Seeds Dispersed to a Tapir Latrine1

Quiroga-Castro, Verónica D.; Roldán, Alejandra I.

doi:10.1646/0006-3606(2001)033[0472:tfoapp]2.0.co;2

Cited by 7 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…All the plots that were used for our study are located in nonflooding areas. This fact, along with the empirical evidence presented by Fragoso and Huffman (2000), indicates that the limited role in seed dispersal attributed to tapirs because of frequent defecation in water bodies or seasonally flooded areas ( Janzen 1982, Bodmer 1991, Salas & Fuller 1996, Quiroga-Castro & Roldán 2001 is far from being a general picture. In contrast, our results show that reproduction of S. romanzoffiana is strongly associated with tapir latrines in terra firme forest, as was also shown for A. maripa (Fragoso 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…(1) allowing seeds to reach sites that are less predictable in space for predators such as squirrels or peccaries (Olmos et al 1999); (2) moving seeds away from under-adult sites where beetle activity is supposed to be higher (Fragoso et al 2003); and (3) fecal matter may impose a physical barrier that precludes access to the seeds by larvae (Quiroga-Castro & Roldán 2001, Fragoso et al 2003, Ríos & Pacheco 2006.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been shown that fruits of a wide diversity of palm species in different regions of South America are commonly consumed by lowland tapirs, which then defecate or spit out the seeds (Bodmer 1990(Bodmer , 1991Rodrigues et al 1993;Fragoso 1997;Olmos et al 1999;Fragoso & Huffman 2000;Henry et al 2000;Galetti et al 2001;Quiroga-Castro & Roldán 2001). However, the viability of palm seeds has seldom been rigorously tested by embryo staining or induced germination assays (Rodrigues et al 1993, Quiroga-Castro & Roldán 2001, and effective germination under natural conditions has been rarely reported (Fragoso 1997;this study).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the viability of palm seeds has seldom been rigorously tested by embryo staining or induced germination assays (Rodrigues et al 1993, Quiroga-Castro & Roldán 2001, and effective germination under natural conditions has been rarely reported (Fragoso 1997;this study). For instance, seeds of E. edulis have been found in dung piles (Rodrigues et al 1993, Galetti et al 2001; this study) and 45 percent of viable seeds was once verified from artificially induced germination experiments (Rodrigues et al 1993).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These traits, together with a wide home-range of hundreds or several thousand hectares and the capability of straight-line displacements 4 20 km (Fragoso et al 2003, Noss et al 2003, promote long-distance dispersal of viable seeds. In addition, tapirs often use latrines generating seed clumps (Fragoso 1997, Olmos et al 1999, Quiroga-Castro & Roldán 2001. This defecation pattern has been well described for the Brazilian Amazon Forest, where most latrines contained large amounts of seeds and juveniles of Attalea maripa (Fragoso 1997, Fragoso & Huffman 2000, Fragoso et al 2003.…”

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confidence: 81%

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Seed Dispersal of the Palm Syagrus romanzoffiana by Tapirs in the Semi‐deciduous Atlantic Forest of Argentina

2009

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Vertebrates play a fundamental role in the dispersal of Neotropical trees, generating different seed shadows according to their physical and behavioral features. Tapirs are capable of consuming great quantities of large fruits, and they defecate seeds far from parent trees. For instance, intact seeds of the palm Syagrus romanzoffiana have been found in tapir dung piles in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil, suggesting that tapirs effectively disperse this species. However, recruitment was not examined therein. We studied tapir endozoochory of large and medium seeds in the semi-deciduous Atlantic Forest of Argentina by examining dung piles found within Iguazu National Park. We recorded dung-pile positions to evaluate the spatial distribution. We also counted the number of juveniles in 2 Â 2 m quadrats placed on old dung piles in latrines, beneath adults and in random sites to estimate recruitment levels. Syagrus romanzoffiana seeds were present in 98 percent of dung piles, averaging 4 200 seeds/dung pile, indicating that this species constitutes the main fruit component in the tapir's diet. Dung piles showed a clumped deposition pattern reflecting the use of latrines. Juvenile recruitment in latrines was 21 times higher than that of under-adult sites and 500 times greater than in random sites, and correlated with the frequency of use of the areas. We concluded that the lowland tapir is a major disperser of S. romanzoffiana. Given that this palm can be considered a keystone species, a disruption of this interaction might affect the entire community of frugivores in the long term.Abstract in Spanish is available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/btp.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 81%

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Seed Dispersal of the Palm Syagrus romanzoffiana by Tapirs in the Semi‐deciduous Atlantic Forest of Argentina

2009

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Pulp handling by vertebrate seed dispersers increases palm seed predation by bruchid beetles in the northern Amazon

Silvius

Fragoso

2002

Journal of Ecology

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1The simultaneous use of fruits and seeds by invertebrate seed predators and vertebrate seed dispersers produces complex ecological interactions that reduce the predictability of seed fate. 2 Cocosoid palm seeds in the Neotropics are subject to high mortality by bruchid beetle infestation and such attack is the major cause of mortality for seeds of the palm Attalea maripa at our study site in the northern Brazilian Amazon. 3 The exocarp and mesocarp of 1400 fruits were manipulated in different ways to simulate handling by vertebrates. No eggs of the bruchid beetle, Pachymerus cardo , were laid on intact control fruits, while the highest numbers of eggs were received by fruits whose exocarp and mesocarp had been partially removed, as if by primates and rodents (mean of 15.9 and 18.9 eggs fruit − 1 , respectively, during the peak fruiting season). Fruits with intact mesocarp but no exocarp, and fruits with all mesocarp and exocarp removed, received low numbers of eggs (mean of 4.6 and 6.6 eggs per fruit, respectively, during the peak fruiting season). Thus both exocarp and mesocarp deter oviposition, and removal of these fruit structures increases fruit susceptibility to infestation. 4 Oviposition rates declined as the fruiting season progressed, but oviposition preferences remained the same. Seed mortality was high for any fruit on which eggs were laid. 5 Large rodents and primates, which have been considered among the most effective seed dispersers for large-seeded Neotropical trees such as palms, actually increased the susceptibility of seeds to bruchid beetle attack. Removal of (intact) seeds by other dispersers may be necessary to ensure seed survival. 6 These results indicate that the reliability of seed dispersers cannot be gauged without a complete understanding of variables that affect seed viability.

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Increased Productivity and Reduced Seed Predation Favor a Large‐seeded Palm in Small Atlantic Forest Fragments

et al. 2011

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Large-seeded plants are especially vulnerable to the loss of seed dispersers in small forest fragments. The palm Attalea humilis goes against this trend by reaching high abundances in small remnants. Productivity, seed dispersal and seed predation of A. humilis were investigated in two large (2400 and 3500 ha) and three small (19, 26 and 57 ha) Atlantic Forest fragments in southeastern Brazil. Palms in the small fragments produced more female inflorescences, resulting in a higher fruit production in these places. Seed dispersal rates were higher in the large fragments, where scatter hoarding was more frequent. Scolytine beetles were the main seed predators and damaged a larger number of seeds in small fragments, but predation by rodents and bruchine beetles was low irrespective of fragment size. As scolytines do not necessarily kill the seeds, low predation by bruchines and rodents, together with its own high productivity, allow A. humilis to be more abundant in small fragments despite the scarcity of its main dispersers. This increased abundance, by its turn, can increase competitive interactions between A. humilis and other plants in small fragments. Thus, abundance patterns of A. humilis are a good example of fragmentation affecting the balance of ecological interactions in a complex way, emphasizing the role of preserving ecological processes for conserving biodiversity in fragmented tropical landscapes.Abstract in Portuguese is available in the online version of this article.

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The Fate of Attalea phalerata (Palmae) Seeds Dispersed to a Tapir Latrine1

Cited by 7 publications

References 10 publications

Seed Dispersal of the Palm Syagrus romanzoffiana by Tapirs in the Semi‐deciduous Atlantic Forest of Argentina

Seed Dispersal of the Palm Syagrus romanzoffiana by Tapirs in the Semi‐deciduous Atlantic Forest of Argentina

Pulp handling by vertebrate seed dispersers increases palm seed predation by bruchid beetles in the northern Amazon

Increased Productivity and Reduced Seed Predation Favor a Large‐seeded Palm in Small Atlantic Forest Fragments

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