Scatter-hoarding by musky rat-kangaroos, Hypsiprymnodon moschatus, a tropical rain-forest marsupial from Australia: implications for seed dispersal

2003 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 619-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Dennis
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Tropical Rain Forest ◽  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Fleshy Fruit ◽  
Scatter Hoarding ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
The World ◽  
Line Tracking

Tropical forests around the world contain animals that scatter-hoard fruits and seeds but few are known in Australian tropical forests. This study used both direct observation and spool-and-line tracking of simulated fruits to demonstrate that Australia's smallest kangaroos disperse large numbers of rain-forest fruits and seeds. They did so in two ways, either by scatter-hoarding or by carrying them away from the source to devour the flesh before dropping the seed on to the litter surface. The fruits used included a range of fruit types but particularly species with large fleshy fruit. Caches occurred as a single fruit pressed into the soil and covered with litter a mean distance of 17 m (±2.7 SE) and up to 68 m from the source. Musky rat-kangaroos handled up to 2700 fruits ha-1 mo-1 and they dispersed up to 900 fruits ha-1 mo-1 and cached up to 690 fruits ha-1 mo-1. This behaviour is a significant example of convergent evolution, which reflects similar behaviour found in agoutis, acouchies and squirrels on other continents.

scholarly journals Bioluminescent Coleoptera of Biological Station of Boracéia (Salesópolis, SP, Brazil): diversity, bioluminescence and habitat distribution

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 21-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vadim Ravara Viviani ◽  
Raphael Machado dos Santos
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
Atlantic Rain Forest ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Biological Station ◽  
Paulo State ◽  
The World ◽  
São Paulo State ◽  
Unique Species

Brazil hosts the richest biodiversity of bioluminescent beetles in the world. Several species are found in the Atlantic rain forest, one of the richest and most threatened tropical forests in the world. We have catalogued the biodiversity of bioluminescent species mainly of Elateroidea superfamily occurring in one of the last largest and most preserved remnants of Atlantic rain forest, located at the Biological Station of Boracéia of São Paulo University (Salesopolis, SP, Brazil). This site accounted with the largest diversity ever found for a single place in São Paulo State, with 39 species: Lampyridae (30), Phengodidae (5), Elateridae (3) and Staphylinidae (1). This fauna has unique species that were not found in any other places of Atlantic forest in São Paulo state, especially fireflies from the Lampyrinae tribes (Cratomorphini, Lamprocerini, Lucidotini), the subfamilies Amydetinae and Photurinae, and the phengodids Pseudophengodes and Brasilocerus sp.2. Most species are found in dense Ombrophyl forest or at their border, and a few ones are found dwelling in the few open fields around the forest. There is a predominance of glowing patterns in the green region among forest inhabiting species when compared with open field fireflies.

scholarly journals The Tropical Rain Forest: An Ecological Study

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 165
Author(s):  
Jiro Kikkawa ◽  
Len Webb
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Tropical Rain Forest ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Personal Involvement ◽  
The World ◽  
The Future ◽  
Tropical Lowlands

This long-awaited book would seem to mark the end of classical tropical botany and phytogeography as subjects for scholarly pursuits. Since the middle of the century, when the first edition of The Tropical Rain Forest appeared, the wet tropical lowlands of the world have become an industrial battleground and, today at the end of the "Second Millennium", the future of the remaining rainforests that have evolved over millions of years looks bleak. Indeed, the book may well become "a record of what the rainforest was like in the twentieth century", as stated on its first page. This elegiac declaration not only reflects world concern about its pending extinction, but also Professor Richards' increasingly personal involvement with rainforest conservation in his later years.

scholarly journals Wildlife in Surinam

Oryx ◽  
1977 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joop P. Schulz ◽  
Russell A. Mittermeier ◽  
Henry A. Reichart
Keyword(s):  
Rain Forest ◽  
Tropical Rain Forest ◽  
Nature Reserves ◽  
Leatherback Turtles ◽  
Natural Heritage ◽  
The World ◽  
The Government ◽  
Kemp's Ridley

Surinam is one of the few countries in the world where uninhabited and undisturbed tropical rain forest still covers large areas. The Government is fully aware of the importance of this natural heritage. Wildlife is protected, and eight nature reserves, ranging in size from 4000 to 22,000 ha, have been created to protect representative habitats – forest, savannas, coastal flats and important breeding beaches for Kemp's ridley, green and leatherback turtles.

The Landslide Examples Caused by Engineering Construction in Tropical Forests of Hainan

2014 ◽  
Vol 638-640 ◽  
pp. 652-655
Author(s):  
Hui Jiang Liu ◽  
Guang Fan Li ◽  
Yan Rong Li ◽  
Xiao Liang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Tropical Rain Forest ◽  
Engineering Construction ◽  
Water Conservancy

With the development of Hainan tropical rain forest tourism, the constructions of transport and water conservancy facilities are improving in these areas, which will probably cause landslide for changing the topography of the original slope conditions. In that context, a study is performed to find out the reasons for the landslide in tropical forests areas by employing some examples.

Seed-Dispersal by Elephants in a Tropical Rain Forest in Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Zaire

Biotropica ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takakazu Yumoto ◽  
Tamaki Maruhashi ◽  
Juichi Yamagiwa ◽  
Ndunda Mwanza
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Tropical Rain Forest ◽  
National Park

Ecosystem dynamics at disturbed and undisturbed sites in North Queensland wet tropical rain forest. III. Nutrient returns to the forest floor through litterfall

1998 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN L. HERBOHN ◽  
ROBERT A. CONGDON
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Rain Forest ◽  
Tropical Rain Forest ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Nutrient Return ◽  
Selective Harvesting ◽  
Short Period

The nutrient contents and accessions in litterfall over a period of 3 y are reported for undisturbed areas and at two sites disturbed by selective harvesting in tropical rain forest in North Queensland, Australia. Mean concentrations (mg g&supminus1; dry weight) of nutrients in litterfall ranged from 10 to 12 for nitrogen; 0.33 to 0.43 for phosphorus; 3.6 to 4.3 for potassium; 6.0 to 10.5 for calcium; and 1.7 to 2.6 for magnesium. These concentrations are in the middle to lower part of the spectrum of values recorded for tropical forests. Accessions of nutrients in litterfall (kg ha&supminus1; y&supminus1;) ranged from 59 to 64 N; 1.9 to 2.4 P; 20 to 24 K; 34 to 63 Ca; and 9 to 16 Mg. These rates, particularly for N and P, are among the lowest recorded for tropical forests. There were no consistent between-site differences in total nutrient accessions in small litterfall. In terms of the contribution of litterfall to the accessions of nutrients to the forest floor, this suggests that the logged sites have recovered from the effects of selective harvesting within 25 y. Nutrient accessions at each site were distinctly seasonal, with maximum accessions occurring in the late dry season to late in the wet season. Leaf-fall accounted for the largest proportion of nutrient accessions over the study period, although at certain times accessions in both reproductive material and wood were significant. A cyclone which crossed the coast near the study sites resulted in large nutrient accessions over a short period but had little effect on the total annual accession. A comparison with previous studies of litterfall in Australian tropical rainforests indicates that nutrient return in litterfall is directly related to soil fertility.

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