Abundance of insect seed predators and intensity of seed predation on Shorea (Dipterocarpaceae) in two consecutive masting events in Peninsular Malaysia

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 651-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuro Hosaka ◽  
Takakazu Yumoto ◽  
Yu-Yun Chen ◽  
I-Fang Sun ◽  
S. Joseph Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Seed Predation ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Rain Forests ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Successful Recruitment ◽  
General Flowering ◽  
The Family

The family Dipterocarpaceae includes 470 tree species from 13 genera in South and South-East Asian tropical forests (Ashton 1982). Many dipterocarp species in aseasonal lowland rain forests of western Malesia flower synchronously during masting (or general flowering) events, which usually occur at irregular intervals of 2–10 y (Ashton et al. 1988). Very few individuals flower at other times, and successful recruitment of seedlings is limited to those masting events (Ashton et al. 1988, Curran et al. 1999).

Resource use of insect seed predators during general flowering and seeding events in a Bornean dipterocarp rain forest

2003 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 455-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Nakagawa ◽  
T. Itioka ◽  
K. Momose ◽  
T. Yumoto ◽  
F. Komai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Dipterocarp Forest ◽  
Tropical Lowland ◽  
General Flowering ◽  
Lowland Dipterocarp Forest ◽  
Insect Predators ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

AbstractInsect seed predators of 24 dipterocarp species (including the genera of Dipterocarpus, Dryobalanops and Shorea) and five species belonging to the Moraceae, Myrtaceae, Celastraceae and Sapotaceae were investigated. In a tropical lowland dipterocarp forest in Sarawak, Malaysia, these trees produced seeds irregularly but intensely during general flowering and seeding events in 1996 and/or 1998. Dipterocarp seeds were preyed on by 51 insect species (11 families), which were roughly classified into three taxonomic groups: smaller moths (Tortricidae, Pyralidae, Crambidae, Immidae, Sesiidae and Cosmopterigidae), scolytids (Scolytidae) and weevils (Curculionidae, Apionidae, Anthribidae, and Attelabidae). Although the host-specificity of invertebrate seed predators has been assumed to be high in tropical forests, it was found that the diet ranges of some insect predators were relatively wide and overlapped one another. Most seed predators that were collected in both study years changed their diets between general flowering and seeding events. The results of cluster analyses, based on the number of adults of each predator species that emerged from 100 seeds of each tree species, suggested that the dominant species was not consistent, alternating between the two years.

scholarly journals Colonization of forest clearings and tree-fall gaps in lowland rain forests of Colombia by hemiepiphytic aroids: experimental and transect studies

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana María Benavides ◽  
Jan H. D. Wolf ◽  
Joost F. Duivenvoorden
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Rain Forests ◽  
Closed Forest ◽  
Germination Success ◽  
Germination Experiment ◽  
Soil Substrates

Abstract:The contribution of vegetative recruitment by non-tree species to the regeneration of tropical forests in man-made clearings or tree-fall gaps tends to be ignored. In a series of field studies near Amacayacu, Colombian Amazonia, we tested if hemiepiphytic aroids quickly colonize such open habitats through seed dispersal, sprouting plant fragments, or lateral invasion of flagellar aroids from the closed forest nearby. A seed germination experiment applying two soil substrates and three shade levels showed that abundant light reduced the germination success of three Philodendron species. A total of 400 cuttings from five Philodendron species were placed in forest clearings and almost 12% of these sprouted within 14 wk. Monitoring more than 2000 aroid plants over 14 mo in different habitats showed that recruitment was low (0.3 plants per 10 m2) compared with initial densities (3.1 plants per 10 m2). Flagellar aroids grew about 2.5 times faster than non-flagellar aroids. In forest edges they reached a mean apical growth of 98 cm in 14 mo. However, non-flagellar aroids were five to six times more abundant than flagellar individuals everywhere. It was concluded that hemiepiphytic aroids colonize open habitats mostly through a post-disturbance survival of plants or plant fragments.

Survival of Dipteryx oleifera (Fabaceae) trees after Hurricane Ida in Nicaragua

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-329
Author(s):  
Christine Sarikas ◽  
Gerald R. Urquhart
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Tree Density ◽  
Tropical Rain Forests ◽  
Rain Forests ◽  
Hurricane Disturbance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
High Diversity

The impact of hurricanes on tropical forests has been well documented in recent decades, with hurricane disturbance hypothesized to be a leading contributor to maintenance of the high diversity of trees in lowland tropical rain forests (Frangi & Lugo 1991, Vandermeer et al. 2000). Hurricanes have a heterogeneous impact both on landscapes and tree species (Liu & Fearn 2000, Walker et al. 1996). Damage to trees can take many forms, from leaf loss to stem snapping to uprooting, and is variable across the landscape due to topography, wind speed, direction and tree density (Walker 1995).

Importance of the lilac-crowned parrot in pre-dispersal seed predation of Astronium graveolens in a Mexican tropical dry forest

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Ines Villaseñor-Sánchez ◽  
Rodolfo Dirzo ◽  
Katherine Renton
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Seed Predation ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Seed Predator ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Canopy Trees ◽  
Resource Patches ◽  
Fruit Crop Size

Abstract:Parrots represent a large biomass of canopy granivores in tropical forests, and may be effective pre-dispersal seed predators. We evaluated the importance of the lilac-crowned parrot (Amazona finschi) as a pre-dispersal seed predator of Astronium graveolens (Anacardiaceae) in tropical dry forest. Seeds were collected in fruit-traps beneath 22 trees to compare pre-dispersal seed predation by parrots and insects, and determine whether intensity of seed predation was related to fruit-crop size or the aggregation of fruiting conspecifics around focal trees. Ground-level exclosures were established to compare post-dispersal seed predation by vertebrates and insects. The lilac-crowned parrot predated 43% of seeds pre-dispersal, while insects predated only 1.3%. Intensity of pre-dispersal seed predation by parrots was significantly greater in high-fruiting 0.79-ha resource patches, and was not related to fruit abundance of the focal tree. Foraging parrots also discarded immature fruits below the tree, causing a total 56% pre-dispersal loss of seed production, which was greater than post-dispersal removal by vertebrates, mainly rodents (51%) or insects (36%). Our results show that parrots play an important role as pre-dispersal seed predators in tropical dry forests. The reduction of parrot populations in tropical forests may have consequences for seed predation, affecting recruitment patterns of canopy trees.

Predispersal seed predation on three Vachellia species and one Senegalia species (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia and Menagesha forest, Ethiopia

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (02) ◽  
pp. 91-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham Yirgu
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Seed Predation ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Rift Valley ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Leguminous Species ◽  
Unidentified Species ◽  
Senegalia Senegal ◽  
Predispersal Seed Predation ◽  
Seed Beetles

AbstractThis study on predispersal seed predation of the leguminous speciesVachellia abyssinica(Hochst. Ex. Benth.) Kyal & Boatwr.,Senegalia senegal(L.) Britton,Vachellia seyal(Del.) P.J.H. Hurter, andVachellia tortilis(Forssk.) Galasso & Banfi was conducted around Lake Langano and Menagesha Forest in Ethiopia to identify the associated seed predators and determine their impact on seed germination. Eight seed beetlesBruchidius albosparsus(Fåhraeus, 1839),B. aurivillii(Blanc, 1889),B. djemensisDecelle 1971,B. discoidalis(Fåhraeus, 1839),B. sinaitus(K. Daniel, 1907),B. silaceus(Fåhraeus, 1839),B. sp 411,B. simulans(Anton and Delobel, 2003), and one unidentified species of Cerambycidae were found associated with seeds of theseAcaciaspecies. These predators damaged less than 9% of seeds of these species, which exhibited lower germination. This study provides unrecorded lists of predispersal seed predators associated with seeds ofVachelliaandSenegaliaspecies in Ethiopia, and some associations are new. There is need to assess the distribution, abundance and effects of predispersal seed predators on otherVachellia, as well as other tree species.

Seed Predation and the Coexistence of Tree Species in Tropical Forests

Oikos ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen P. Hubbell
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Seed Predation ◽  
Tree Species

Habitats suitable for the establishment of Shorea curtisii seedlings in a hill forest in Peninsular Malaysia

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 551-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsutomu Yagihashi ◽  
Tatsuya Otani ◽  
Naoki Tani ◽  
Tomoki Nakaya ◽  
Kassim Abd Rahman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Peninsular Malaysia ◽  
Selective Logging ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Rain Forests ◽  
Dipterocarp Forests ◽  
Key Species ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Hill ◽  
Common Tree

Trees of the family Dipterocarpaceae dominate the emergent canopy of most lowland rain forests in Asia (Ashton et al. 1988). The family is, therefore, one of the most ecologically important in South-East Asia. Shorea curtisii Dyer ex King is the most common tree species in the hill dipterocarp forests of Peninsular Malaysia (Burgess 1975, Symington 2004), and is considered a key species for the dynamics of such forests. Currently, most Malaysian hill forests are selectively logged. Trees over 50 cm dbh are harvested, and any subsequent harvests depend on the remaining smaller trees. Such selective logging takes no account of seedling regeneration. Hence, subsequent timber harvests rely on trees derived from the seedlings that are already present and future seeds produced by the residual trees (Appanah & Mohd. Rasol 1994). Existing seedlings of S. curtisii in the forest, therefore, play a significant role in the dynamics of the hill forest. However, the conditions that constitute a suitable habitat for S. curtisii seedling establishment and survival remain unknown.

Differential effects of mammalian seed predators on the regeneration of five Papua New Guinean tree species and implications for sapling recruitment

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth R. Jones ◽  
Lisa M. Curran ◽  
Debra D. Wright ◽  
Andrew L. Mack
Keyword(s):  
Seed Predation ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Seedling Mortality ◽  
Differential Effects ◽  
Focal Species ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Seed Mortality ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Papua New Guinean

Abstract:Although herbivores may account for a significant source of seed and seedling mortality in many tropical tree species, plant species differ in their response to seed damage. Here we investigate the relative effects of seed predation on the regeneration of five tree species in a mid-elevation Papua New Guinean rain forest. Exclosure treatments and shade-house experiments were monitored from November 2004 to March 2006 to assess the differential effects of seed predation on seed viability and seedling growth. Results indicate that although seed predators attack all five focal species, they influence the seedling populations in two, Cerbera floribunda and Microcos grandiflora, and minimally affect the seedling populations of Terminalia impediens, Pandanus penicillus and Endiandra latifolia in the years measured. Predation and germination frequencies were compared to the abundance of focal species at several life stage classes to explore potential correlations between species-specific seed mortality patterns and life stage distributions. We found that the species-specific influence of mammalian seed predators correlated with abundance distributions in three life stages. Species with high survivorship after seed predator attacks displayed a significant decrease in abundance from the seedling-to-sapling transition, while those species with high seed mortality demonstrated relatively even distributions of seedlings, saplings and adults (> 10 cm dbh). These contrasting patterns suggest that differential seed predation effects on regeneration may play a key role in the recruitment of individuals to the sapling stage.

Pre-Linnaean pictures of the secretarybird, Sagittarius serpentarius (J. F. )

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAGNAR K. KINZELBACH
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Careful Examination ◽  
Nile Valley ◽  
Rain Forests ◽  
Roman Emperor ◽  
Persian Language ◽  
The Family ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Sub Saharan

The secretarybird, the only species of the family Sagittariidae (Falconiformes), inhabits all of sub-Saharan Africa except the rain forests. Secretarybird, its vernacular name in many languages, may be derived from the Arabic “saqr at-tair”, “falcon of the hunt”, which found its way into French during the crusades. From the same period are two drawings of a “bistarda deserti” in a codex by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (1194–1250). The original sketch obviously, together with other information on birds, came from the court of Sultan al-Kâmil (1180–1238) in Cairo. Careful examination led to an interpretation as Sagittarius serpentarius. Two archaeological sources and one nineteenth century observation strengthened the idea of a former occurrence of the secretarybird in the Egyptian Nile valley. André Thevet (1502–1590), a French cleric and reliable research traveller, described and depicted in 1558 a strange bird, named “Pa” in Persian language, from what he called Madagascar. The woodcut is identified as Sagittarius serpentarius. The text reveals East Africa as the real home of this bird, associated there among others with elephants. From there raises a connection to the tales of the fabulous roc, which feeds its offspring with elephants, ending up in the vernacular name of the extinct Madagascar ostrich as elephantbird.

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