Patterns of seed predation by vertebrate versus invertebrate seed predators among different plant species, seasons and spatial distributions.

2009 ◽  
pp. 55-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Notman ◽  
A. C. Villegas
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Seed Predation ◽  
Spatial Distributions ◽  
Seed Predators

scholarly journals A new hypothesis for the importance of seed dispersal in time

2018 ◽  
pp. 1795-1803
Author(s):  
Adriana Guzmán ◽  
Pablo R. Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Seed Predation ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Species Dispersal ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Colombian Amazon ◽  
New Hypothesis ◽  
Escape Hypothesis

Most studies on seed dispersal in time have focused on seed dormancy and the physiological triggers for germination. However, seed dispersed by animals with low metabolic and moving rates, and long gutpassage times such as terrestrial turtles, could be considered another type of dispersal in time. This study tests the hypothesis that seeds dispersed in time may lower predation rates. We predicted that seeds deposited below parent trees after fruiting fall has finished is advantageous to minimize seed predators and should show higher survival rates. Four Amazonian plant species, Dicranostyles ampla, Oenocarpus bataua, Guatteria atabapensis and Ocotea floribunda, were tested for seed survival probabilities in two periods: during fruiting and 10-21 days after fruiting. Experiments were carried out in two biological stations located in the Colombian Amazon (Caparú and Zafire Biological Stations). Seed predation was high and mainly caused by non-vertebrates. Out of the four plant species tested, only Guatteria atabapensis supported the time escape hypothesis. For this species, seed predation by vertebrates after the fruiting period increased (from 4.1% to 9.2%) while seed predation by nonvertebrates decreased (from 54.0% to 40.2%). in contrast, seed predation by vertebrates and by non-vertebrates after the fruiting period in D. ampla increased (from 7.9% to 22.8% and from 40.4% to 50.6%, respectively), suggesting predator satiation. Results suggest that for some species dispersal in time could be advantageous to avoid some type of seed predators. Escape in time could be an additional dimension in which seeds may reach adequate sites for recruitment. Thus, future studies should be address to better understand the survival advantages given by an endozoochory time-dispersal process.

Reduced plant fitness by pre-dispersal seed predation in the threatened plant species Cirsium decussatum

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alina Stachurska-Swakoń ◽  
Beata Barabasz-Krasny ◽  
Anna Klasa ◽  
Andrzej Palaczyk
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Seed Predation ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Plant Fitness ◽  
Plant Population Dynamics ◽  
Selective Force ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Threatened Plant Species ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Oviposition Sites

AbstractSeed predation has been suggested to play a crucial role in plant population dynamics and could act as a strong selective force in the evolution of plant traits such as plant phenology, size and number of flowers. The loss of seeds could be particularly threatening for population maintenance of rare plant species. We investigated the influence of seed predators on plant fitness of the rare monocarpic thistle Cirsium decussatum. We tested the following hypotheses: (1) pre-dispersal seed predators reduce the number of dispersed propagules; (2) seed predators select larger inflorescences as oviposition sites; (3) the size of the capitulum is correlated with seed productivity; and (4) seed predators compete for the oviposition sites. We identified ten insect taxa from different taxonomic groups in the capitula of C. decussatum. Terellia longicauda larvae (Diptera: Tephritidae) were the most common. The presence of the flies’ larvae was positively correlated with the predation level in the capitula. Females of T. longicauda selected larger inflorescences for laying eggs that may increase offspring fitness as larger inflorescences promise more food resources. We could not prove the presence of competition between insect species inhabiting the capitula. Our data suggest, however, that T. longicauda, a specialized seminophagous dipteran, is one of the factors that negatively influence the fitness of threatened C. decussatum, lowering significantly the seed pool. Terellia longicauda potentially acts as a strong selective force in the evolution of C. decussatum inflorescence size.

scholarly journals Seed predation under high seed density condition: the palm Euterpe edulis in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane von Allmen ◽  
L. Patricia C. Morellato ◽  
Marco A. Pizo
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Seed Predation ◽  
High Density ◽  
Seed Density ◽  
Brazilian Atlantic Forest ◽  
Density Condition ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Euterpe Edulis ◽  
Population Scale ◽  
Fruiting Plant

Over recent decades, studies on post-dispersal seed predation have revealed some general patterns despite dealing with a highly variable phenomenon (reviews in Crawley 1993, Hulme 1998). Most of these studies, however, were carried out with plant species whose population density range from low to moderately high (Hulme 1998). Only rarely has seed predation been studied in very dense stands of a given plant species (Schupp 1988a, b, 1992). In such a situation, seed predators might respond to the local availability of seeds in a manner that differs from their response under conditions of low seed density. For instance, a high density of seeds beneath a fruiting plant may attract seed predators, causing a positive correlation between predation and seed density (Janzen 1970). Schupp (1992), however, noted that at a population scale, a high density of seeds could satiate predators, resulting in a negative correlation between predation and seed density (see also Burkey 1994).

Individual crop size increases predispersal predation by beetles in a tropical palm

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Morgana Maria Arcanjo Bruno ◽  
Klécia Gili Massi ◽  
Alexander V. Christianini ◽  
John du Vall Hay
Keyword(s):  
Seed Predation ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Crop Size ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Plant Trait ◽  
Predispersal Seed Predation ◽  
Total Seed ◽  
Number Of Seeds

Abstract Predispersal seed predation is one of the main causes of seed mortality in plant populations, contributing to decreased plant recruitment. Seed loss has previously been found to be related to crop size. Thus, we examined the influence of individual crop size on predispersal seed predation by beetles in the palm Syagrus flexuosa in the Brazilian savanna. The study was carried out in three tropical woodland savanna sites, where we sampled the total seed crop of 46 fruiting palms and checked the presence of beetle larvae inside all seeds per plant. We observed predispersal seed predation of S. flexuosa from all sites and a high variation in the number of seeds preyed on per individual palm. Crop size had a positive influence on the number of seeds lost to predispersal seed predators. Variations in levels of predispersal seed predation may also be accounted for by the reproductive phenology of S. flexuosa. If fruits are not available at the same time, less resource is available for predators and therefore a high proportion of seeds may be preyed on. Thus, our study demonstrates that an individual plant trait, crop size, is an important predictor of beetle seed damage per palm and a driver of the number of seeds lost to predispersal seed predators.

Influence of tillage and crop residue on postdispersal predation of weed seeds

Weed Science ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather E. Cromar ◽  
Stephen D. Murphy ◽  
Clarence J. Swanton
Keyword(s):  
Seed Predation ◽  
Crop Residue ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Biological Weed Control ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Natural Form ◽  
Common Lambsquarters ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
No Till ◽  
Weed Seeds

Field experiments were conducted from 1995 to 1997 in southern Ontario to determine the influence of tillage and ground cover on the quantity of postdispersal seed predation of common lambsquarters and barnyardgrass. Ground-dwelling invertebrates were the dominant seed predators and were responsible for 80 to 90% of all seeds consumed. Predation was highest in no-till and moldboard-plowed environments (averaging 32% in both) and lowest in chisel-plowed environments (averaging 24%). This indicates that the relationship between the level of disturbance and predation is nonlinear and that other factors, such as the mobility of invertebrates and food availability, may also play important roles in determining the quantity of seed predation. In no-till, the type of crop residue also influenced the quantity of predation, with highest seed predation found in plots with corn residue (averaging 31%) and lowest in those with soybean and wheat residue (24 and 21%, respectively). It is apparent that there is an optimum combination of residue quantity and quality that maximizes the quantity of seed predation. Based on the experimental design used in this study, no feeding preference by seed predators was detected between common lambsquarters and barnyardgrass. Density-dependent feeding, however, was evident for both species. Most biological control efforts have centered around predators with specific feeding habits. We contend that invertebrates with opportunistic feeding strategies that feed on weed seeds may be the most significant broad spectrum and natural form of biological weed control affecting weed population dynamics. Populations of beneficial arthropods should be conserved, and management strategies that augment the size of their natural populations should be encouraged.

Invertebrate Seed Predators Reduce Weed Emergence Following Seed Rain

Weed Science ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen K. Blubaugh ◽  
Ian Kaplan
Keyword(s):  
Seed Predation ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Propagule Pressure ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Seed Predator ◽  
Common Lambsquarters ◽  
Seed Predators

Weeds are selected to produce overwhelming propagule pressure, and while vertebrate and invertebrate seed predators destroy a large percentage of seeds, their ecosystem services may not be sufficient to overcome germination site limitations. Cover crops are suggested to facilitate seed predation, but it is difficult to disentangle reductions in weed recruitment attributable to granivores from those due to plant competition. Using common lambsquarters as a focal weed species, we used experimental seed subsidies and differential seed predator exclusion to evaluate the utility of vertebrate and invertebrate seed predators in fallow, killed cover crop, and living mulch systems. Over two growing seasons, we found that seed predators were responsible for a 38% reduction in seedling emergence and 81% reduction in weed biomass in fallow plots following simulated seed rain, suggesting that granivory indeed overcomes safe-site limitation and suppresses weeds. However, the common lambsquarters densities in ambient seedbanks across fallow and cover crop treatments were high, and seed predators did not impact their abundance. Across the study, we found either neutral or negative effects of vertebrate seed predators on seed predation, suggesting that invertebrate seed predators contribute most to common lamnsquarters regulation in our system. These results imply that weed seed biocontrol by invertebrates can reduce propagule pressure initially following senescence, but other tools must be leveraged for long-term seedbank management.

Spatial distributions of multiple plant species affect herbivore foraging selectivity

Oikos ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 401-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling Wang ◽  
Deli Wang ◽  
Yuguang Bai ◽  
Guitong Jiang ◽  
Jushan Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Spatial Distributions

scholarly journals The Fate of Seeds Dispersed by Golden Lion Tamarins (Leontopithecus Rosalia) in an Atlantic Forest Fragment, Brazil

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Janzantti Lapenta ◽  
Paula Procópio-de-Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Seed Predation ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Seed Fate ◽  
Lion Tamarins ◽  
Seed Predators ◽  
Leontopithecus Rosalia ◽  
Golden Lion Tamarins ◽  
Golden Lion Tamarin ◽  
Fruit Species

Frugivores, as seed dispersers may influence the spatial patterns of adult and juvenile plants, but a large portion of the potential recruitment of plant populations is lost to seed predators. The majority of seeds dispersed by primates are killed by seed predators or moved by secondary dispersers. Little is known about post-dispersal seed-predation and seedling distribution of exploited plant species. This study iinvestigated the survival and establishment of seedlings from seeds defecated by the golden lion tamarin ( Leontopithecus rosalia), a frugivorous endemic primate of the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Two groups of golden lion tamarins were studied in the União Biological Reserve from April 2003 to March 2004. Seeds from fruits consumed by tamarins and collected from their feces were evaluated with respect to the following: germination success, seed disappearance or secondary dispersal on the forest floor, seed predation, and seedling establishment and survival for the length of the study period. The tamarin groups consumed 88 fruit species. Of these, 38 were used to run 107 experiments which indicated that more than 50% of the seeds disappeared, about 15% died before germinating and seeds of 22 species reached the seedling stage. At the end of the study, only 15 of these species still had surviving seedlings. Studies on seed fate are important for understanding the role of the golden lion tamarind in the natural process of forest regeneration in the lowland Atlantic Forest of the state of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Pre- and post-dispersal seed predation in a mediterranean-type climate montane sclerophyllous forest in central Chile

2002 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier A. Figueroa ◽  
Alejandro A. Muñoz ◽  
Jorge E. Mella ◽  
Mary T. K. Arroyo
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Seed Predation ◽  
Montane Forest ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Seed Traits ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Seed Characteristics

Most seed-predation studies have evaluated pre- or post-dispersal predation separately, in one or a few species. Assessments of the overall importance of pre- v. post-dispersal seed predation at the community level are generally lacking. Here, we quantify levels of pre and post-dispersal seed predation in >25 plant species in a mediterranean-type climate montane forest in central Chile in two periods of study (1995–1996 and 1997–1998). Almost all species analysed suffered at least some seed losses to pre-dispersal and/or post-dispersal seed predation. However, among species, magnitudes of both pre- and post-dispersal seed predation proved highly variable, ranging between 0 and 100% and exceeding 50% in five and nine species, respectively. High inter-annual variability in both pre- and post-dispersal seed predation, at both the species and overall community levels, was observed, with only a small number of species suffering large losses during both periods of study. At the overall community level, percentage seed losses to pre-dispersal predation were not significantly different from those experienced in the postdispersal phase. Rodents were the most important seed removers in seven species. However, the three groups of granivores analysed (rodents, birds and insects) were similar in their importance as post-dispersal predators in most plant species. Groups of species suffering similar levels of seed losses to pre- or post-dispersal predators did not share any particular seed characteristics, suggesting that differences in the seed traits studied seem to be relatively unimportant in determining variation in seed predation.

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