scholarly journals Seed dispersal and predation of Buchenavia tomentosa Eichler (Combretaceae) in a Cerrado sensu stricto, midwest Brazil

2015 ◽  
Vol 75 (4 suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 88-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Farias ◽  
M. Sanchez ◽  
M. F. Abreu ◽  
F. Pedroni
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
High Abundance ◽  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Fruit Removal ◽  
Leafcutter Ants ◽  
Removal Experiments ◽  
Tapirus Terrestris

Abstract The ecology of seed dispersal is critical to understand the patterns of distribution and abundance of plant species. We investigated seed dispersal aspects associated with the high abundance of Buchenavia tomentosa in the Serra Azul State Park (PESA). We estimated fruit production and conducted fruit removal experiments. We carried out diurnal and nocturnal observations on frugivory as well as germination tests. Fruiting occurred in the dry season and totaled 1,365,015 ± 762,670 fruits.ha–1. B. tomentosa fruits were utilized by eight animal species. The lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) was considered the main seed disperser. Leafcutter ants (Atta laevigata and Atta sexdens) participated in the seed cleaning and occasionally dispersed seeds. The beetle Amblycerus insuturatus, blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna) and red-and-green macaw (Ara chloropterus) were considered pre-dispersal seed predators. The seeds manually cleaned presented higher germination rate (100%) and speed index (4.2 seeds.d–1) than that of seeds with pulp. Germination of seeds found in tapirs’feces was 40%, while for the seeds without pulp it was 25%. The high abundance of B. tomentosa in the cerrado of PESA may be due to massive fruit production, low rates of seed predation, and efficient seed dispersal by tapirs, occurring before the rains which promote germination and recruitment of this species.

scholarly journals Effects of environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation on the reproductive phenology of the cerrado savanna tree Xylopia aromatica (Annonaceae)

2011 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 1007-1020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Gabriela G. Camargo ◽  
Regina M. Souza ◽  
Paula Reys ◽  
Leonor P.C. Morellato
Keyword(s):  
Edge Effects ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Cerrado Savanna ◽  
Cardinal Direction ◽  
Floral Visitation

The Brazilian cerrado has undergone an intense process of fragmentation, which leads to an increase in the number of remnants exposed to edge effects and associated changes on environmental conditions that may affect the phenology of plants. This study aimed to verify whether the reproductive phenology of Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) differs under different light conditions in a cerrado sensu stricto (a woody savanna) of southeastern Brazil. We compared the reproductive phenology of X. aromatica trees distributed on east and south cardinal faces of the cerrado during monthly observations, from January 2005 to December 2008. The east face had a higher light incidence, higher temperatures and canopy openness in relation to south face. X. aromatica showed seasonal reproduction at both faces of the cerrado, but the percentage of individuals, the synchrony and duration of phenophases were higher at the east face. The study demonstrated the influence of the environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation of the cerrado faces on the phenological pattern of X. aromatica. Similar responses may be observed for other species, ultimately affecting patterns of floral visitation and fruit production, which reinforces the importance of considering the cardinal direction in studies of edge effects and fragmentation.

Seed-dispersal and seedling recruitment patterns by the last Neotropical megafaunal element in Amazonia, the tapir

2000 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
José M. V. Fragoso ◽  
Jean M. Huffman
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
Dry Land ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Seed Dispersion ◽  
Tapirus Terrestris ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Seed Shadows

Tapirs (Tapiridae) are the last representatives of the Pleistocene megafauna of South and Central America. How they affect the ecology of plants was examined by studying the diversity, abundance, and condition of seeds defecated by the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) in Amazonian Brazil. Additionally, the spatio-temporal pattern of the seed-rain and seed-shadows generated by tapirs was recorded. Three hundred and fifty-six tapir faeces were examined. Eleven per cent were found in water (n = 41), while 88% were located on dry land (n = 315). Of those found on dry land, 84% were located at sites that flood seasonally, while 14% of the total were encountered at forest sites that do not flood. In 127 faeces checked in the laboratory over 12 906 seeds of at least 39 species were found. Seed viability ranged from 65% for Maximiliana maripa to 98% for Enterolobium schomburgkii. Of nine seed species planted in the laboratory, seven germinated within 4 wk, with one species achieving an 89% germination rate. For many species recruitment to the seedling stage was also high under natural conditions, with 13 plant species occurring as seedlings in older faeces. Tapir generated seed-rain occurred throughout the year, with seeds defecated in all months. Two temporal patterns in species seed rain occurred: (1) contiguous monthly occurrence with peaks in abundance, and (2) discontinuous occurrence (time clumped) with small (a few months) to large (many months to more than a year) temporal gaps. The highest diversity of seeds appeared in April, at the end of the dry season. As the last of the Pleistocene megafauna of the region, tapirs may have particular importance as dispersers of large seeds and generators of unique seed dispersion patterns.

scholarly journals Population characteristics of Silaum silaus (L.) Schinz & Thell. (Apiaceae) in Mordovia, a highly threatened plant species at the northern limit of its range

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 11147
Author(s):  
Anatoliy A. Khapugin
Keyword(s):  
Germination Rate ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Native Range ◽  
Northern Limit ◽  
Central Russia ◽  
Threatened Plant Species ◽  
The Republic

Knowledge on status of peripheral plant populations is important for understanding of species’ adaptation and evolution within their ranges.  There is a lack of data on the status of Silaum silaus (Apiaceae) populations at the periphery of its native range.  One of the most northern native S. silaus populations is situated in the Republic of Mordovia (Central Russia).  This species is considered as Critically Endangered in the region.  Population-based studies of S. silaus have been carried out. Reproductive biology, morphometric parameters of individuals, accompanying flora, seed characteristics (mass, germination rate) were investigated.  Results showed that at the northern limit of the range S. silaus grows in floodplain meadow community previously disturbed by livestock grazing. The area occupied by the population, however, has increased more than 12 fold over the last 15 years. Increasing fruit production together with decreasing fruit mass was established for the studied population compared to populations in the central part of its native range.  In addition, germination rate was very low (2.3–16.7 % depending on edaphic conditions).  Additional studies of S. silaus populations are needed in saline steppes of the closely located territories where it occurs as one of the dominant species in the plant community.

scholarly journals Fruit production, migrant bird visitation, and seed dispersal of Guarea glabra in Panama

Oecologia ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry F. Howe ◽  
Diane De Steven
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Migrant Bird

scholarly journals Comparative FISH-mapping of TTAGG telomeric sequences to the chromosomes of leafcutter ants (Formicidae, Myrmicinae): is the insect canonical sequence conserved?

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-385
Author(s):  
Carini Picardi Moraes de Castro ◽  
Danon Clemes Cardoso ◽  
Ricardo Micolino ◽  
Maykon Passos Cristiano
Keyword(s):  
High Homology ◽  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Telomeric Sequences ◽  
Molecular Cytogenetic ◽  
Leafcutter Ants ◽  
Karyotypic Formula ◽  
Cytogenetic Characterization ◽  
Common Sequence

Telomeric sequences are conserved across species. The most common sequence reported among insects is (TTAGG)n, but its universal occurrence is not a consensus because other canonical motifs have been reported. In the present study, we used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using telomeric probes with (TTAGG)6 repeats to describe the telomere composition of leafcutter ants. We performed the molecular cytogenetic characterization of six Acromyrmex Mayr, 1865 and one Atta Fabricius, 1804 species (Acromyrmex ambiguus (Emery, 1888), Ac. crassispinus (Forel, 1909), Ac. lundii (Guérin-Mèneville, 1838), Ac. nigrosetosus (Forel, 1908), Ac. rugosus (Smith, 1858), Ac. subterraneus subterraneus (Forel, 1893), and Atta sexdens (Linnaeus, 1758)) and described it using a karyomorphometric approach on their chromosomes. The diploid chromosome number 2n = 38 was found in all Acromyrmex species, and the karyotypic formulas were as follows: Ac. ambiguus 2K = 14M + 12SM + 8ST + 4A, Ac. crassispinus 2K = 12M + 20SM + 4ST + 2A, Ac. lundii 2K = 10M + 14SM + 10ST + 4A, Ac. nigrosetosus 2K = 12M + 14SM + 10ST + 2A, and Ac. subterraneus subterraneus 2K = 14M + 18SM + 4ST + 2A. The exact karyotypic formula was not established for Ac. rugosus. FISH analyses revealed the telomeric regions in all the chromosomes of the species studied in the present work were marked by the (TTAGG)6 sequence. These results reinforce the premise that Formicidae presents high homology between their genera for the presence of the canonical sequence (TTAGG)n.

Responses of ungulates to seasonal inundations in the Amazon floodplain

1990 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard E. Bodmer
Keyword(s):  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Tayassu Pecari ◽  
Amazon Floodplain ◽  
Flooded Forests ◽  
Tapirus Terrestris ◽  
Collared Peccary ◽  
Flooded Areas ◽  
Brocket Deer ◽  
Mazama Americana

ABSTRACTTerrestrial ungulates use different strategies to cope with widespread annual flooding of the Amazon basin. Red brocket deer (Mazama americana) and collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu) retreat to floodplain islands and shift from a frugivorous to a woody browse diet. However, both white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) and lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) diets are unaffected by inundations; in the case of white-lipped peccary because they migrate into and out of flooded areas and in the case of lowland tapir because of their semi-aquatic nature. These-strategies of white-lipped peccary and lowland tapir enable them to exploit the greater fruit production of flooded forests more frequently than brocket deer and collared peccary.

Frugivory and Seed Dispersal by the Lowland Tapir Tapirus terrestris in the Peruvian Amazon

Biotropica ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias W. Tobler ◽  
John P. Janovec ◽  
Fernando Cornejo
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Peruvian Amazon ◽  
Tapirus Terrestris

Frugivory and Seed Dispersal by the Lowland Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) in Southeast Brazil1

Biotropica ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Galetti ◽  
Alexine Keuroghlian ◽  
Lais Hanada ◽  
Maria Inez Morato
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Tapirus Terrestris

scholarly journals Two castes sizes of leafcutter ants in task partitioning in foraging activity

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (11) ◽  
pp. 1902-1908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Arruda de Toledo ◽  
Pedro Leite Ribeiro ◽  
Priscilla Shiota Fedichina Carrossoni ◽  
João Vitor Tomotani ◽  
Ashley Nicole Hoffman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Adaptation ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Atta Sexdens ◽  
Task Partitioning ◽  
Leaf Fragment ◽  
Atta Sexdens Rubropilosa ◽  
Leafcutter Ants ◽  
Eusocial Animals ◽  
Atta Colombica

ABSTRACT: Task partitioning in eusocial animals is most likely an evolutionary adaptation that optimizes the efficiency of the colony to grow and reproduce. It was investigated indirect task partitioning in two castes sizes; this involves task partitioning in which the material transported is not transferred directly from one individual to another, but where it is dropped by one ant to be picked up by another. In two separate approaches, it was confirmed previous results pertaining to leaf caching activities among Atta colombica with task partitioning activities involving leaf dropping among Atta sexdens rubropilosa , in which there is a correlation between the size of an individual ant and the leaf fragment it transports. It was also suggested that this correlation exists only in individual ants that cut and transport (CaT) the same fragment to the nest. When task partitioning occurs and individual ants transporting (T) leaf fragments cut by other ants, the correlation becomes looser or disappears. We also observed that CaT ants are smaller than T ants.

Seed dispersal of Asplundia peruviana (Cyclanthaceae) by the primate Saguinus fuscicollis

1998 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTOPH KNOGGE ◽  
ECKHARD W. HEYMANN ◽  
EMÉRITA R. TIRADO HERRERA
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Intestinal Tract ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
Passage Time ◽  
Nutritional Content ◽  
Fruit Removal ◽  
Saguinus Fuscicollis ◽  
Gastro Intestinal Tract

The reproductive success of plants depends to a very large degree on the quantity and quality of seed dispersal. If dispersal is by animals (zoochory), characteristics of fruits such as colour, size, shape and nutritional content have been shown to influence the likelihood of visitation by frugivores or the rate of fruit removal (e.g. Fuentes 1994, Howe 1983, Murray et al. 1993). While these characteristics function in the attraction of dispersers, plants may also evolve characters that manipulate the behaviour or the physiology of dispersers after the consumption of fruits and the ingestion of seeds. An example of such post-consumption manipulation of dispersers' behaviour by plants is provided by mistletoes. The viscous mistletoe seeds stimulate the disperser (usually birds) to either rub the cloaca (when seeds are passed through the gastro-intestinal tract) or the bill (when seeds are regurgitated) on a branch (e.g. Reid 1991). It has also been proposed that fruits might manipulate the disperser's physiology by including laxatives that determine the optimal passage time through the disperser's gut (Murray et al. 1994), although this view has recently been challenged (Witmer 1996).

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