scholarly journals Bird-plant interactions on the edge of a forest fragment in southwestern Brazilian Amazonia

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. e51485
Author(s):  
Luana Alencar ◽  
Edson Guilherme
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Brazilian Amazonia ◽  
Importance Index

Seed dispersal is one of the principal ecological processes that determine the richness and distribution of plants in tropical forests. Birds play an important role in the zoochoric dispersal of seeds in these forests. The present study investigated the bird-plant interactions involving the ingestion and dispersal of seeds by the birds found in the edge habitat of an isolated forest fragment on the Catuaba Experimental Farm in eastern Acre, in southwestern Brazilian Amazonia. The birds were captured using mist nets, and the seeds were collected from fecal samples obtained during the handling of the animals. These seeds were sorted and identified. The bird and the plant species identified during the study were used to calculate the connectivity and nestedness of the bird-plant interactions. We captured 82 species of birds, with a total sampling effort of 203,180 h.m². Fecal samples obtained from 19 of the bird species contained a total of 2,086 seeds, representing 23 plant species. The interaction network had an intermediate connectance, and significant nestedness. Ramphocelus carbo had the highest importance index and was the bird with the largest number of plant interactions, while Cecropia latiloba was the plant with the highest importance index, followed by Schefflera morototoni. Most of the seed-dispersing birds identified in the present study are generalists found in both the forest core and its edge. The results of the study indicated that the community of generalist-frugivore birds interacts extensively with the plant community of the fragment, providing seed dispersal services that include the deforested areas adjacent to the fragment.

scholarly journals Seed dispersal syndromes in the Madagascan flora: the unusual importance of primates

Oryx ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 418-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurélie Albert-Daviaud ◽  
Sarah Perillo ◽  
Wolfgang Stuppy
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Endemic Plant ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Dispersal Syndromes ◽  
Plant Animal Interactions ◽  
Lemur Species

AbstractMadagascar is one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots, and protection of its biodiversity is becoming increasingly urgent as deforestation of the island continues. For the long-term success of conservation efforts it is essential that key ecological processes, such as seed dispersal, are protected and restored. Therefore, the identification of ecological gaps is a vital task. For Madagascar, only little is known about plant–animal interactions, and traditional methods of ecological research are too time-consuming to provide crucial information about breakdowns in these interactions. To identify likely dispersal gaps we therefore used a theoretical approach to analyse plant–disperser interactions in Madagascar. We used data science tools to impute missing data on relevant plant traits to subsequently predict the most likely dispersal agents for each of Madagascar's endemic plant species. We found that 38% of the endemic species (N = 8,784) are endozoochorous, and among these 26–41% display a primate syndrome and 17–19% a bird syndrome (depending on the definition of syndromes). This lower percentage of endozoochorous species and higher percentage of species with a primate syndrome in Madagascar compared to other tropical areas reflects the unusual disperser guild on the island. Only five bird species but 20 lemur species are frugivorous, and 16 of those lemur species are currently threatened with extinction. The disappearance of frugivorous lemurs would significantly change the vegetation dynamics of Madagascar's ecosystems, and a high proportion of Madagascar's endemic plants would enter an extinction vortex.

scholarly journals Conhecimento botânico e representações ambientais em uma comunidade rural no Domínio Atlântico: bases para conservação local

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Taboada Soldati ◽  
Reinaldo Duque-Brasil ◽  
Taline Cristina Da Silva ◽  
France Maria Gontijo Coelho ◽  
Ulysses Paulino De Albuquerque
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Community Research ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Starting Point

This paper aimed to contribute to building conservation strategies, evaluating specific realitiesand knowledge of the local communities that manage the landscape. In this ethnobotanical study, the knowledge of a ruralcommunity and the local concerns about an Atlantic Forest fragment, currently under legal protection, at Viçosa, MinasGerais, are presented. Data from 26 participants was collected using a series of ethnobotanical methods, such as semistructuredinterviews, free lists, guided tours and cognitive maps. A total of 134 species were recognized. Apuleialeiocarpa (Caesalpinaceae), Xylopia sericea (Annonaceae), Myrcia fallax (Myrtaceae), Ocotea odorifera (Lauraceae) andPiptadenia gonoacantha (Mimosaceae) were the most recorded. Resources were divided into six use categories, andconstruction was the most important. The Collective Subject Discourse analysis about environmental concerns revealeda detailed knowledge of a variety of ecological processes, such as the diversity of plants, animals and vegetation types,plant interactions and the presence of bioindicators. The results provide an initial description of the relationship betweenthe local community research partner and the forest fragment that was studied, being a starting point for the proposals tothe biodiversity conservation considering the local reality.

scholarly journals Nutritional content of bat-consumed fruits in a forest fragment in Southern Brazil

2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. B. Batista ◽  
N. R. Reis ◽  
M. I. Rezende
Keyword(s):  
Food Preferences ◽  
Comparison Method ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Nutritional Content ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Carollia Perspicillata ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Artibeus Lituratus

Abstract The State Park Mata dos Godoy has 42 identified bat species, among which 21 are frugivorous and belong to the Phyllostomidae family. Current study investigated the concentrations of carbohydrate, lipid and protein in fruits consumed by Artibeus lituratus, Carollia perspicillata and Sturnira lilium to understand their potential differentiated food preferences. The Sampling effort it was from April/2013 to March/2014. Animals captured in mist nets were identified in the field and maintained in cotton bags for 30 minutes to defecate. The diet was inferred from fecal samples analyzed in the laboratory, the fruits whose seeds were found in the feces had the determinations of the nutrients accomplished by centesimal composition method. Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn's multiple comparison method verified the most abundant nutrients for each species of bat. Whereas Carollia perspicillata and Sturnira lilium feeds mainly in food with carbohydrates that provide them with more energy, the diet of Artibeus lituratus is richer in carbohydrates and lipids. Only fruits considered scarcely represent a complete nutrition for the three bat species, however, the complementarity with other food items such as leaves, pollen, and insects, can provide a complete nutrient diet for these animals.

scholarly journals Indirect restoration of ecological interactions: reintroduction of a dung-beetle associated primate increases the recruitment of large seeds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna R. Landim ◽  
Fernando A. S. Fernandez ◽  
Alexandra S. Pires
Keyword(s):  
Plant Regeneration ◽  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Howler Monkey ◽  
Burial Depth ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Secondary Seed Dispersal

AbstractThe biased loss of large and medium frugivores alters seed dispersal and plant regeneration. Species reintroductions have been proposed as a strategy to reverse the consequences of species loss. However, the effects of reintroductions on ecological processes are seldom accessed, which hinders the comprehension of reintroductions’ potential to reestablish functioning ecosystems. In this study, we investigate the effect of howler monkey (Alouatta guariba) reintroduction on the plant regeneration of Tijuca National Park (TNP), a defaunated Atlantic Forest fragment. Howlers are folivore-frugivore primates, whose large clumped defecations attract dung beetles, which provide secondary dispersal by burying seeds present in the howlers’ feces. Thus, we expect that the fate of seeds dispersed by howlers will differ from those dispersed by other frugivores present in the Park. We followed the fate of seeds between 3 and 14mm in diameter in three steps of the seed dispersal loop, each one consisting of a different experiment. First, we estimated secondary seed dispersal and burial depth probabilities according to the frugivores’ defecation pattern; then, predation probability in different burial depths and defecation patterns; and, finally, recruitment probability in different burial depths. Considering the final result of the three experiments, the howlers’ reintroduction affected positively the regeneration of large seeds. The fate of 3mm seeds was little affected because they were seldom preyed upon at shallower depths anyway and could not recruit when deeply buried. On the other hand, seeds larger than 3mm reached the seedling stage more frequently when dispersed by howlers than when dispersed by other animals present in the Park. Thus, howler monkey reintroduction in defaunated areas, in addition to smaller frugivores, whose defecation patterns are less attractive for dung beetles, improves the regeneration of large seeds. We hope that this study will stimulate new howler reintroductions in defaunated areas.

scholarly journals USE OF RESTORATION PLANTINGS TO ENHANCE BIRD SEED DISPERSAL AT THE ROADSIDE: FAILURES AND PROSPECTS

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 302-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocío de TORRE ◽  
María Dolores JIMÉNEZ ◽  
Álvaro RAMÍREZ ◽  
Ignacio MOLA ◽  
Miguel A. CASADO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Frugivorous Birds ◽  
Bird Droppings ◽  
Bird Richness ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Plantings are commonly used in roadside reclamation for ornamental purposes and for increasing slope stability and road safety. However, the role of these plantings in restoring ecological processes, such as seed dispersal, has received little attention. We carried out a study to assess the potential role of plantings on roadside embankments to attract frugivorous birds and to enhance seed dispersal mediated by birds from the surrounding landscape. We examined: (1) bird species richness and abundance; (2) patterns of avian spatial distribution within embankments and (3) seed dispersal mediated by birds. Bird richness and abundance did not differ between embankments with and without plantings. However, birds were not distributed randomly within embankments, with levels of species richness and abundance for facultative frugivorous between 4.8–8 times higher in areas closer to plantings. An analysis of bird droppings showed that birds only dispersed seeds of the planted species since no seeds of woody plants from matrices were detected. These results suggest that plantings acted as selective bird attractors, providing food and perches for frugivorous species. Nevertheless, the scarcity of seed-dispersing birds in the surrounding agricultural landscape prevented plantings from enhancing seed dispersal and connectivity to adjacent habitat.

Restoration of seed dispersal interactions in communities invaded by non-native plants.

2020 ◽  
pp. 391-401
Author(s):  
Fernanda Ribeiro da Silva ◽  
Marco Aurélio Pizo
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Native Plants ◽  
Open Systems ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Native Plant Species

Abstract Restoration aims to rebuild not only species but also the tangled interactions between species that ensure communities perpetuate by themselves. In tropical forests, restoration of seed dispersal interactions is essential because most plant species depend on animals to spread their seeds. A big challenge in restoring such forests is dealing with invasion by non-native species. Non-native plant species may outcompete and eliminate native species from the community, potentially disrupting or arresting the restoration process. Once established, invasive non-native plants are usually incorporated into the local seed dispersal network, potentially causing loss of biodiversity by competition with native species. This chapter reports on a case study of a 25-year old restored forest invaded by several bird-dispersed plant species. We assessed network metrics at the species level to specifically evaluate the role performed by invasive non-native species in the structure of the bird - seed dispersal network. The removal of invasive non-native plants and the re-establishment of native plant communities should be considered for the restoration of habitats invaded by non-native plants. For this reason, we discuss the impacts of removing such non-native plants and explore the consequences for the structure of the overall network. Because restoration areas are open systems, even after the removal of invasive non-native plant species they can return via seed dispersal. So, both the control and management of invasive non-native species would be more effective if planned with a landscape perspective. We also point out relevant management aspects to avoid the negative influence of invasive non-native plants on the seed dispersal interactions occurring between native plant and bird species in restored tropical forests.

scholarly journals Interactions between frugivorous birds and plants in savanna and forest formations of the Cerrado

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keila Nunes Purificação ◽  
Márcia Cristina Pascotto ◽  
Fernando Pedroni ◽  
Jessiane Mayara Nogueira Pereira ◽  
Naftali Alves Lima
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Frugivorous Birds ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Line Transects ◽  
Seed Dispersers ◽  
Dry And Rainy Seasons

We recorded interactions between frugivorous birds and plants in the Cerrado and we assessed the role and importance of birds as potential seed dispersers. We analyzed the distribution of recorded feeding events, bird-plant interactions, and bird species composition between savanna and forest formations and between the dry and rainy seasons. Samplings were carried out from August 2009 to October 2010 and from November 2011 to August 2012 by means of line transects and focal observations. We recorded 348 feeding events and 187 interactions involving 44 plant species and 60 bird species. Most of the feeding events were observed in the forests and during the dry season (χ2 = 39.529; gl = 1; p < 0.001). However, no significant difference was found in the number of interactions (χ2 = 15.975; gl = 1; p = 0.06) between the two vegetation formations and between seasons. The bird species composition differed between savanna and forest formations (ANOSIM, R = 0.238; p < 0.001) and between the dry and rainy seasons (ANOSIM, R = 0.223; p < 0.001). Most of the potential seed dispersers were generalist birds that preferentially occupy forests during the dry season. Records of feeding events in forest formations increased in the dry season, indicating that birds use these sites as foraging areas during this period. We suggest that the preservation of forests in predominantly savanna-like ecosystems such as the Cerrado is extremely important for frugivorous birds and for frugivore-plant interactions.

scholarly journals Integrating plant species contribution to mycorrhizal and seed dispersal mutualistic networks

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 20180770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Correia ◽  
Susana Rodríguez-Echeverría ◽  
Sérgio Timóteo ◽  
Helena Freitas ◽  
Ruben Heleno
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽  
Plant Population Dynamics ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Seed Dispersers ◽  
Amf Communities ◽  
Common Plant

Mutualistic interactions like those established between plants and mycorrhizal fungi or seed dispersers are key drivers of plant population dynamics and ecosystem functioning; however, these interactions have rarely been explored together. We assembled a tripartite fungi–plant–disperser network in the Gorongosa National Park—Mozambique, to test (1) if diversity and importance of plant mutualists above- and belowground are correlated, and (2) whether biotically and abiotically dispersed plants are associated with distinct arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). We quantified seed dispersal by animals for 1 year and characterized the AMF of 26 common plant species. Sixteen plant species were dispersed by 15 animals and colonized by 48 AMF virtual taxa (VT), while the remaining 10 plant species were not dispersed by animals and associated with 34 AMF VT. We found no evidence for a correlation between the number of plant partners above- and belowground or on plant specialization on both types of partners. We also found no evidence for differentiation of AMF communities between biotically and abiotically dispersed plants. Our results suggest that the establishment of plant interactions with seed dispersers and mycorrhizal fungi is largely independent and that both biotically and abiotically dispersed plants seem to associate with similar communities of AMF.

scholarly journals Local and landscape responses of biodiversity in calcareous grasslands

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Loos ◽  
Jochen Krauss ◽  
Ashley Lyons ◽  
Stephanie Föst ◽  
Constanze Ohlendorf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Fragment Size ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Habitat Connectivity ◽  
Calcareous Grassland ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Calcareous Grasslands

AbstractAcross Europe, calcareous grasslands become increasingly fragmented and their quality deteriorates through abandonment and land use intensification, both affecting biodiversity. Here, we investigated local and landscape effects on diversity patterns of several taxonomic groups in a landscape of highly fragmented calcareous grassland remnants. We surveyed 31 grassland fragments near Göttingen, Germany, in spring and summer 2017 for vascular plants, butterflies and birds, with sampling effort adapted to fragment area. Through regression modelling, we tested relationships between species richness and fragment size (from 314 to 51,395 m2), successional stage, habitat connectivity and the per cent cover of arable land in the landscape at several radii. We detected 283 plant species, 53 butterfly species and 70 bird species. Of these, 59 plant species, 19 butterfly species and 9 bird species were grassland specialists. Larger fragments supported twice the species richness of plants than small ones, and hosted more species of butterflies, but not of birds. Larger grassland fragments contained more grassland specialist plants, but not butterfly or bird specialists. Increasing amounts of arable land in the landscape from 20 to 90% was related to the loss of a third of species of plants, and less so, of butterflies, but not of birds. Per cent cover of arable land negatively correlated to richness of grassland specialist plants and butterflies, but positively to grassland specialist birds. We found no effect by successional stages and habitat connectivity. Our multi-taxa approach highlights the need for conservation management at the local scale, complemented by measures at the landscape scale.

Restoration of seed dispersal interactions in communities invaded by non-native plants.

2020 ◽  
pp. 391-401
Author(s):  
Fernanda Ribeiro da Silva ◽  
◽  
Marco Aurélio Pizo ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Native Plants ◽  
Open Systems ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Native Plant Species

Restoration aims to rebuild not only species but also the tangled interactions between species that ensure communities perpetuate by themselves. In tropical forests, restoration of seed dispersal interactions is essential because most plant species depend on animals to spread their seeds. A big challenge in restoring such forests is dealing with invasion by non-native species. Non-native plant species may outcompete and eliminate native species from the community, potentially disrupting or arresting the restoration process. Once established, invasive non-native plants are usually incorporated into the local seed dispersal network, potentially causing loss of biodiversity by competition with native species. This chapter reports on a case study of a 25-year old restored forest invaded by several bird-dispersed plant species. We assessed network metrics at the species level to specifically evaluate the role performed by invasive non-native species in the structure of the bird - seed dispersal network. The removal of invasive non-native plants and the re-establishment of native plant communities should be considered for the restoration of habitats invaded by non-native plants. For this reason, we discuss the impacts of removing such non-native plants and explore the consequences for the structure of the overall network. Because restoration areas are open systems, even after the removal of invasive non-native plant species they can return via seed dispersal. So, both the control and management of invasive non-native species would be more effective if planned with a landscape perspective. We also point out relevant management aspects to avoid the negative influence of invasive non-native plants on the seed dispersal interactions occurring between native plant and bird species in restored tropical forests.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document