Changes of community composition at multiple trophic levels due to hunting in Nigerian tropical forests

Hunting in tropical forests decimates large mammals, and this may have direct and indirect effects on other trophic levels and lead to trophic cascades. We compared replicated sites of hunted and protected forests in southeastern Nigeria, with respect to community composition of primates, other mammals, birds, plant seedlings, and mature trees. We make predictions regarding the community composition at the different trophic levels. In forests where large primates are rare, we hypothesize that their ecological role will not be fully compensated for by small frugivores. We apply multivariate methods to assess changes in community composition of mammals, birds, and seedlings, controlling for any differences between sites in the other groups, including mature trees. Medium and large (4–180 kg) primates were much rarer in hunted sites, while porcupine and rock hyrax increased in abundance with hunting. In contrast, the community composition of birds was similar in both types of forests. Seedling communities were significantly related to the community composition of mammals, and thus strongly affected by hunting. In protected forests primate dispersed plant seedling species dominated, whereas in hunted forests the seedling community was shifted towards one dominated by abiotically dispersed species. This was probably both a consequence of reduced seed dispersal by primates, and increased seed predation by rodents and hyrax. Hence we found no evidence for buffering effects on tree regeneration through functional compensation by non‐hunted animals (such as birds). Our results highlight how seedling communities are changed by the complex plant–animal intera ctions, triggered by the loss of seed dispersers. The results predict a rarity of primate‐dispersed trees in future tropical forest canopies; a forest less diverse in timber and non‐timber resources.     

Bushmeat and the Fate of Trees with Seeds Dispersed by Large Primates in a Lowland Rain Forest in Western Amazonia

In Neotropical forests, large fruit-eating primates play important ecological roles as dispersal agents of large seeds. Bushmeat hunting threatens to disrupt populations of primates and large-seeded trees. We test the hypothesis that otherwise intact Neotropical forests with depressed populations of large primates experience decline in recruitment of large-seeded trees. We quantify the proportion of small juveniles (> 0.5 m tall–1 cm diameter at breast height, DBH) of large primate-dispersed tree species found underneath heterospecifc trees that are also dispersed by large primates at two protected sites in Manu National Park and one hunted site outside Manu N.P. in southeastern Peru. The forests are comparable in edaphic and climatic qualities, successional stage, and adult tree species composition. We found that hunting locally exterminates populations of large primates, and reduced primates of intermediate body size (hereafter "medium primates") by 80 percent. Moreover, tree species richness was 55 percent lower and density of species dispersed by large and medium-bodied primates 60 percent lower in hunted than in protected sites. In addition, richness and density of abiotically dispersed species and plants dispersed by non-game animals are greater in hunted sites. Overhunting threatens to disrupt the ecological interactions between primates and the plants that rely on them for seed dispersal and recruitment. Sustainable wildlife management plans are urgently needed, because protected areas are at risk of becoming "island" parks if buffer zones become empty of animals and have impoverished flora.     

Roles of Birds and Bats in Early Tropical-Forest Restoration

Restoration of tropical forest depended in large part on seed dispersal by fruit-eating animals that transported seeds into planted forest patches. We tested effectiveness of dispersal agents as revealed by established recruits of tree and shrub species that bore seeds dispersed by birds, bats, or both. We documented restoration of dispersal processes over the first 76 months of experimental restoration in southern Mexico. Mixed-model repeated-measures randomized-block ANOVAs of seedlings recruited into experimental controls and mixed-species plantings from late-secondary and mature forest indicated that bats and birds played different roles in the first years of a restoration process. Bats dispersed pioneer tree and shrub species to slowly regenerating grassy areas, while birds mediated recruitment of later-successional species into planted stands of trees and to a lesser extent into controls. Of species of pioneer trees and shrubs established in plots, seven were primarily dispersed by birds, three by bats and four by both birds and bats. Of later-successional species recruited past the seedling stage, 13 were of species primarily dispersed by birds, and six were of species dispersed by both birds and bats. No later-successional species primarily dispersed by bats established in control or planted plots. Establishment of recruited seedlings was ten-fold higher under cover of planted trees than in grassy controls. Even pre-reproductive trees drew fruit-eating birds and the seeds that they carried from nearby forest, and provided conditions for establishment of shade-tolerant tree species. Overall, after 76 months of cattle exclusion, 94% of the recruited shrubs and trees in experimental plots were of species that we did not plant.     

Seed Dispersal by Bats and Birds in Forest and Disturbed Habitats of Chiapas,Mexico1

We examined seed dispersal by bats and birds in four habitats of the Selva Lacandona tropical rain forest region, Chiapas, Mexico. The four habitats represented a disturbance gradient: active cornfield, ten-year-old abandoned cornfield, cacao plantation, and forest. Using seed traps examined before sunrise (0400 h) and before sunset (1800 h), we compared volant vertebrate seed dispersal, assuming that seeds found at the end of the night were dispersed by bats and those found at the end of the day were dispersed by birds. We did not find seeds from other frugivores such as monkeys or opossums. In all habitats bats dispersed more seeds than birds. In most months bats also dispersed more seeds than birds, except in December when no seeds were found in the traps. Bats also consistently dispersed more species of seeds than birds, although a x2 comparison showed differences not to be significant. Fifty percent of the species represented in the dispersed seeds in all habitats were pioneer species. Cecropia seeds represented a high percentage (up to 87% of those dispersed by bats and up to 83% by birds) of dispersed seeds that fell in our traps. The influence of bats and birds on secondary successional processes is likely to be fundamental for the establishment of vegetation. Since bats dispersed more seeds than birds (primarily to disturbed areas and consisting primarily of pioneer species), they are likely to play an important role in successional and restoration processes among habitats as structurally and vegetationally different as cornfields, old fields, cacao plantations, and forest.     

Dispersal,diversity and distribution patterns in pioneer vegetation: The role of river‐floodplain connectivity

Question: Are there changes in dispersal patterns in floodplain pioneer vegetation with effects on seedling number, species richness and species composition along a gradient of declining river‐floodplain connectivity? Location: Middle Elbe river floodplain, Germany. Methods: An experiment with five treatments was set up along a gradient of declining river‐floodplain connectivity, partitioning seedlings into three groups: (1) emerging solely from water dispersed seeds, (2) from wind/animal dispersed seeds and (3) from the soil diaspore bank. Two controls were established: without any manipulation and exclusion of all seeds. The results were compared with those of vegetation and soil sampling to evaluate the representativeness of the experimental sites in terms of species composition, diversity, seedling number and soil parameters. Results: Water dispersal and the soil diaspore bank were the major dispersal strategies shaping floodplain pioneer vegetation at the Middle Elbe river. The number of seedlings, species richness and the variation in species composition in these habitats depend on the degree of connectivity. The seedling number and species richness is highest in sites of permanent or almost permanent exchange with the main channel, where water dispersal additionally contributes to the number of seedlings grown from the soil seed bank. Conclusion: The results underline the importance of river‐floodplain ecotones as sink habitats for water‐dispersed seeds. Considering the strongly reduced river‐floodplain interactions due to dykes and other engineering structures, management strategies are necessary to improve connectivity and the renewal of fluvial land forms.     

Tree recovery and seed dispersal by birds: Comparing forest, agroforestry and abandoned agroforestry in coastal Ecuador

We used a highly replicated study to examine vegetation characteristics between patches of intervened forest, abandoned agroforestry systems with coffee and actively managed agroforestry systems with coffee in a tropical landscape. In all habitats, plant structural characteristics, individual abundance, species richness and composition were recorded for the three plant size classes: adult trees, saplings and seedlings. Furthermore, bird species richness and composition, and seeds dispersed by birds were recorded. Tree abundance was higher in forest habitats while saplings and seedlings were more abundant in abandoned coffee sites. Although species richness of adult trees was similar in the three habitats, species richness of saplings and seedlings was much higher in forest and abandoned coffee than in managed coffee sites. However, in spite of their relatively low species richness, managed coffee sites are an important refuge for tree species common to the almost disappeared mature forest in the area. Floristic similarity for adult trees was relatively low between land use types, but clearly higher for seedlings, indicating homogenizing processes at the landscape level. More than half of the saplings and seedling were not represented by adults in the canopy layer, suggesting the importance of seed dispersal by birds between habitats. Our results show that each of the studied ecosystems plays a unique and complementary role as seed source and as habitat for tree recovery and tree diversity.     

Differences in seed rain composition in small and large fragments in the northeast Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Tropical forests are seriously threatened by fragmentation and habitat loss. The impact of fragment size and forest configuration on the composition of seed rain is insufficiently studied. For the present study, seed rain composition of small and large forest fragments (8–388 ha) was assessed in order to identify variations in seed abundance, species richness, seed size and dispersal mode. Seed rain was documented during a 1‐year period in three large and four small Atlantic Forest fragments that are isolated by a sugarcane matrix. Total seed rain included 20,518 seeds of 149 species of trees, shrubs, palms, lianas and herbs. Most species and seeds were animal‐dispersed. A significant difference in the proportion of seeds and species within different categories of seed size was found between small and large fragments. Small fragments received significantly more very small‐sized seeds (<0.3 cm) and less large‐seeded species (>1.5 cm) that were generally very rare, with only one species in small and eight in large fragments. We found a negative correlation between the inflow of small‐sized seeds and the percentage of forest cover. Species richness was lower in small than in large fragments, but the difference was not very pronounced. Given our results, we propose changing plant species pools through logging, tree mortality and a high inflow of pioneer species and lianas, especially in small forest fragments and areas with low forest cover. Connecting forest fragments through corridors and reforestation with local large‐seeded tree species may facilitate the maintenance of species diversity.     

Seed germination and life history syndromes in the California chaparral

Syndromes are life history responses that are correlated to environmental regimes and are shared by a group of species (Stebbins, 1974). In the California chaparral there are two syndromes contrasted by the timing of seedling recruitment relative to wildfires. One syndrome, here called the fire-recruiter or refractory seed syndrome, includes species (both resprouting and non-resprouting) which share the feature that the timing of seedling establishment is specialized to the first rainy season after fire. Included are woody, suffrutescent and annual life forms but no geophytes have this syndrome. These species are linked by the characteristic that their seeds have a dormancy which is readily broken by environmental stimuli such as intense heat shock or chemicals leached from charred wood. Such seeds are referred to as “refractory” and dormancy, in some cases, is due to seed coat impermeability (such seeds are commonly called hardseeded), but in other cases the mechanism is unknown. Seeds of some may require cold stratification and/or light in addition to fire related stimuli. In the absence of fire related cues, a portion or all of a species’ seed pool remains dormant. Most have locally dispersed seeds that persist in the soil seed bank until the site burns. Dispersal of propagules is largely during spring and summer which facilitates the avoidance of flowering and fruiting during the summer and fall drought. Within a life form (e.g., shrub, suffrutescent, etc.), the seeds of these species have less mass than those of species with non-refractory seeds and this possibly reflects the environmental favorableness of the postfire environment for seedling establishment. Regardless of when fire occurs, germination is normally delayed until late winter or early spring. In the absence of fire, or other disturbance, opportunities for population expansion are largely lacking for species with this syndrome. The other syndrome, here called the fire-resister or non-refractory seed syndrome, includes species that are resilient to frequent fires (mostly by vegetative resprouting), but require fire-free periods for recruiting new seedlings. Included are shrubs, subshrubs, suffrutescents, lianas, geophytes and annuals. All are linked by the characteristic that their seeds germinate in the absence of cues related to wildfires. In many cases no form of seed dormancy is present and the seeds germinate soon after dispersal; consequently these species do not accumulate a persistent seed bank. Germination and seedling establishment is independent of fire and thus opportunities for population expansion are also independent of fire. The demographic pattern of seedling recruitment varies with the life form. For shrubs, seedling recruitment may be restricted to sites free of fire for periods of a hundred years or more. Recruitment appears to require relatively mesic conditions and this may account for the patchy distribution of these species within the matrix of relatively arid sites. Finding such sites has selected for propagules specialized for wind or animal dispersal; the majority are bird dispersed. These shrub species all disperse fruits in fall and winter and this may have been selected to take advantage of migratory birds as well as to time dispersal to the winter rains typical of the mediterranean-climate. Germination typically occurs within several weeks of the first fall or winter rains. Maturation of flowers and fruits during the summer and fall drought may account for the distribution of these species on more mesic sites. Seed mass of these species is large and this may have been selected to provide an advantage to seedlings establishing under the canopy of this dense shrub community.     

Bird Perches Increase Forest Seeds on Puerto Rican Landslides

Abstract Landslides result in the loss of vertical vegetative structure, soil nutrients, and the soil seed bank. These losses impede timely recovery of tropical forest communities. In this study we added bird perches to six Puerto Rican landslides with three types of surfaces (bare, climbing fern, grass) in an effort to facilitate inputs of forest seeds through bird dispersal and to accelerate plant succession. Numbers of bird‐dispersed forest seeds were significantly higher in plots beneath introduced perches than in control plots. Perches did not increase forest seedling densities compared with control plots. Seven different species of birds were observed on introduced perches. Because 99% of the seed inputs to controls and perch plots in the six landslides were wind‐dispersed seeds (mostly graminoids), perches can improve landslide restoration if woody plants establish and shade out the dominant graminoid and climbing fern ground cover. Although increasing seed inputs from forest species is a critical step in accelerating revegetation of landslides, we suggest that supplemental restoration techniques be applied in addition to bird perches to promote forest recovery.     

Seed Dispersal Distances and Plant Migration Potential in Tropical East Asia

Most predictions of vegetation responses to anthropogenic climate change over the next 100 yr are based on plant physiological tolerances and do not account for the ability of plant species to migrate over the distances required in the time available, or the impact of habitat fragmentation on this ability. This review assesses the maximum routine dispersal distances achievable in tropical East Asia and their vulnerability to human impacts. Estimates for various plant–vector combinations range from < 10 m, for species dispersed by ants or mechanical means, to > 10 km for some species dispersed by wind (tiny seeds), water, fruit pigeons, large fruit bats (tiny seeds), elephants, rhinoceroses, and people. Most plant species probably have maximum dispersal distances in the 100–1000 m range, but the widespread, canopy-dominant Dipterocarpaceae and Fagaceae are normally dispersed < 100 m. Large fruit bats and fruit pigeons are particularly important for long-distance dispersal in fragmented landscapes and should be protected from hunting. The maximum seed dispersal distances estimated in this study are potentially sufficient for many plant species to track temperature changes in steep topography, but are far too small for a significant role in mitigating climate change impacts in the lowlands, where temperature and rainfall gradients are much more shallow.     

Seed dispersal by wind,birds, and bats between Philippine montane rainforest and successional vegetation

In the moist Neotropics, vertebrate frugivores have a much greater role in the dispersal of forest and successional woody plants than wind, and bats rather than birds play the dominant role in dispersing early successional species. I investigated whether these patterns also occurred in a Philippine montane rainforest and adjacent successional vegetation. I also asked whether seed mass was related to probability of dispersal between habitats. A greater number of woody species and stems in the forest produced vertebrate-dispersed seeds than wind-dispersed seeds. Although input of forest seeds into the successional area was dominated by vertebrate-dispersed seeds in terms of species richness, wind-dispersed seeds landed in densities 15 times higher. Frugivorous birds dispersed more forest seeds and species into the successional area than bats, and more successional seeds and species into the forest. As expected, seed input declined with distance from source habitat. Low input of forest seeds into the successional area at the farthest distance sampled, 40 m from forest edge, particularly for vertebrate-dispersed seeds, suggests very limited dispersal out of forest even into a habitat in which woody successional vegetation provides perches and fruit resources. For species of vertebrate-dispersed successional seeds, probability of dispersal into forest declined significantly with seed mass.     

Life History Traits of Lianas During Tropical Forest Succession

Tropical secondary forests form an important part of the landscape. Understanding functional traits of species that colonize at different points in succession can provide insight into community assembly. Although studies on functional traits during forest succession have focused on trees, lianas (woody vines) also contribute strongly to forest biomass, species richness, and dynamics. We examined life history traits of lianas in a forest chronosequence in Costa Rica to determine which traits vary consistently over succession. We conducted 0.1 ha vegetation inventories in 30 sites. To examine the establishment of young individuals, we only included small lianas (0.5–1.5 cm diameter at 1.3 m height). For each species, we identified seed size, dispersal mode, climbing mode, and whether or not the seedling is self‐supporting. We found a strong axis of variation determined by seed size and seedling growth habit, with early successional communities dominated by small‐seeded species with abiotic dispersal and climbing seedlings, while large‐seeded, animal‐dispersed species with free‐standing seedlings increased in abundance with stand age. Contrary to previous research and theory, we found a decrease in the abundance of stem twiners and no decrease in the abundance of tendril‐climbers during succession. Seed size appears to be a better indicator of liana successional stage than climbing mode. Liana life history traits change predictably over succession, particularly traits related to seedling establishment. Identifying whether these trait differences persist into the growth strategies of mature lianas is an important research goal, with potential ramifications for understanding the impact of lianas during tropical forest succession.     

Scatter-and clump-dispersal and seedling demography: hypothesis and implications

Summary Fruit-eating animals deposit viable seeds in patterns that determine the conditions under which seeds and seedlings live or die. Many tree species are scatter-dispersed by birds, bats, or other small frugivores that regurgitate, defecate, or drop seeds singly or in pairs. These scatterdispersed plant species normally recruit as isolated individuals, and are unlikely to evolve exceptional resistance to herbivores, pathogens, or to other sources of density-dependent seed or seedling mortality. Other tree species are clump-dispersed by larger terrestrial or arboreal frugivores that defecate seeds in masses which produce bouquets of seedlings. Because their seeds invariably germinate in close proximity to other seedlings, clump-dispersed species necessarily evolve chemical or mechanical defenses against seed predators, pathogens, and herbivores that act in a densitydependent manner.Population and genetic attributes should reflect this basic dichotomy in the conditions of seedling recruitment. I predict that seedlings of scatter-dispersed species rarely survive near parents or in dense aggregations under frugivore roosts. Seed dispersal should be mandatory, often to light gaps or other special habitats. Outbred adults and juveniles are expected to exist at low densities in loose aggregations or random distributions. Seedlings of clump-dispersed trees are pre-adapted for survival in dense aggregations near parents, as well as in fecal clumps. Substantial recruitment of juveniles and young adults should occur from undispersed seeds under and near parent trees. Such species should be common, highly aggregated, and show strong genetic family structure. Because recruitment requires dispersal, scatter-dispersed plant species should be especially vulnerable to loss of dispersal agents. Because offspring consistently recruit near parents, clump-dispersed plants should be less vulnerable to temporary loss of dispersal agents.     

Seed Dispersal of a High Quality Fruit by Specialized Frugivores: High Quality Dispersal?1

Dispersal quality, as estimated by the cumulative effects of dispersal, germination, seed predation, and seedling survival, was examined for Beilschmiedia pendula (Lauraceae) in Monteverde, Costa Rica. I determined the pattern of dispersal by finding seeds deposited by birds, protected the seeds from seed predators with cages to assess germination and seedling survival, and examined seed predation rates with marked seeds. Seed predation, germination, and seedling survival were compared between seeds naturally dispersed by birds and seeds placed at randomly located sites. Approximately 70 percent of seeds dispersed by birds (N= 244) were deposited <10 m from crown edges of fruiting B. pendula trees, although some seeds were dispersed at least 70 m away. Larger seeds were more likely to be dispersed under or close to the parent trees, and larger seeds produced larger seedlings. Seed size was not correlated directly with seedling survival, but larger seedlings at three months were most likely to survive one year. Seed predation by mammals and insects and seedling mortality due to fungal pathogens were concentrated beneath the crowns of parent trees. Seedlings and saplings were more abundant beneath fruiting B. pendula trees, but individuals farther away were taller on average. Thus, dispersal is beneficial for B. pendula, but such benefits appear most pronounced at a small spatial scale; seeds dispersed >30 m from the crown edges actually had a lower probability of survival than those dispersed 10–20 m. Only 10 percent of B. pendula. seeds received high‐quality dispersal in terms of landing in the zone with the highest per seed probability of seedling survival 10–20 m from parental crowns.     

Seed rain and advanced regeneration in a tropical rain forest

By comparing seed rain, seedling and sapling community structures we assessed the possible role played by vertebrate seed dispersal as a structuring factor in advanced regeneration of closed-canopied sites in the tropical rain forest of Los Tuxtlas, Mexico. Seed weight, initial morphology of seedlings and species abundance were also analyzed to determine if these traits influenced the probability of establishment in the shade.About half of the seed species falling in five closed forest sites (25×25 m) during one year came from fruiting trees growing within the sites (local seeds) and half from fruiting trees found outside the sites (immigrant seeds). Seeds of liana and upper-canopy species were over-represented among immigrant seeds compared with seeds of understory tree species. This probably reflects the activity of frugivorous arboreal mammals, bats, and birds. Species with immigrant seeds had both a lower abundance and a narrower spatial distribution than locally produced seeds. Therefore, immigrant seeds showed higher diversity values than locally produced seeds.Average seed size and the proportion of epigeous seedlings were similar in local and immigrant species. Under closed-canopied sites, factors affecting community organization seem to operate selectively, favoring the establishment of large-seeded, local abundant species in the advanced regeneration. However, the fact that some saplings of immigrant species were found in the plots suggest that a slow species infiltration may be occurring leading to a slow shift in the advanced regeneration species composition. We propose that the influence of seed dispersal on advanced regeneration structure depends on the disturbance history of the patches where seeds land.     

Seed dispersal, seedling establishment and gap partitioning among tropical pioneer trees

1 We examined the abundance and distribution patterns of pioneer seeds in the soil seed bank, and of pioneer seedlings in 53 recently formed gaps, in a 50‐ha forest dynamics plot on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. The aim was to assess the importance of dispersal limitation (failure of seeds to arrive at all sites suitable for their germination) and establishment limitation (failure of seeds having reached a site to germinate successfully and establish as seedlings) in determining patterns of gap occupancy.
2 The abundance of seeds in the soil seed bank was strongly negatively correlated with seed size, but was not correlated with the abundance of reproductive‐sized adult trees in the plot. In contrast, the abundance of pioneer seedlings > 10 cm height in natural gaps was strongly correlated with adult abundance, but was not correlated with seed size.
3 Seedlings were non‐randomly distributed among gaps, but seedling abundance was not directly related to gap size, and there was no evidence of partitioning of the light environment of gaps by small seedlings. Large differences in growth and mortality rates among species were observed after 1 year, and this may result in the gap size partitioning previously found in saplings of the same species.
4 Seedlings of most species, particularly those with large seeds, were relatively more abundant than expected in gaps close to their conspecific adults. Proximity to reproductives, and by inference dispersal limitation, therefore exerts some effect on seedling distribution. None the less, large differences between seed and seedling abundances for some species, and low seedling occupancy rates in some gaps close to adult conspecifics, suggest that seedling emergence probabilities and species‐specific establishment requirements may also be important determinants of local abundance.     

Seed Dispersal by Birds and Bats in Lowland Philippine Forest Successional Area

In the tropical forests of SE Asia, only a few studies have dealt with the role animal dispersal plays in early forest succession and rehabilitation, and a comparison of bird and bat dispersal is even rarer. We investigated seed dispersal by birds and bats in a successional area in the lowland dipterocarp forest of the Subic Watershed Forest Reserve (SWFR) in Luzon Island, Philippines. Using pairs of day and night traps, we collected seeds during 3 mo of wet season and 3 mo of dry season in a 1.2-ha study site. Bird-dispersed seeds predominated over those dispersed by bats in terms of both seed abundance and number of seed species. The most abundant endozoochorous seed species were significantly biased toward either bird or bat dispersal. Birds and bats appeared to compete more strongly for fruit resources during the dry season than during the wet season, and bats responded more to changes in the seasons than birds did. GLM analyses showed that the factor that had the strongest influence on overall seed distribution was the number of fleshy-fruited trees surrounding the traps, and that the distribution pattern of day-dispersed seeds was affected by more physical factors (number of trees, size of trees, presence of fleshy-fruited and conspecific trees) in the study site than the pattern of night-dispersed seeds were. Given that birds are the more important dispersers in the study site, restoration efforts in SWFR might benefit by focusing on attracting these dispersers into its degraded habitats.     

Dung beetle activity affects rain forest seed bank dynamics and seedling establishment

Dung beetles relocate vertebrate feces under the soil surface, and this behavior has many ecological consequences. In tropical forests, for example, seeds defecated by mammals that are subsequently buried by dung beetles are less likely to suffer predation. While the effects of dung beetles on the fate of defecated seeds have been relatively well studied, their effect on seeds already buried in the soil has not. To contribute to fill this gap, we designed a study with three objectives: (a) Describe the vertical re‐distribution of soil seeds that occurs due to dung beetle activity; (b) Determine if beetle activity favors establishment of seedlings from the soil seed bank; and (c) Determine if the effect of dung beetles is stronger in sites of recurrent mammal defecation. We carried out three complementary field experiments, one with artificial seeds (plastic beads) of three sizes buried at known depths, one with two species of seeds buried at those same depths, and one with the natural soil seed bank in sites of single vs. recurrent defecation. Buried beads were moved by dung beetles along the vertical axis, both upwards (9.5%) and downwards (11.5%); smaller beads were more frequently moved downwards while the contrary occurred for larger beads. Dung beetle activity caused an increase in seedling establishment, both from experimentally buried seeds and from the natural seed bank. Defecation recurrence had no effect on seedling establishment. We conclude that dung beetle activity affects seed bank dynamics with important consequences for seedling establishment in tropical forests.Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.     

西双版纳白背桐次生林土壤种子库、种子雨研究

 本文讨论了西双版纳常见的次生林白背桐(Mallotus paniculatus )林的土壤种子库和种子雨的组成及动态。结果表明该林地的种子雨年输入量为745粒/m2,土壤种子库储量在雨季末期为3345±438粒/m2,旱季末期为4555±554粒/m2,种子雨的输入高峰出现在旱季,导致旱季末期土壤种子库储量大于雨季末期。森林破碎化导致的隔离效应阻碍了种子的传播途径,使土壤种子库储量下降,种子雨和土壤种子库中鸟类传播的种子比例增大。传播成熟林树种的大型动物到达不了该样地,植被的演替受到了阻碍。     

Seeds in droppings of tropical fruit-eating birds: importance of considering seed composition

Summary The probability of interspecific seedling competition from bird droppings is high because fruit-eating birds, on average, deposit more than two species in a single dropping. Moreover, birds vary both in the number of plant species they deposit in a given dropping and in the seed composition of those droppings. In a preliminary experiment, I examined effects of interspecific seedling competition from seeds found in bird droppings. Certain plant species were competitively superior in pairwise growth experiments using six common second-growth species. The survival of certain shrubs depended on which species it was disseminated with in bird droppings. Rapid germination time may promote competitive superiority in some cases. Birds affect plant fitness not only because of their behavior following dispersal, but also because they deposit seeds in different densities and combinations.