Exotic Guavas are Foci of Forest Regeneration in Kenyan Farmland |
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Authors: | Dana Gertrud Berens Nina Farwig Gertrud Schaab Katrin Böhning-Gaese |
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Institution: | Institut für Zoologie, Abt. V - Ökologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Becherweg 13, 55128 Mainz, Germany;Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya;Fakultät für Geomatik, Hochschule Karlsruhe—Technik und Wirtschaft, Moltkestraße 30, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany |
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Abstract: | Fruiting trees in degraded areas are attractive for frugivorous birds and may become centers of regeneration. However, a number of tree species in degraded areas are exotic species. Thus, the question arises whether these exotic species can also act as foci for forest regeneration. In the farmland adjacent to Kakamega Forest, Kenya, we investigated the frugivore assemblage in, and seed rain and seedling establishment under, 29 fruiting exotic guava trees ( Psidium guajava ) at different distances to the forest. The results show that 40 frugivorous bird species visited guava trees. All of the seed and 82 percent of the seedling species found under the treecrowns were animal dispersed, 58 and 57 percent of them late-successional species, respectively. Path analysis revealed that the abundance of frugivorous birds, seeds, and seedlings did not decrease up to a distance of 2 km from the forest. Surprisingly, the abundance of frugivorous shrubland birds, animal-dispersed seeds, and late-successional seeds showed an increase with increasing distance from forest. Even though they are exotics, fruiting guava trees may have a positive effect on forest regeneration and might prove valuable for management plans concerning forest restoration. |
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Keywords: | frugivorous birds Kakamega Forest landscape management Psidium guajava seed dispersal |
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