Fruit consumption and seed ispersal of Dimorphandra mollis Benth. (Leguminosae) by the lowland tapir in the Cerrado of Central Brazil
| Autor: | M X A Bizerril, A Hass, Flávio Henrique Guimarães Rodrigues |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Předmět: |
Dimorphandra
pleistocene herbivores palatabilidade de frutos Seed dispersal Frutos - palatabilidade Germination herbívoros pleistocênicos Feces cerrado Frugivore biology.animal Herbivoria lcsh:Botany Botany lcsh:Zoology Animals lcsh:QL1-991 Pleistocene megafauna lcsh:Science lcsh:QH301-705.5 Perissodactyla lowland tapir biology Cerrados Fabaceae Feeding Behavior biology.organism_classification Dimorphandra mollis lcsh:QK1-989 Horticulture Anta lcsh:Biology (General) Fruit Seeds Tapirus terrestris Biological dispersal lcsh:Q General Agricultural and Biological Sciences Tapir fruit palatability |
| Zdroj: | Brazilian Journal of Biology, Vol 65, Iss 3, Pp 407-413 Repositório Institucional da UnB Universidade de Brasília (UnB) instacron:UNB Brazilian Journal of Biology, Volume: 65, Issue: 3, Pages: 407-413, Published: AUG 2005 Brazilian Journal of Biology v.65 n.3 2005 Brazilian Journal of Biology Instituto Internacional de Ecologia (IIE) instacron:IIE |
| ISSN: | 1678-4375 |
| Popis: | Fruit phenology observations and consumption of Dimorphandra mollis (Leguminosae) were analyzed during seven months in an area of cerrado stricto sensu. We analysed 81 fecal samples collected at six different places of lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) in central Brazilian cerrado. In addition, from the feces of five tapirs at the Brasília Zoo to which fruit had been offered, seeds were collected and used in germination tests. The results suggest that the tapir is an important fruit consumer and a potential seed disperser of D. mollis. In the field, however, fruit consumption was found to be very low, probably because of both fruit palatability and the low density of frugivores, especially tapirs. The possibility that the original dispersal agents of D. mollis seeds belonged to the South American Pleistocene megafauna is discussed. A frutificação de Dimorphandra mollis e o destino dos frutos foram analisados por 7 meses em uma área de cerrado stricto sensu no Distrito Federal. Analisamos 81 amostras de fezes de anta (Tapirus terrestris) coletadas em 6 áreas de cerrado no Brasil Central e oferecemos frutos a 5 antas no zoológico de Brasília. As fezes foram coletadas e as sementes usadas em testes de germinação. A anta é importante consumidor dos frutos e potencial dispersor das sementes. Contudo, o consumo de frutos no campo foi reduzido provavelmente em razão da palatabilidade dos frutos e da baixa densidade de frugívoros, especialmente antas. Discutimos a possibilidade de os dispersores originais pertencerem à megafauna extinta de mamíferos da América do Sul. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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