Frugivory and seed dispersal [Elektronische Ressource] : ecological interactions between baboons, plants, and dung beetles in the savanna forest mosaic of West Africa / vorgelegt von Britta K. Kunz

Informations

• Publié par: julius-maximilians-universitat_wurzburg
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 37
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

FRUGIVORY AND SEED DISPERSAL:
ECOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN
BABOONS, PLANTS, AND DUNG BEETLES
IN THE SAVANNA-FOREST MOSAIC
OF WEST AFRICA




DISSERTATION ZUR ERLANGUNG DES
NATURWISSENSCHAFTLICHEN DOKTORGRADES
DER BAYERISCHEN JULIUS-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITÄT WÜRZBURG




VORGELEGT VON

BRITTA K. KUNZ

GEBOREN IN FRANKFURT AM MAIN



WÜRZBURG 2008





















Eingereicht am: 17.12.2008


Mitglieder der Promotionskomission:

Vorsitzender: Prof. Dr. Martin J. Müller

Gutachter: Prof. Dr. K. Eduard Linsenmair

Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Eckhard Heymann (DPZ, Göttingen)



Tag des Promotionskolloquiums: 10. Juli 2007


Doktorurkunde ausgehändigt am: __________________


















































One that would have the fruit must climb the tree.

Thomas Fuller
Gnomologia 1732





Olive baboons feeding on fruits of Lannea acida (Anacardiaceae)
at Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast




Table of Contents


Chapter 1
General Introduction, Focal Taxa, and Study Site 1
1. 1 SEEDS, FRUITS AND DIASPORES 2
1. 2 WHY DISPERSE SEEDS? POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES OF SEED DISPERSAL 3
1. 3 FRUIT SYNDROMES, DISPERSAL VECTORS, AND MAIN FUNCTIONAL
CATEGORIES 6
1. 4 SEED DISPERSAL BY ANIMALS 7
1.4.1 FRUGIVORY AND ENDOZOOCHOROUS SEED DISPERSAL BY VERTEBRATES 7
1.4.1.1 Diaspore Design and Effects on Fruit Choice and Seed Dispersal by Frugivores 8
1.4.1.2 Fruit and Seed Treatment, and the Effectiveness of Frugivores as Seed Dispersers 10
1. 5 THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS: SEED RAIN, SEED SHADOW, AND
DISPERSAL DISTANCES 13
1. 6 POST-DISPERSAL SEED FATE: WHAT HAPPENS TO A SEED AFTER PRIMARY
DISPERSAL? 14
1.6.1 POST-DISPERSAL SEED PREDATION 15
1.6.2 SECONDARY SEED DISPERSAL 15
1. 7 COEVOLUTION BETWEEN PLANTS AND THEIR SEED DISPERSERS? 17
1. 8 MOSTLY ANTAGONISM - VERTEBRATES AS PRE-DISPERSAL SEED PREDATORS 19
1.8.1 POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF PRE-DISPERSAL SEED PREDATORS ON SEED DISPERSAL
AND PLANT RECRUITMENT 20
1. 9 FRUGIVORY AND SEED DISPERSAL IN TROPICAL ECOSYSTEMS 21
1.9.1 PRIMATES AS SEED DISPERSERS AND PRE-DISPERSAL SEED PREDATORS 22
1.9.1.1 The Olive Baboon (Papio anubis Lesson 1827) 24
1.9.2 DUNG BEETLES (COLEOPTERA, SCARABAEIDAE) AS SECONDARY SEED DISPERSERS 26
1. 10 STUDY SITE 30
1. 11 OUTLINE OF THE THESIS 36
1. 12 REFERENCES 38

Chapter 2
Diet and Behavioural Ecology of Olive Baboons in the Comoé
National Park 51
2. 1 INTRODUCTION 52
2. 2 METHODS 53 2.2.1 STUDY AREA 53
2.2.2 INDIVIDUAL DENSITY AND GROUP SIZES 54
2.2.3 BEHAVIOURAL OBSERVATIONS OF FOCAL GROUPS 55
2.2.3.1 Ranging 55
2.2.3.2 Time Budget 56
2.2.4 DIET 57
2.2.5 GENERAL STATISTICS 58
2. 3 RESULTS 59
2.3.1 INDIVIDUAL DENSITY AND GROUP SIZES 59
2.3.2 RANGING 60
2.3.3 TIME BUDGET 61
2.3.4 DIET 61
2. 4 DISCUSSION 63
2.4.1 INDIVIDUAL DENSITY AND GROUP SIZES 63
2.4.2 RANGING, TIME BUDGET, AND DIET 65
2. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 71
2. 6 REFERENCES 71

Chapter 3
Fruit Traits in Baboon Diet: a Comparison with Plant Species'
Characteristics in a West African Savanna-Forest Mosaic 77
3. 1 INTRODUCTION 78
3. 2 METHODS 79
3.2.1 STUDY SITE 79
3.2.2 BABOON DIET 80
3.2.3 PLANT AND FRUIT TRAITs 80
3.2.3.1 Growth Forms 81
3.2.3.2 Fruit Types 81
3.2.3.3 Fruit Sizes 81
3.2.3.4 Seed Sizes 82
3.2.3.5 Fruit Colours 82
3.2.4 STATISTICS 82
3. 3 RESULTS 83
3.3.1 BABOON DIET 83
3.3.2 GROWTH FORMS 85
3.3.3 FRUIT TYPES 85
3.3.4 FRUIT SIZES 87
3.3.5 SEED SIZES 88
3.3.6 FRUIT COLOURS 88 3.3.7 RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF TRAITS FOR BABOON FRUIT CHOICE AND SEED
PREDATION 89
3.3.8 INTERDEPENDENCE OF TRAITS 90
3. 4 DISCUSSION 90
3. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 93
3. 6 REFERENCES 94

Chapter 4
The Role of Olive Baboons as Seed Dispersers in the Savanna-Forest
Mosaic of West Africa 101
4. 1 INTRODUCTION 102
4. 2 METHODS 103
4.2.1 STUDY SITE 103
4.2.2 ANALYSIS OF FAECAL SAMPLES 104
4.2.3 GERMINATION EXPERIMENTS 105
4.2.4 STATISTICAL ANALYSES 106
4. 3 RESULTS 107
4.3.1 ANALYSIS OF FAECAL SAMPLES 107
4.3.2 GERMINATION EXPERIMENTS 110
4. 4 DISCUSSION 113
4. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 117
4. 6 REFERENCES 117

Chapter 5
Changes in Baboon Feeding Behaviour: Maturity-Dependent Fruit
and Seed Size Selection within a Food Plant Species 123
5. 1 INTRODUCTION 124
5. 2 METHODS 126
5.2.1 STUDY AREA 126
5.2.2 FOCAL SPECIES 126
5.2.2.1 Olive Baboon (Papio anubis LESSON 1827) 126
5.2.2.2 African Locust Bean (Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R. Br. ex G. Don., Mimosaceae) 127
5.2.3 FRUIT PRODUCTION, AND FRUIT HARVEST BY OLIVE BABOONS 128
5.2.3.1 Fruiting Pattern, Crop Size, and Tree Density of Parkia biglobosa 128
5.2.3.2 Direct Observations on Plant Use and Fruit Selection by Olive Baboons 128
5.2.3.3 Predation and Dispersal Rates per Tree 129
5.2.4 FRUIT AND SEED CHARACTERISTICS 130 5.2.4.1 Fruit Exploitation of Ripe and Unripe Fruits 130
5.2.4.2 Seed Characteristics of Exploited and Unexploited Fruits 130
5.2.4.3 Seed-Pulp-Ratio 131
5.2.5 DATA ANALYSIS 132
5. 3 RESULTS 132
5.3.1 FRUIT PRODUCTION, AND FRUIT HARVEST BY OLIVE BABOONS 132
5.3.1.1 Fruiting Pattern, Crop Size, and Tree Density of Parkia biglobosa 132
5.3.1.2 Direct Observations on Plant Use and Fruit Treatment by Olive Baboons 132
5.3.1.3 Predation and Dispersal Rates per Tree 134
5.3.2 FRUIT AND SEED CHARACTERISTICS 135
5.3.2.1 Fruit Exploitation of Ripe and Unripe Fruits 135
5.3.2.2 Seed Characteristics of Exploited and Unexploited Fruits 136
5.3.2.3 Seed-Pulp-Ratio 136
5. 4 DISCUSSION 137
5. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 140
5. 6 REFERENCES 140

Chapter 6
Seed Size Selection by Olive Baboons 145
6. 1 INTRODUCTION 146
6. 2 METHODS 147
6. 3 RESULTS 149
6. 4 DISCUSSION 152
6. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 155
6. 6 REFERENCES 155

Chapter 7
Olive Baboons as Seed Dispersers of Typical 'Bird-Dispersed' Trees 159
7. 1 VARIATION OF DISPERSAL AGENTS? FRUGIVORE ASSEMBLAGES AND FRUIT
HANDLING IN LANNEA ACIDA (ANACARDIACEAE) 159
7.1.1. INTRODUCTION 160
7.1.2 STUDY SITE 161
7.1.3 METHODS 162
7.1.3.1 Vertebrate Fruit Consumers in L. acida Trees 162
7.1.3.2 Fruit Handling 162
7.1.3.3 Fruit Availability in the Vicinity of the Focal Trees 164
7.1.3.4 Seed Germination 164