Seasonal variation in the fate of seeds under contrasting logging regimes


Autoria(s): Fleury, Marina; Rodrigues, Ricardo R.; Couto, Hilton T. Z. do; Galetti, Mauro
Contribuinte(s)

Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)

Data(s)

03/12/2014

03/12/2014

10/03/2014

Resumo

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Processo FAPESP: 2004/13230-5

Processo FAPESP: 2005/55093-7

Seed predators and dispersers may drive the speed and structure of forest regeneration in natural ecosystems. Rodents and ants prey upon and disperse seeds, yet empirical studies on the magnitude of these effects are lacking. Here, we examined the role of ants and rodents on seed predation in 4 plant species in a successional gradient on a tropical rainforest island. We found that (1) seeds are mostly consumed rather than dispersed; (2) rates of seed predation vary by habitat, season, and species; (3) seed size, shape, and hardness do not affect the probability of being depredated. Rodents were responsible for 70% of seed predation and were negligible (0.14%) seed dispersers, whereas ants were responsible for only 2% of seed predation and for no dispersal. We detected seasonal and habitat effects on seed loss, with higher seed predation occurring during the wet season and in old-growth forests. In the absence of predators regulating seed-consumer populations, the densities of these resilient animals explode to the detriment of natural regeneration and may reduce diversity and carrying capacity for consumers and eventually lead to ecological meltdown.

Formato

8

Identificador

http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0090060

Plos One. San Francisco: Public Library Science, v. 9, n. 3, 8 p., 2014.

1932-6203

http://hdl.handle.net/11449/111275

10.1371/journal.pone.0090060

WOS:000332839300016

WOS000332839300016.pdf

Idioma(s)

eng

Publicador

Public Library Science

Relação

PLOS ONE

Direitos

openAccess

Tipo

info:eu-repo/semantics/article