What acceleration data from wildlife collars and animal body mass tell us about seed dispersal
Abstract Background The seeds of many plant species can be dispersed over long distances in animal fur (epizoochory). Quantifying epizoochory in the wild is, however, challenging, since it is difficult to measure the retention times of seeds in fur. These retention times depend on the acceleration t...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Animal Biotelemetry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40317-023-00331-4 |
| _version_ | 1797822939035336704 |
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| author | Carsten M. Buchmann Lukas Dreyling Mihaela Constantin Frank M. Schurr |
| author_facet | Carsten M. Buchmann Lukas Dreyling Mihaela Constantin Frank M. Schurr |
| author_sort | Carsten M. Buchmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The seeds of many plant species can be dispersed over long distances in animal fur (epizoochory). Quantifying epizoochory in the wild is, however, challenging, since it is difficult to measure the retention times of seeds in fur. These retention times depend on the acceleration that seeds experience and that can detach seeds from fur. Wildlife collars containing accelerometers may thus provide crucial information on epizoochorous seed dispersal. However, this is only the case if acceleration of the animal’s neck (where collars are attached) is informative of acceleration of the animal’s main body (where most seeds are transported). Methods We used accelerometers to simultaneously measure acceleration at the neck, breast and the upper hind leg of 40 individuals of eight mammal species spanning a large range of body masses (26–867 kg). We then quantified maximum acceleration as the 95%-quantile of the resultant acceleration (of all measured values in data intervals of 5 s). Results Maximum acceleration was comparable between the neck and breast but substantially higher at the hind leg. Maximum acceleration measured by neck collars and body mass jointly explained 81% of the variance in maximum acceleration of the breast and 62% of the variance in maximum acceleration of the leg. Conclusions Acceleration measured by neck collars is informative of the acceleration experienced by seeds attached to other body parts (breast and leg). When combined with animal movement data and lab measurements of how fur acceleration affects seed release and retention times, widely used collar accelerometers can thus be used to assess distances of epizoochorous seed dispersal. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:16:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-470ac638ca36433fab625b2cccaf0e52 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-3385 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:16:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animal Biotelemetry |
| spelling | doaj.art-470ac638ca36433fab625b2cccaf0e522023-05-21T11:11:42ZengBMCAnimal Biotelemetry2050-33852023-05-011111810.1186/s40317-023-00331-4What acceleration data from wildlife collars and animal body mass tell us about seed dispersalCarsten M. Buchmann0Lukas Dreyling1Mihaela Constantin2Frank M. Schurr3Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of HohenheimInstitute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of HohenheimInstitute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of HohenheimInstitute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of HohenheimAbstract Background The seeds of many plant species can be dispersed over long distances in animal fur (epizoochory). Quantifying epizoochory in the wild is, however, challenging, since it is difficult to measure the retention times of seeds in fur. These retention times depend on the acceleration that seeds experience and that can detach seeds from fur. Wildlife collars containing accelerometers may thus provide crucial information on epizoochorous seed dispersal. However, this is only the case if acceleration of the animal’s neck (where collars are attached) is informative of acceleration of the animal’s main body (where most seeds are transported). Methods We used accelerometers to simultaneously measure acceleration at the neck, breast and the upper hind leg of 40 individuals of eight mammal species spanning a large range of body masses (26–867 kg). We then quantified maximum acceleration as the 95%-quantile of the resultant acceleration (of all measured values in data intervals of 5 s). Results Maximum acceleration was comparable between the neck and breast but substantially higher at the hind leg. Maximum acceleration measured by neck collars and body mass jointly explained 81% of the variance in maximum acceleration of the breast and 62% of the variance in maximum acceleration of the leg. Conclusions Acceleration measured by neck collars is informative of the acceleration experienced by seeds attached to other body parts (breast and leg). When combined with animal movement data and lab measurements of how fur acceleration affects seed release and retention times, widely used collar accelerometers can thus be used to assess distances of epizoochorous seed dispersal.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40317-023-00331-4Body accelerationContact separation forceEpizoochorous seed dispersalWildlife collarMammals |
| spellingShingle | Carsten M. Buchmann Lukas Dreyling Mihaela Constantin Frank M. Schurr What acceleration data from wildlife collars and animal body mass tell us about seed dispersal Animal Biotelemetry Body acceleration Contact separation force Epizoochorous seed dispersal Wildlife collar Mammals |
| title | What acceleration data from wildlife collars and animal body mass tell us about seed dispersal |
| title_full | What acceleration data from wildlife collars and animal body mass tell us about seed dispersal |
| title_fullStr | What acceleration data from wildlife collars and animal body mass tell us about seed dispersal |
| title_full_unstemmed | What acceleration data from wildlife collars and animal body mass tell us about seed dispersal |
| title_short | What acceleration data from wildlife collars and animal body mass tell us about seed dispersal |
| title_sort | what acceleration data from wildlife collars and animal body mass tell us about seed dispersal |
| topic | Body acceleration Contact separation force Epizoochorous seed dispersal Wildlife collar Mammals |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40317-023-00331-4 |
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