Response of frugivorous primates to changes in fruit supply in a northern Amazonian forest
Few attempts have been made to understand how spatiotemporal changes in fruit supply influence frugivores in tropical forests. The marked spatiotemporal variation in fruit supply can affect frugivore abundance and distribution, but studies addressing the effects of this variation on primates are sca...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Instituto Internacional de Ecologia
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| Series: | Brazilian Journal of Biology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842014000300720&lng=en&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1811305338056474624 |
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| author | I Mourthé |
| author_facet | I Mourthé |
| author_sort | I Mourthé |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Few attempts have been made to understand how spatiotemporal changes in fruit supply influence frugivores in tropical forests. The marked spatiotemporal variation in fruit supply can affect frugivore abundance and distribution, but studies addressing the effects of this variation on primates are scarce. The present study aimed to investigate how the spatiotemporal distribution of fruits influences the local distribution of three frugivorous primates in the eastern part of the Maracá Ecological Station, a highly seasonal Amazonian rainforest. Specifically, it was hypothesised that primate distribution will track changes in fruit supply, resulting that sites with high fruit availability should be heavily used by primates. During a 1-year study, fruit supply (ground fruit surveys) and primate density (line-transects) were monitored in twelve 2 km-long transects at monthly intervals. Fruit supply varied seasonally, being low during the dry season. The density of Ateles belzebuth was positively related to fruit supply during fruit shortage, but Cebus olivaceus and Alouatta macconnelli did not follow the same pattern. The supply of Sapotaceae fruit was an important component determining local distribution of A. belzebuth during the overall fruit shortage. Highly frugivorous primates such as A. belzebuth respond to seasonal decline in fruit supply by congregating at places with high fruit supply in this forest, particularly, those with many individuals of species of Sapotaceae. This study underscores the importance of small-scale spatiotemporal changes of fruit supply as a key component of frugivorous primate ecology in highly seasonal environments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:23:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-79a1b11765944a9faf099bd3b2c7162c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1678-4375 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:23:39Z |
| publisher | Instituto Internacional de Ecologia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brazilian Journal of Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-79a1b11765944a9faf099bd3b2c7162c2022-12-22T02:54:33ZengInstituto Internacional de EcologiaBrazilian Journal of Biology1678-437574372072710.1590/bjb.2014.0088S1519-69842014000300720Response of frugivorous primates to changes in fruit supply in a northern Amazonian forestI MourthéFew attempts have been made to understand how spatiotemporal changes in fruit supply influence frugivores in tropical forests. The marked spatiotemporal variation in fruit supply can affect frugivore abundance and distribution, but studies addressing the effects of this variation on primates are scarce. The present study aimed to investigate how the spatiotemporal distribution of fruits influences the local distribution of three frugivorous primates in the eastern part of the Maracá Ecological Station, a highly seasonal Amazonian rainforest. Specifically, it was hypothesised that primate distribution will track changes in fruit supply, resulting that sites with high fruit availability should be heavily used by primates. During a 1-year study, fruit supply (ground fruit surveys) and primate density (line-transects) were monitored in twelve 2 km-long transects at monthly intervals. Fruit supply varied seasonally, being low during the dry season. The density of Ateles belzebuth was positively related to fruit supply during fruit shortage, but Cebus olivaceus and Alouatta macconnelli did not follow the same pattern. The supply of Sapotaceae fruit was an important component determining local distribution of A. belzebuth during the overall fruit shortage. Highly frugivorous primates such as A. belzebuth respond to seasonal decline in fruit supply by congregating at places with high fruit supply in this forest, particularly, those with many individuals of species of Sapotaceae. This study underscores the importance of small-scale spatiotemporal changes of fruit supply as a key component of frugivorous primate ecology in highly seasonal environments.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842014000300720&lng=en&tlng=enAmazoniaMaracá Ecological Stationprimate distributionseasonal fruit availabilityfruit shortage |
| spellingShingle | I Mourthé Response of frugivorous primates to changes in fruit supply in a northern Amazonian forest Brazilian Journal of Biology Amazonia Maracá Ecological Station primate distribution seasonal fruit availability fruit shortage |
| title | Response of frugivorous primates to changes in fruit supply in a northern Amazonian forest |
| title_full | Response of frugivorous primates to changes in fruit supply in a northern Amazonian forest |
| title_fullStr | Response of frugivorous primates to changes in fruit supply in a northern Amazonian forest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Response of frugivorous primates to changes in fruit supply in a northern Amazonian forest |
| title_short | Response of frugivorous primates to changes in fruit supply in a northern Amazonian forest |
| title_sort | response of frugivorous primates to changes in fruit supply in a northern amazonian forest |
| topic | Amazonia Maracá Ecological Station primate distribution seasonal fruit availability fruit shortage |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842014000300720&lng=en&tlng=en |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT imourthe responseoffrugivorousprimatestochangesinfruitsupplyinanorthernamazonianforest |