Seed dispersal by carnivores in temperate and tropical dry forests
Abstract The seed dispersal mechanisms and regeneration of various forest ecosystems can benefit from the actions of carnivores via endozoochory. This study was aimed to evaluate the role of carnivores in endozoochory and diploendozoochory, as well as their effect on seed viability, scarification, a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7201 |
| _version_ | 1818598925090684928 |
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| author | Fabián Alejandro Rubalcava‐Castillo Joaquín Sosa‐Ramírez José de Jesús Luna‐Ruíz Arturo Gerardo Valdivia‐Flores Luis Ignacio Íñiguez‐Dávalos |
| author_facet | Fabián Alejandro Rubalcava‐Castillo Joaquín Sosa‐Ramírez José de Jesús Luna‐Ruíz Arturo Gerardo Valdivia‐Flores Luis Ignacio Íñiguez‐Dávalos |
| author_sort | Fabián Alejandro Rubalcava‐Castillo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The seed dispersal mechanisms and regeneration of various forest ecosystems can benefit from the actions of carnivores via endozoochory. This study was aimed to evaluate the role of carnivores in endozoochory and diploendozoochory, as well as their effect on seed viability, scarification, and germination in two forest ecosystems: temperate and tropical dry forest. We collected carnivore scat in the Protected Natural Area of Sierra Fría in Aguascalientes, Mexico, for 2 years to determine the abundance and richness of seeds dispersed by each carnivore species, through scat analysis. We assessed seed viability through optical densitometry using X‐rays, analyzed seed scarification by measuring seed coat thickness using a scanning electron microscope, and evaluated seed germination in an experiment as the percentage of seeds germinated per carnivore disperser, plant species, and forest type. In the temperate forest, four plant species (but mainly Arctostaphylos pungens) were dispersed by four mammal species. The gray fox dispersed the highest average number of seeds per scat (66.8 seeds). Bobcat dispersed seeds through diploendozoochory, which was inferred from rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) hair detected in their scats. The tropical dry forest presented higher abundance of seeds and richness of dispersed plant species (four species) than in the temperate forest, and the coati dispersed the highest number of seeds (8,639 seeds). Endozoochory and diploendozoochory did not affect viability in thick‐testa seeds (1,480 µm) in temperate forest and thin‐testa seeds (281 µm) in tropical dry forest. Endozoochory improved the selective germination of seeds. Nine plant species were dispersed by endozoochory, but only one species (Juniperus sp.) by diploendozoochory. These results suggest that carnivores can perform an important ecological function by dispersing a great abundance of seeds, scarifying these seeds causing the formation of holes and cracks in the testas without affecting viability, and promoting the selective germination of seeds. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T12:11:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a13692753a324e29bb52b6211aaa768f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T12:11:26Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-a13692753a324e29bb52b6211aaa768f2022-12-21T22:32:12ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582021-05-011193794380710.1002/ece3.7201Seed dispersal by carnivores in temperate and tropical dry forestsFabián Alejandro Rubalcava‐Castillo0Joaquín Sosa‐Ramírez1José de Jesús Luna‐Ruíz2Arturo Gerardo Valdivia‐Flores3Luis Ignacio Íñiguez‐Dávalos4Centro de Ciencias Agropecuarias Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes Aguascalientes MexicoCentro de Ciencias Agropecuarias Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes Aguascalientes MexicoCentro de Ciencias Agropecuarias Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes Aguascalientes MexicoCentro de Ciencias Agropecuarias Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes Aguascalientes MexicoDepartamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur Universidad de Guadalajara Autlán de Navarro MexicoAbstract The seed dispersal mechanisms and regeneration of various forest ecosystems can benefit from the actions of carnivores via endozoochory. This study was aimed to evaluate the role of carnivores in endozoochory and diploendozoochory, as well as their effect on seed viability, scarification, and germination in two forest ecosystems: temperate and tropical dry forest. We collected carnivore scat in the Protected Natural Area of Sierra Fría in Aguascalientes, Mexico, for 2 years to determine the abundance and richness of seeds dispersed by each carnivore species, through scat analysis. We assessed seed viability through optical densitometry using X‐rays, analyzed seed scarification by measuring seed coat thickness using a scanning electron microscope, and evaluated seed germination in an experiment as the percentage of seeds germinated per carnivore disperser, plant species, and forest type. In the temperate forest, four plant species (but mainly Arctostaphylos pungens) were dispersed by four mammal species. The gray fox dispersed the highest average number of seeds per scat (66.8 seeds). Bobcat dispersed seeds through diploendozoochory, which was inferred from rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) hair detected in their scats. The tropical dry forest presented higher abundance of seeds and richness of dispersed plant species (four species) than in the temperate forest, and the coati dispersed the highest number of seeds (8,639 seeds). Endozoochory and diploendozoochory did not affect viability in thick‐testa seeds (1,480 µm) in temperate forest and thin‐testa seeds (281 µm) in tropical dry forest. Endozoochory improved the selective germination of seeds. Nine plant species were dispersed by endozoochory, but only one species (Juniperus sp.) by diploendozoochory. These results suggest that carnivores can perform an important ecological function by dispersing a great abundance of seeds, scarifying these seeds causing the formation of holes and cracks in the testas without affecting viability, and promoting the selective germination of seeds.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7201carnivoresscanning electron microscopyseed dispersiontemperate foresttropical dry forest |
| spellingShingle | Fabián Alejandro Rubalcava‐Castillo Joaquín Sosa‐Ramírez José de Jesús Luna‐Ruíz Arturo Gerardo Valdivia‐Flores Luis Ignacio Íñiguez‐Dávalos Seed dispersal by carnivores in temperate and tropical dry forests Ecology and Evolution carnivores scanning electron microscopy seed dispersion temperate forest tropical dry forest |
| title | Seed dispersal by carnivores in temperate and tropical dry forests |
| title_full | Seed dispersal by carnivores in temperate and tropical dry forests |
| title_fullStr | Seed dispersal by carnivores in temperate and tropical dry forests |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seed dispersal by carnivores in temperate and tropical dry forests |
| title_short | Seed dispersal by carnivores in temperate and tropical dry forests |
| title_sort | seed dispersal by carnivores in temperate and tropical dry forests |
| topic | carnivores scanning electron microscopy seed dispersion temperate forest tropical dry forest |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7201 |
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