Fruit-frugivore interactions in a Malagasy littoral forest - Universiteit ...
Fruit-frugivore interactions in a Malagasy littoral forest - Universiteit ...
Fruit-frugivore interactions in a Malagasy littoral forest - Universiteit ...
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n species with ripe fruits<br />
35<br />
30<br />
25<br />
20<br />
15<br />
10<br />
5<br />
0<br />
O<br />
Tt<br />
Ec<br />
Bm<br />
To<br />
X<br />
Ps<br />
Lm<br />
Vf<br />
D<br />
Pc<br />
Sm<br />
Ad<br />
Tf<br />
Dp<br />
Tree dispersal strategies<br />
Fig. 2. Number of tree species bear<strong>in</strong>g ripe fruits <strong>in</strong> 2000. The height of the fruit<strong>in</strong>g peak of the tree<br />
species <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> tree watches is <strong>in</strong>dicated as well. X <strong>in</strong>cludes the follow<strong>in</strong>g seven species: So,<br />
La, S1, Cb, Mp, Ve, Se accord<strong>in</strong>g the abbreviations <strong>in</strong> Appendix I.<br />
DISCUSSION<br />
In the present study we <strong>in</strong>vestigated three hypotheses for evidence of co-evolution<br />
between life history traits of plants, their diaspores and animal consumers. These were<br />
tight, species-specific <strong><strong>in</strong>teractions</strong>, different <strong>in</strong>vestment patterns of plants <strong>in</strong> their fruits <strong>in</strong><br />
relation to the specialization of dispersers and dispersal syndromes as adaptations to<br />
taxonomically diverse groups of dispersers with different sensory capabilities (colour<br />
vision <strong>in</strong> birds, olfaction <strong>in</strong> mammals).<br />
There was no evidence for tight co-evolution between specific tree and consumer<br />
species. This is consistent with f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs of most studies (Howe and Smallwood 1982;<br />
Howe 1984; Gautier-Hion et al. 1985; Herrera 1986; Fisher and Chapman 1993;<br />
Chapman 1995; Erikkson and Ehrlen 1998; Lambert and Garber 1998). Most plant<br />
species do not depend on one s<strong>in</strong>gle disperser species. The only possible <strong>in</strong>dication of<br />
co-evolution <strong>in</strong> our study are the five tree species for which Eulemur fulvus collaris is the<br />
only seed disperser. However, this lemur species is a very opportunistic feeder. A<br />
comparative study between the dry deciduous <strong>forest</strong> of Kir<strong>in</strong>dy and the <strong>littoral</strong> <strong>forest</strong> of<br />
Sa<strong>in</strong>te Luce (Bollen et al. <strong>in</strong> press, Chapter 4) confirms the absence of co-evolutionary<br />
plant-animal <strong><strong>in</strong>teractions</strong> here and shows that this lemur species has a rather high dietary<br />
flexibility. However, even though the dietary breath of E. f. collaris is quite large, this<br />
species is a sequential specialist and as such selects two or three dom<strong>in</strong>ant fruit species<br />
each month (Donati 2002). Canarium boiv<strong>in</strong>ii and Eugenia sp. make up important<br />
S2<br />
Dec 99 Feb 00 Apr 00 Jun 00 Aug 00 Oct 00 Dec 00<br />
Jan 00 Mar 00 May 00 Jul 00 Sep 00 Nov 00<br />
Cm<br />
P<br />
E<br />
Uf<br />
Ul<br />
49