list of figures - Terry Sunderland

feed on these fruits for long periods often creating expansive open areas in the forest
(Groves and Maisels, 1999). It is in these elephant-created “gap” areas that the large
populations of developing rattan seedlings have been observed by myself. These are
undoubtedly created by a combination of concentrated dispersal (i.e. large quantities
of elephant dung containing rattan seed 6 , being deposited in one locality) and gap-like
conditions being created that are favourable to the development of young rattan
seedlings. Although rattans occur widely in forest totally devoid of elephants, this
concentration of individuals 7 has not been encountered, nor recorded in other forest
areas. Although Hawthorn and Parren (2000) provide strong evidence to suggest that
few, if any, plant species are totally reliant on elephants for dispersal, for some
species, such as L. secundiflorum, the characteristics of the dispersal is arguably
affected in their absence.
Primates, notably gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos, being both terrestrial and
arboreal frugivores (Happold, 1996) are also known to feed on the fruits of some
rattan species (Tutin et al., 1994; White and Abernethy, 1997) as are drills
(Mandrillus leucophaeus) and mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx). However, by the very
nature of their feeding habits it is somewhat uncertain that primate dispersal of seed is
as benign or beneficial as has been suggested, as the foodstuffs of these larger
primates are often chewed before swallowing and thus damaging or destroying the
seed itself (Martin, 1990; Kingdon, 1997). This will undoubtedly affect the ability of
the swallowed (and subsequently excreted) seed to remain in tact and germinate.
Although very few studies on this have been undertaken with regard to rattans, to shed
some light on the impacts of primate feeding on potential dispersal, a series of simple
(and very informal) experiments were undertaken over a period of 2-3 months in
1997. The experiments consisted of recording the feeding habits of captive primates 8
when presented with a sample of mature rattan fruits. Each of the endemic African
rattan genera was represented in the trials. The results of this experiment are presented
below.
6
Most species of Laccosperma also fruit at the same time as the bush mango.
7
See Chapter 3 for further discussion of stocking of rattans in Takamanda.
8
All of the primates concerned were born in the wild and were separated from their family group when
still young through hunting activities.
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