Do birds bias measurements of seed rain?

• Published in: Journal of tropical ecology Vol. 28; no. 4; pp. 421 - 422
• Main Authors: Reid, J. Leighton, Katsuki, Karisa N., Holl, Karen D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.07.2012
• Subjects: Abundance; Animal populations; Biological and medical sciences; Birds; Forest ecology; Forest habitats; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Germination and dormancy; Habitats; Observational research; Observational studies; Pastures; Plant physiology and development; Plant populations; Rain; Rainforests; Restoration ecology; Seed dispersal; Seeds; SHORT COMMUNICATION; Trees; Tropical forests; seed dispersal; ecological restoration; demonic intrusion; abandoned pasture; tropical forest; birds; forest ecology; Costa Rica; Seeds; Pasture; Tropical forest
• ISSN: 0266-4674; 1469-7831
• DOI: 10.1017/S0266467412000247

Accurate measurements of seed rain are important for understanding tree reproduction (Greene & Johnson 1994), forest regeneration (Cole et al. 2010, Cubiña & Aide 2001, Howe et al. 2010, Zahawi & Augspurger 2006), forest ecology (Muller-Landau et al. 2008, Terborgh et al. 2011) and maintenance of community diversity (Harms et al. 2000). Seed traps generally consist of a bucket or net of a fixed area suspended 0.3–1 m above the ground, and seeds are typically collected once or twice per month. An implicit assumption of all seed-rain studies is that traps do not influence seed dispersal. Should birds perch on and defecate seeds into seed traps, seed abundance will be overestimated. This behaviour could produce a directional bias if birds perch on seed traps in one habitat more than others. To our knowledge, no study has considered this potential bias.