Frugivores at a fruiting Ficus in south-eastern Peru

• Published in: Journal of tropical ecology Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 717 - 721
• Main Author: Tello, Jose G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.11.2003
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Birds; Canopies; Conservation biology; Ficus pertusa; fig; Forest ecology; Forest ecosystems; frugivory; Fruiting; Fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Keystone species; National parks; Peru; Plant species; Plants; Plants and fungi; Primates; Rainforests; Scarcity; seed dispersal; Short Communication; Trees; Tropical forests; Tropical rain forests; Vertebrates; wet forest; South America; Peru; America; primates; seed dispersal; fig; wet forest; birds; Ficus pertusa; Peru; frugivory; Seeds; Frugivorous; Tropical forest; Moraceae; Dispersion; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal plant relation; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Primates; Spermatophyta; Aves
• ISSN: 0266-4674; 1469-7831
• DOI: 10.1017/S0266467403006114

In neotropical forests, 50–90% of the canopy trees bear fruits adapted for animal dispersal whereas close to 100% of the shrubs and sub-canopy trees produce fleshy fruits (Howe & Smallwood 1982). It has been suggested that during periods of fruit scarcity, some plant species perform a critical role in the forest ecosystem by sustaining frugivorous animals that are important dispersal agents for seeds of many other trees during other seasons of the year (Howe 1984, Terborgh 1986a). Loss or absence of those seed dispersers would have strong negative consequences for tree species, thereby affecting the health of the entire ecosystem, over time. For that reason, plant species that sustain frugivores (= seed dispersers) during periods of resource scarcity have been called ‘keystone species’ (Gilbert 1980, Howe 1984, Terborgh 1983, 1986a, b; van Schaik et al. 1993). For example, in the tropical rain forest of Manu National Park, Peru, Terborgh (1983) found that figs, palm nuts and nectar are resources of great importance for the primate community during periods of fruit scarcity. During that season, three species of fig were identified as keystone resources maintaining nearly 40% of the animal biomass in the ecosystem (Terborgh 1983).