Seed predation under high seed density condition: the palm Euterpe edulis in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Over recent decades, studies on post-dispersal seed predation have revealed some general patterns despite dealing with a highly variable phenomenon (reviews in Crawley 1993, Hulme 1998). Most of these studies, however, were carried out with plant species whose population density range from low to mo...

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Published inJournal of tropical ecology Vol. 20; no. 4; pp. 471 - 474
Main Authors von Allmen, Christiane, Morellato, L. Patricia C., Pizo, Marco A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.07.2004
Subjects
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Arecaceae
Atlantic Forest
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Euterpe edulis
Forest ecology
Forest insects
Fruiting
Fruiting seasons
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Microhabitats
Plant species
Plants and fungi
Population density
Predation
Predators
Rodents
Seed dispersal
Seed predation
Seeds
Short Communications
Trees
South America
Brazil
America
Arecaceae
Atlantic Forest
Euterpe edulis
seed predation
Monocotyledones
Seeds
Angiospermae
Spermatophyta
Tropical forest
Fruit tree
Palmae
Predation
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Summary:Over recent decades, studies on post-dispersal seed predation have revealed some general patterns despite dealing with a highly variable phenomenon (reviews in Crawley 1993, Hulme 1998). Most of these studies, however, were carried out with plant species whose population density range from low to moderately high (Hulme 1998). Only rarely has seed predation been studied in very dense stands of a given plant species (Schupp 1988a, b, 1992). In such a situation, seed predators might respond to the local availability of seeds in a manner that differs from their response under conditions of low seed density. For instance, a high density of seeds beneath a fruiting plant may attract seed predators, causing a positive correlation between predation and seed density (Janzen 1970). Schupp (1992), however, noted that at a population scale, a high density of seeds could satiate predators, resulting in a negative correlation between predation and seed density (see also Burkey 1994).
Bibliography:ark:/67375/6GQ-GCJ7QM2G-G
istex:9E2253CAE59370DD1DFDB5FD2D0935692A2B175D
PII:S0266467404001348
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0266-4674
1469-7831
DOI:10.1017/S0266467404001348