Seasonal variation in fleshy fruit use and seed dispersal by the Japanese black bear (Ursus thibetanus japonicus)

• Published in: Ecological research Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 471 - 478
• Main Authors: Takahashi, Kazuaki, Shiota, Tadatoshi, Tamatani, Hiroo, Koyama, Masaru, Washitani, Izumi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Japan : Springer Japan 01.03.2008; Springer Japan; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Autumn; Bears; Behavioral Sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; birds; Deciduous forests; Dispersal; Ecology; Evolutionary Biology; Fleshy-fruited plants; Food plants; foraging; Foraging behavior; Forestry; frugivores; Fruit size; fruiting; Fruiting phenology; Fruits; Japan; Japanese black bear (Ursus thibetanus japonicus); Life Sciences; Note and Comment; Plant Sciences; Plant species; seasonal variation; Seasonal variations; Seed clump; Seed dispersal; Seeds; shrubs; Species composition; species diversity; summer; Trees; Ursus thibetanus; Zoology; Japan; Fleshy-fruited plants; Seed clump; Japanese black bear; ); Fruiting phenology; Seed dispersal; Fruit size

Fruit use by the Japanese black bear (Ursus thibetanus japonicus) and seed clumping in bear scat were studied in central Japan using fecal analyses. Between May and November 2003 and 2004, the life form and fruit size of plants consumed by bears and the species composition and intactness of seeds co...