Frugivory and seed dispersal effectiveness by large frugivores: the role of tapir (Tapirus terrestris) and woolly spider monkey (Brachyteles arachnoides)

• Grant number: 07/06409-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2008
• End date: July 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Mauro Galetti Rodrigues
• Grantee: Rafael da Silveira Bueno
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 07/03392-6 - Effects of the defaunation gradient on plant herbivory, seed predation and dispersal: the Atlantic Rainforest perspective, AP.TEM

Abstract

The animal-plant relationships are one of the most influent ecological interactions that shape the forest dinamics. The seed dispersion is one of the most important representants of these interactions and represent a crucial step in the plants reproductive cicle. Mammals, mainly primates and ungulates of large body size consist the bulk of animal biomass in tropical forests, and as up to 90% of plant species have their seeds dispersed by zoochory and the mortality of non dispersed seeds is very high, is clear the importance of the animals in the maintenance and structuring of the tropical forests, speccially for large seeded species. These gruops are the main targets of hunters all over the world. The lack of these groups should have negative cascade effects on the plant communities, with consequences yet few known. The tapir and the woolly spider monkey are the largest terrestrial and of Brazil, respectively. They eat a high diversity and quantity of fruits and have large home ranges and daily movements, playing an important role in the forest dynamics mainly through frugivory and seed dispersal, despite This project have the objectives to describe and characterize the role of these two species on frugivory and seed dispersal in one of the most pristine remnants of Atlantic Forest of Brazil

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

BUENO, Rafael da Silveira. Frugivoria e efetividade de dispersão de sementes dos últimos grandes frugívoros da Mata Atlântica: a anta (Tapirus terrestris) e o muriqui (Brachyteles arachnoides). 2010. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Biociências. Rio Claro Rio Claro.