Fruits of two palm species as food resources to vertebrates in Cerrado Pé-de-Gigante (Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, SP).

Author(s)

Mariana Morais Vidal

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB)
• Defense date: 2007-05-14

Examining board members

Vania Regina Pivello; Marco Aurélio Pizo Ferreira; Leonor Patrícia Cerdeira Morellato

• Advisor: Vania Regina Pivello

Abstract

The Arecaceae family (palms) is not very much diverse in cerrado physiognomies, although such species are abundant and represent valuable resources to wildlife. Traits of Syagrus petraea and Attalea geraensis (Arecaceae) fruits, such as temporal availability and its nutrient content, were evaluated as food resources for vertebrates in \"cerrado denso\" physiognomy, in the Cerrado Pé-de-Gigante (Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, SP). A phenological study of both palm species was carried out between January/2005 and November/2006; moreover, estimates of the abundance of adult individuals were studied. The nutrient content of the fruits was quantitatively analysed, being evaluated the amounts of lipids, soluble sugars and soluble proteins. Furthermore, vertebrates that possibly use the palms\' fruits as food resources were identified through the camera trapping method. The mean density of A. geraensis was 0.006 individual per m2 and the mean density of S. petraea was 0,024 individual per m2. A. geraensis yielded only one fruit during all the study period, on the other hand S. petraea fruited throughout the entire period of study despite the seasonality in the fruiting phenophase. S. petraea fruits are a nutrient-rich resource, especially the endosperm which contains more lipids than the pulp. The identified animals that feed on S. petraea fruits were Cyanocorax chrysops (Aves: Corvidae), Didelphis albiventris (Marsupialia: Didelphidae), Micoureus paraguayanus (Marsupialia: Didelphidae) and Cerradomys subflavus (Rodentia: Muridae). (AU)