Small Neotropical primates promote the natural regeneration of anthropogenically disturbed areas

Author(s):Show less -

Heymann, Eckhard W. ^[1] ; Culot, Laurence ^{[1, 2, 3]} ; Knogge, Christoph ^[1] ; Smith, Andrew C. ^[4] ; Tirado Herrera, Emerita R. ^{[1, 5]} ; Mueller, Britta ^{[1, 6]} ; Stojan-Dolar, Mojca ^[1] ; Ferrer, Yvan Lledo ^{[1, 7]} ; Kubisch, Petra ^{[1, 8]} ; Kupsch, Denis ^{[1, 9]} ; Slana, Darja ^[1] ; Koopmann, Mareike Lena ^{[1, 10]} ; Ziegenhagen, Birgit ^[11] ; Bialozyt, Ronald ^{[11, 12]} ; Mengel, Christina ^[11] ; Hambuckers, Julien ^{[13, 14]} ; Heer, Katrin ^[11]

Affiliation:Show less -

^[1] Leibniz Inst Primatenforsch, Deutsch Primatenzentrum, Verhaltensokol & Soziobiol, Gottingen - Germany

^[2] Univ Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Dept Zool, Lab Primatol, Rio Claro, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Liege, Behav Biol Unit, Primatol Res Grp, Liege - Belgium

^[4] Anglia Ruskin Univ, Sch Life Sci, Cambridge - England

^[5] Univ Nacl Amazonia Peruana, Fac Ciencias Biol, Iquitos - Peru

^[6] Bayer Landesamt Gesundheit & Lebensmittelsicherhe, Erlangen - Germany

^[7] Univ Autonoma, Fac Psicol, Madrid - Spain

^[8] Georg August Univ Gottingen, Abt Okol & Okosystemforsch, Albrecht von Haller Inst Pflanzenwissensch, Gottingen - Germany

^[9] Georg August Univ Gottingen, Nat Schutz Biol, Gottingen - Germany

^[10] Bioplan Marburg, Marburg - Germany

^[11] Philipps Univ Marburg, Nat Schutz Biol, Marburg - Germany

^[12] Nordwestdeutsche Forstl Versuchsanstalt, Gottingen - Germany

^[13] Georg August Univ Gottingen, Chair Stat & Econometr, Gottingen - Germany

^[14] Univ Liege, HEC Liege, Dept Finance, Liege - Belgium

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS; v. 9, JUL 25 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Increasingly large proportions of tropical forests are anthropogenically disturbed. Where natural regeneration is possible at all, it requires the input of plant seeds through seed dispersal from the forest matrix. Zoochorous seed dispersal - the major seed dispersal mode for woody plants in tropical forests - is particularly important for natural regeneration. In this study, covering a period of more than 20 years, we show that small New World primates, the tamarins Saguinus mystax and Leontocebus nigrifrons, increase their use of an anthropogenically disturbed area over time and disperse seeds from primary forest tree species into this area. Through monitoring the fate of seeds and through parentage analyses of seedlings of the legume Parkia panurensis from the disturbed area and candidate parents from the primary forest matrix, we show that tamarin seed dispersal is effective and contributes to the natural regeneration of the disturbed area. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/14739-0 - The effect of fragmentation on primate ecological functions
• Grantee: Laurence Marianne Vincianne Culot
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants