From dropping to dropping: The contribution of a small primate to seed dispersal in Atlantic Forest

Autor(es)

Gestich, Carla Cristina ^{[1, 2]} ; Nagy-Reis, Mariana B. ^{[3, 1]} ; Caselli, Christini Barbosa ^{[1, 4]}

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Dept Biol Anim, Rua Monteiro Lobato 255, Caixa Postal 6109, BR-13083862 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Ctr Ciencias Biol & Saude, Dept Genet & Evolucao, Rodovia Washington Luis Km 235, BR-13565905 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Alberta, Dept Biol Sci, 116 St & 85 Ave, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3 - Canada

^[4] Univ Fed Rural Pernambuco, Dept Biol, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros S-N, BR-5217190 Recife, PE - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY; v. 100, OCT 2019.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

The dynamic interaction between animals and plants through frugivory and seed dispersal is one of several ecological processes that modulates tropical biodiversity. Here we evaluated the potential role of a highly-frugivorous Neotropical primate, the black-fronted titi monkey (Callicebus nigrifrons), as seed disperser. We studied two titi monkey groups in semideciduous Atlantic Forest remnants. Each group fed on over 49 zoochorous plant species in about one year and ingested seeds from nearly a half of them, especially those with small seeds (< 0.5 cm). The groups of titi monkeys defecated a large number of seeds, reaching over 300 seeds per day (1-305). More than half of the total deposited seeds and seed species germinated after gut passage, however gut passage reduced germination success in three of five evaluated species. Feces were deposited in small clumps distributed across groups' home range. We suggest that the observed distribution pattern of feces may enhance plant reproductive fitness by increasing the probability of seeds being deposited far from parent plants, in novel and favorable sites. We concluded that the seed handling and deposition behavior of black-fronted titi monkey make this primate an important agent for Atlantic forest regeneration. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 09/12124-0 - Ecologia alimentar e comportamento de Callicebus nigrifrons em um fragmento florestal de Mata Atlântica na Região de Sousas e Joaquim Egídio, Campinas, SP.
• Beneficiário: Mariana Nagy Baldy dos Reis
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado
• Processo FAPESP: 08/05127-0 - Comportamento Territorial de Callicebus nigrifrons Spix, 1823 (Pitheciidae): Influência da disponibilidade e distribuição de frutos e possíveis funções dos duetos
• Beneficiário: Christini Barbosa Caselli
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 10/04034-9 - Influência da termorregulação na ecologia e comportamento de Callicebus nigrifrons (Primates: Pitheciidae)
• Beneficiário: Carla Cristina Gestich
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado