Balanites wilsoniana:: Regeneration with and without elephants
Balanites wilsoniana:: Regeneration with and without elephants
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DOI：
10.1016/j.biocon.2006.08.002
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发表时间：
2007-01-01
影响因子：
5.9
通讯作者：
Brown, Nick
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Babweteera, Fred;Savill, Peter;Brown, Nick
热带森林树木产生大的果实和/或大的种子被认为是依赖于少数，往往是罕见的大型脊椎动物的传播。然而，很少有人知道这样的树木的人口动态时，他们失去了专门的传播。本研究探讨青少年的空间分布的Balanites wilsoniana，Dawe & Spraque，这被认为是完全依赖于大象的传播，在森林和没有大象。使用相机陷阱，大象被证实是唯一的食果动物喂养，从而分散Balanites wilsoniona水果。在没有大象的森林中，成年树下的幼苗密度很高，这是由于该森林中的种子和幼苗捕食量很低。然而，只有在有大象的森林里，幼象才远离成年树。这些青少年的空间分布的大小分析表明，树苗和极点更有可能被发现远离成年树木，从而提供证据表明，分散提高少年的生存。这项研究强调了种子传播的重要性，树木不能保持其人口通过幼苗发芽和生存下成人同种。这项研究还表明，脊椎动物的损失对树种动态的影响超出了种子传播者的损失。(c)2006爱思唯尔有限公司保留所有权利。
Tropical forest trees that produce large fruits and/or large seeds are believed to be dependant on a few and often rare large vertebrates for dispersal. However, little is known about the population dynamics of such trees when they lose their specialised dispersers. This study examines the juvenile spatial distribution of Balanites wilsoniana, Dawe & Spraque, which is believed to be dependant solely on elephants for dispersal, in forests with and without elephants. Using camera traps, elephants were confirmed to be the only frugivores feeding and thus dispersing Balanites wilsoniona fruits. There was a high density of seedlings beneath adult trees in one forest without elephants, which was attributed to low seed and seedling predation in this forest. Nevertheless, it was only in the forest with elephants that juveniles were established away from adult trees. Analysis of the spatial distribution of these juveniles by size revealed that saplings and poles are more likely to be found away from adult trees thus providing evidence that dispersal enhances juvenile survival. This study underlines the importance of seed dispersal for trees that cannot maintain their populations through seedlings germinating and surviving beneath adult conspecifics. The study also demonstrates that loss of vertebrates has ramifications for tree species dynamics above and beyond loss of seed dispersers. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.