Dissertation Research: Dispersal Distance, Deposition Site,and Survivorship of Cassowary-Dispersed Seeds

论文研究：食火鸡传播种子的传播距离、沉积地点和存活率

• 批准号: 8900399
• 负责人: Theodore Fleming
• 金额: $ 1.1万
• 依托单位: University of Miami
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1989
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1989-07-01 至 1991-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8900399&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Dispersal; Distance; Deposition

Zoochory is the predominant dispersal syndrome in most tropical forests. Few studies directly address what selective advantages tropical plants gain from zoochory or what the demographic effects of frugivore-mediated seed dispersal are to tropical trees. The paucity of empirical data on tropical zoochory after removal stems from the extreme difficulty of finding seeds where they have been deposited by frugivorous dispersers. Seed dispersal by cassowaries is an ideal system for study because cassowaries are specialist frugivores, virtually the sole disperser for many large-seeded trees and lianas, and are commonly found in the vast undisturbed forests of New Guinea. Most importantly, their droppings which contain dispersed seeds are numerous and conspicuous at the study site. Seeds will be marked with tags or small radio-transmitters before cassowaries disperse them. Tagged seeds found in visual searches and transmitter-seeds found by radio tracking will reveal dispersal distances, including those seeds carried long distances. Within- dropping parameters (e.g. parameters (e.g. insolation) will be measured for every dropping found. Droppings will be monitored up to three years for germination, seedling growth, and survivorship. The effects of within-dropping parameters and site parameters on germination, growth and survivorship of seedlings will be analyzed. Data on dispersal distances, within-dropping parameters and site parameters will be pooled in probability matrices to test published hypotheses regarding the consequences of vertebrate mediated seed dispersal. In the second half of the study the effects of dispersal will be experimentally examined. Seeds voided by a captive cassowary to make "pseudo-droppings" to test hypotheses based on observations of naturally-dispersed seeds will be used.

动物传播是大多数动物的主要传播综合征。 热带森林 很少有研究直接涉及选择性 热带植物从动物传播中获得的优势， 食果动物介导的种子传播的人口效应是 热带树木 缺乏关于热带气候的经验数据， 移走后的动物传播是由于 在食果动物留下的种子中寻找 分散剂 食火鸡传播种子是一个理想的系统， 研究是因为食火鸡实际上是专门的食果动物 许多大种子树木和藤本植物的唯一传播者， 在新几内亚广阔的原始森林中很常见 最重要的是，它们的粪便中含有分散的种子 在研究现场数量众多且引人注目。 种子将被 在食火鸡之前用标签或小型无线电发射器标记 分散他们。 在视觉搜索中发现的标记种子， 通过无线电跟踪发现的种子将揭示传播 包括那些长距离运输的种子。 在- 丢弃参数（例如， 将测量每次跌落的参数（如日照） 粪便将被监测长达三年， 发芽、幼苗生长和存活。 的影响 落内参数和立地参数对发芽的影响， 将分析幼苗的生长和存活。 数据 扩散距离、滴内参数和地点 将参数合并到概率矩阵中进行检验 已发表的关于脊椎动物后果的假设 介导的种子传播。 在研究的后半部分， 将通过实验研究扩散的影响。 种子 被一只圈养的食火鸡排泄出来， 基于对自然散布的种子的观察的假设 将用于