CRB: Tropical Forest Regeneration: Influence of Animal Seed-dispersers

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9301961 Moermond This research will investigate the consequences of seed-dispersal by different animal fruit-eaters on tree regeneration dynamics at two sites within the Nyungwe forest, an African montane tropical forest in Rwanda. The process of natural regeneration of forest trees depends on a basic set of processes: seed production, seed dispersal, seedling establishment, and survival of seedlings to reproductive adults. This research will focus particularly on two of these processes: seed dispersal and seedling establishment. The consequences of differences among disperser species will be investigated in terms of tree species replacement patterns. This will be done 1) by describing and modeling the pattern of seed dispersion generated by selected animal disperser species for a representative series of tree species, and 2) by assessing the relative success of seedling establishment of those trees among the principal vegetation patch types of the forest(closed forest, secondary forest, and openings). %%% Comparison of survival and establishment of seedlings under the parent tree and away from the parent in different forest patch types will be used to evaluate the relative importance of dispersal. Predictions generated by the study at a site with full complement of animal dispersers (Uwinka site) will be tested against measures of seed rain and tree replacement estimates. The observed patterns of seed rain, tree replacement estimates, and forest composition will then be compared to those at a forest-edge with an impoverished suite of dispersers (Kitabi site). This site will not only provide and assessment of the apparent consequences of loss of dispersers, but will provide a critical case in which to test the applicability and the power of the predictive model. The proposed research relates both to the theory of conservation biology and its application to tropical forest management. is problematical however, depending upon whose system is being used although Fries (1874) considers the Polyporaceae to be one of two families within the order Aphyllophorales (fungi with non lamellate hymenophores), more recent workers ! ! ! F ( Times New Roman Symbol & Arial " h e e ! - Gayle Edmonds Gayle Edmonds