Effect of primate seed dispersal on the spatial genetic structure of a Neotropical tree species

拟议项目的主要目标是有助于了解动物寄生种子传播对分散植物物种遗传种群结构的影响。具体地说，我们将研究：(A)在植物种群的不同年龄阶段是否存在空间遗传结构(SGS)；(B)SGS的规模可以与扩散载体产生的扩散距离相关联；(C)初始模板(种子期)的SGS翻译成后续阶段；(D)扩散载体的家乡范围的长期稳定导致植物种群的遗传亚结构；(E)个体植物性状(果实生产量)通过传播媒介影响访问速度，以及这种影响是否会转移到不同的种子传播中。为了研究，我们选择了一个由两个共面的灵长类物种Saguinus mystax和Saguinus nigrifrons以及树种Leonia cymosa组成的模型系统。这个系统是非常合适的，因为在秘鲁亚马逊河流域东北部的研究地点，这种植物是罗望子的主要食物来源，而罗望子是该地点唯一已知的金针菇种子传播者。

The principal objective of the proposed project is to make a contribution to the understanding of the effect of zoochorous seed dispersal on the genetic population structure of the dispersed plant species. Specifically, we address will examine whether(a) there is a spatial genetic structure (SGS) at different age stages of the plant population;(b) the scale of the SGS can be linked to the dispersal distances generated by the dispersal vectors;(c) the SGS of the initial template (seed stage) translates into subsequent stages;(d) the long-term stability of the home ranges of dispersal vectors results in genetic sub-structuring of the plant population;(e) individual plant traits (amount of fruit production) affect visitation rates by the dispersal vectors and whether this transfers into differential seed dispersal.For the study we select a model system that is constituted of two sympatric primate species, the tamarins Saguinus mystax and Saguinus nigrifrons, and the tree species Leonia cymosa. This system is highly appropriate because at the study site in north-eastern Peruvian Amazonia this plant species is a major food resource for the tamarins and the tamarins are the only known seed dispersers of L. cymosa at this site.