Heleno Ruben, Blake Stephen, Jaramillo Patricia, Traveset Anna, Vargas Pablo, Nogales Manuel
Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies (CSIC-UIB), Terrestrial Ecology Group, Mallorca, Balearic IslandsRoyal Botanical Garden Madrid (CSIC-RJB), MadridIsland Ecology and Evolution Research Group (CSIC-IPNA), Tenerife, Canary Islands, SpainMax Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, GermanyCharles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Quito, Ecuador.
Integr Zool. 2011 Jun;6(2):110-129. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-4877.2011.00236.x.
The Galápagos are considered a model oceanic archipelago, with unique flora and fauna currently threatened by alien invasive species. Seed dispersal is an important ecosystem function with consequences for plant population dynamics and vegetation structure. Hence, understanding the seed dispersal abilities of the assemblages of frugivores will inform scientists and managers of the dynamics of plant invasions and improve management planning. Here we provide the first comprehensive review of published information on frugivory and animal seed dispersal in the Galápagos. We collected data from a variety of sources, including notes of the first naturalist expeditions, gray literature available only in Galápagos collections, and peer-reviewed journal articles. Plant-animal frugivorous interactions were retrieved from 43 studies and compiled into an interaction matrix describing 366 unique interactions. Most studies focused on fruit consumption as a driving force for natural selection, but seed fate was seldom considered. Although most (71%) of the interactions involved native plants, more than one-quarter (28%) involved introduced species. Interactions involving birds are considerably more common than those of reptiles and mammals, probably reflecting a research bias towards birds. Despite the historical importance of the archipelago as the laboratory for evolutionary and ecological research, understanding of its seed dispersal systems is limited. We end the review by suggesting 3 priority areas of research on frugivory and seed dispersal in the Galápagos: (i) target research to close knowledge gaps; (ii) the use of a network approach to frame seed dispersal at the community level; and (iii) evaluation of the effect of seed dispersal as a selective pressure acting upon plants and frugivores. Finally, the output of this research has to be properly delivered to the Galápagos National Park Services to help increase management effectiveness.
加拉帕戈斯群岛被视为典型的海洋群岛，拥有独特的动植物群，目前正受到外来入侵物种的威胁。种子传播是一项重要的生态系统功能，对植物种群动态和植被结构产生影响。因此，了解食果动物群落的种子传播能力，将有助于科学家和管理人员了解植物入侵的动态，并改进管理规划。在此，我们首次全面综述了加拉帕戈斯群岛已发表的有关果实食用和动物种子传播的信息。我们从各种来源收集数据，包括首批博物学家探险队的记录、仅存于加拉帕戈斯群岛收藏中的灰色文献以及同行评审的期刊文章。从43项研究中检索出植物 - 动物的食果相互作用，并编制成一个相互作用矩阵，描述了366种独特的相互作用。大多数研究将果实消耗视为自然选择的驱动力，但很少考虑种子的命运。虽然大多数（71%）的相互作用涉及本土植物，但超过四分之一（28%）涉及外来物种。涉及鸟类的相互作用比爬行动物和哺乳动物的更为常见，这可能反映了对鸟类研究的偏向。尽管该群岛作为进化和生态研究的实验室具有重要的历史意义，但其种子传播系统的了解仍然有限。我们在综述结尾提出了加拉帕戈斯群岛果实食用和种子传播研究的3个优先领域：（i）开展针对性研究以填补知识空白；（ii）采用网络方法构建群落水平的种子传播框架；（iii）评估种子传播作为作用于植物和食果动物的选择压力的效果。最后，这项研究的成果必须妥善交付给加拉帕戈斯国家公园管理局，以帮助提高管理成效。
