Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, Houston, Texas; Centre ValBio Ranomafana, Ifanadiana, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar.
Am J Primatol. 2014 Jan;76(1):84-96. doi: 10.1002/ajp.22199. Epub 2013 Sep 9.
We combined data on gut-passage times, feeding, and movement to explore the patterns of seed dispersal by Eulemur rubriventer, Eulemur rufrifrons, and Varecia variegata editorum lemurs in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. These lemur species deposited less than half of their consumed seeds >100 m away from conspecific trees (40-50%). Long-distance dispersal (>500 m) was rare and average dispersal distances were short relative to those reported of similar-sized haplorrhine primates. The three lemur species showed no significant differences in mean seed-dispersal distances. However, they differed in the shape of their frequency distributions of seed-dispersal distances as a result of differences in how they moved through their habitats. The short distances of seed dispersal we observed and the depauperate frugivorous fauna in Madagascar suggest seed-dispersal may be more limited than in other tropical forests with important implications for plant-community dynamics, biodiversity maintenance, and restoration efforts in Madagascar.
我们结合了肠道通过时间、进食和运动的数据，以探讨在马达加斯加 Ranomafana 国家公园中红领狐猴、红腹缟狸和环尾狐猴的种子传播模式。这些狐猴物种在离同种树木 100 米以外的地方（40-50%）排泄的种子不到一半。长距离传播（>500 米）很少见，平均传播距离相对类似大小的树栖灵长类动物报告的距离较短。这三种狐猴物种在平均种子传播距离上没有显著差异。然而，由于它们在栖息地中的移动方式不同，它们的种子传播距离的频率分布形状存在差异。我们观察到的种子传播的短距离以及马达加斯加贫瘠的果实食动物群表明，种子传播可能比其他热带森林更受限制，这对植物群落动态、生物多样性维护以及马达加斯加的恢复努力具有重要意义。
