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Tsunamoto Y, Tsuruga H, Kobayashi K, Sukegawa T, Asakura T. Seed dispersal function of the brown bear Ursus arctos on Hokkaido Island in northern Japan: gut passage time, dispersal distance, germination, and effects of remaining pulp. Oecologia 2024; 204:505-515. [PMID: 38265600 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05510-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Megafauna are important seed dispersers because they can disperse large quantities of seeds over long distances. In Hokkaido, Japan, the largest terrestrial animal is the brown bear (Ursus arctos) and other megafauna seed dispersers are lacking. Thus, brown bears are expected to have an important function as seed dispersers in Hokkaido. In this study, we, for the first time, evaluated the seed dispersal function of brown bears in Hokkaido using three fleshy-fruited trees and studied: (1) gut passage time (GPT) in feeding experiments, (2) seed dispersal distance using tracking data of wild bears, and (3) the effect of gut passage and pulp removal on germination rate. Most seeds were defecated intact, and less than 6% were broken. The average GPT without pulp was 3 h and 56 min to 6 h and 13 min, depending on the plant and trial. Each plant's average simulated seed dispersal distance was 202-512 m. The dispersal distance of Actinidia arguta seeds with pulp was significantly longer than those without pulp because of their longer GPT. The germination rate of defecated seeds without pulp was 19-51%, depending on the plant, and was significantly higher or not different comparing with that of seeds with pulp. We concluded that brown bears in Hokkaido are effective seed dispersers. In managing brown bears in Hokkaido, such ecological functions should be considered along with conserving the bear population and reducing human-bear conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Tsunamoto
- Hokkaido Research Organization, Research Institute of Energy, Environment and Geology, Kita 19 Nishi 12, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0819, Japan.
| | - Hifumi Tsuruga
- Hokkaido Research Organization, Research Institute of Energy, Environment and Geology, Kita 19 Nishi 12, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0819, Japan
| | - Konomi Kobayashi
- Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, 3-1 Miyagaoka, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sukegawa
- Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, 3-1 Miyagaoka, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takuya Asakura
- Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, 3-1 Miyagaoka, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
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2
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Onodera S, Enari HS, Enari H. Multiphase processes of seed dispersals via masked palm civets as a non-native species in cool-temperate forests of northern Japan. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2022.103872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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3
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Qian H, Li W, Li J. The Influence of Seed Characteristics on Seed Dispersal Early Stages by Tibetan Macaques. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12111416. [PMID: 35681880 PMCID: PMC9179551 DOI: 10.3390/ani12111416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
There are numerous ecological and evolutionary implications for the ability of frugivores to predate on fruits and consume or disperse their seeds. Tibetan macaques, which are considered important seed predators, typically feed on fruits or seeds. However, systematic research into whether they have a seed dispersal function is still lacking. Endozoochory allows seeds to disperse over greater distances by allowing them to remain in the animal’s digestive tract. Consumption of fruit may not imply effective seed dispersal, and the physical characteristics of seeds (e.g., size, weight, specific gravity, etc.) may influence the dispersal phase’s outcome. We conducted feeding experiments with three captive Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) and nine plant seeds to determine the influence of seed characteristics on Tibetan macaques’ early stages of seed dispersal. The results revealed that the percentage of seed destruction (PSD) after ingestion was 81.45% (range: 15.67−100%), with the PSD varying between plant species. Among the three passage time parameters, the transit time (TT) (mean: 18.8 h and range: 4−24 h) and the time of seed last appearance (TLA) (mean: 100.4 h and range: 48−168 h) differed significantly between seed species, whereas the mean retention time (MRT) (mean: 47.0 h and range: 32−70.3 h) did not. In terms of model selection, PSD was influenced by seed size, weight, volume, and specific gravity; TT was influenced by seed-to-shell investment rate, weight, volume, and specific gravity; and TLA was influenced only by seed size. These findings imply that seeds with a smaller size, specific gravity, volume, and greater weight pass more easily through the monkeys’ digestive tracts. Particularly, seeds with a mean cubic diameter (MCD) of <3 mm had a higher rate of expulsion, larger volume, and weight seeds pass faster, while smaller remained longer. Tibetan macaques, as potential seed dispersers, require specific passage time and passage rates of small or medium-sized seeds. Larger and heavier seeds may be more reliant on endozoochory. Tibetan macaques have the ability to disperse seeds over long distances, allowing for gene flow within the plant community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanrui Qian
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (H.Q.); (W.L.)
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Wenbo Li
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China; (H.Q.); (W.L.)
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jinhua Li
- School of Life Sciences, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
- Correspondence:
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Fricke EC, Ordonez A, Rogers HS, Svenning JC. The effects of defaunation on plants' capacity to track climate change. Science 2022; 375:210-214. [PMID: 35025640 DOI: 10.1126/science.abk3510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Half of all plant species rely on animals to disperse their seeds. Seed dispersal interactions lost through defaunation and gained during novel community assembly influence whether plants can adapt to climate change through migration. We develop trait-based models to predict pairwise interactions and dispersal function for fleshy-fruited plants globally. Using interactions with introduced species as an observable proxy for interactions in future novel seed dispersal networks, we find strong potential to forecast their assembly and functioning. We conservatively estimate that mammal and bird defaunation has already reduced the capacity of plants to track climate change by 60% globally. This strong reduction in the ability of plants to adapt to climate change through range shifts shows a synergy between defaunation and climate change that undermines vegetation resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan C Fricke
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, University of Maryland, Annapolis, MD 21401, USA.,Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Alejandro Ordonez
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Haldre S Rogers
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Sinnott-Armstrong MA, Lee C, Clement WL, Donoghue MJ. Fruit syndromes in Viburnum: correlated evolution of color, nutritional content, and morphology in bird-dispersed fleshy fruits. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:7. [PMID: 31931711 PMCID: PMC6956505 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1546-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PREMISE A key question in plant dispersal via animal vectors is where and why fruit colors vary between species and how color relates to other fruit traits. To better understand the factors shaping the evolution of fruit color diversity, we tested for the existence of syndromes of traits (color, morphology, and nutrition) in the fruits of Viburnum. We placed these results in a larger phylogenetic context and reconstructed ancestral states to assess how Viburnum fruit traits have evolved across the clade. RESULTS We find that blue Viburnum fruits are not very juicy, and have high lipid content and large, round endocarps surrounded by a small quantity of pulp. Red fruits display the opposite suite of traits: they are very juicy with low lipid content and smaller, flatter endocarps. The ancestral Viburnum fruit may have gone through a sequence of color changes before maturation (green to yellow to red to black), though our reconstructions are equivocal. In one major clade of Viburnum (Nectarotinus), fruits mature synchronously with reduced intermediate color stages. Most transitions between fruit colors occurred in this synchronously fruiting clade. CONCLUSIONS It is widely accepted that fruit trait diversity has primarily been driven by the differing perceptual abilities of bird versus mammal frugivores. Yet within a clade of largely bird-dispersed fruits, we find clear correlations between color, morphology, and nutrition. These correlations are likely driven by a shift from sequential to synchronous development, followed by diversification in color, nutrition, and morphology. A deeper understanding of fruit evolution within clades will elucidate the degree to which such syndromes structure extant fruit diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda A. Sinnott-Armstrong
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado—Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
| | - Chong Lee
- Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881 USA
| | - Wendy L. Clement
- Department of Biology, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ 08628 USA
| | - Michael J. Donoghue
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
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Naoe S, Tayasu I, Sakai Y, Masaki T, Kobayashi K, Nakajima A, Sato Y, Yamazaki K, Kiyokawa H, Koike S. Downhill seed dispersal by temperate mammals: a potential threat to plant escape from global warming. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14932. [PMID: 31624326 PMCID: PMC6797773 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51376-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertical seed dispersal, i.e. seed dispersal towards a higher or lower altitude, is considered a critical process for plant escape from climate change. However, studies exploring vertical seed dispersal are scarce, and thus, its direction, frequency, and mechanisms are little known. In the temperate zone, evaluating vertical seed dispersal of animal-dispersed plants fruiting in autumn and/or winter is essential considering the dominance of such plants in temperate forests. We hypothesized that their seeds are dispersed towards lower altitudes because of the downhill movement of frugivorous animals following the autumn-to-winter phenology of their food plants which proceeds from the mountain tops to the foot in the temperate zone. We evaluated the vertical seed dispersal of the autumn-fruiting wild kiwi, Actinidia arguta, which is dispersed by temperate mammals. We collected dispersed seeds from mammal faeces in the Kanto Mountains of central Japan and estimated the distance of vertical seed dispersal using the oxygen isotope ratios of the dispersed seeds. We found the intensive downhill seed dispersal of wild kiwi by all seed dispersers, except the raccoon dog (bear: mean −393.1 m; marten: −245.3 m; macaque: −98.5 m; and raccoon dog: +4.5 m). Mammals with larger home ranges dispersed seeds longer towards the foot of the mountains. Furthermore, we found that seeds produced at higher altitudes were dispersed a greater distance towards the foot of the mountains. Altitudinal gradients in autumn-to-winter plant phenology and other mountain characteristics, i.e. larger surface areas and more attractive human crops at lower altitudes compared to higher altitudes, were considered drivers of downhill seed dispersal via animal movement. Strong downhill seed dispersal by mammals suggests that populations of autumn-to-winter fruiting plants dispersed by animals may not be able to sufficiently escape from current global warming in the temperate zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoji Naoe
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Matsunosato 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan. .,Tohoku Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 92-25 Nabeyashiki, Shimokuriyagawa, Morioka, Iwate, 020-0123, Japan.
| | - Ichiro Tayasu
- Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 457-4 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8047, Japan.,Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan
| | - Yoichiro Sakai
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan.,Lake Biwa Environmental Research Institute, 5-34 Yanagasaki, Ohtsu, Shiga, 520-0022, Japan
| | - Takashi Masaki
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Matsunosato 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan
| | - Kazuki Kobayashi
- College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-8510, Japan
| | - Akiko Nakajima
- College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-8510, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Sato
- College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-8510, Japan.,Rakuno Gakuen University, 582 Bunkyodai-Midorimachi, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, 069-8501, Japan
| | - Koji Yamazaki
- Ibaraki Nature Museum, 700 Ohsaki, Bando, Ibaraki, 306-0622, Japan.,Department of Forest Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya, Tokyo, 156-8502, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kiyokawa
- Laboratory of Biodiversity Science, School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Koike
- Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan
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Predictions of Seed Shadows Generated by Common Brown Lemurs (Eulemur fulvus) and Their Relationship to Seasonal Behavioral Strategies. INT J PRIMATOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-018-0057-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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9
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McConkey KR. Seed Dispersal by Primates in Asian Habitats: From Species, to Communities, to Conservation. INT J PRIMATOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-017-0013-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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10
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Tsuji Y, Ningsih JIDP, Kitamura S, Widayati KA, Suryobroto B. Neglected seed dispersers: endozoochory by Javan lutungs (Trachypithecus auratus) in Indonesia. Biotropica 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yamato Tsuji
- Primate Research Institute; Kyoto University; 41-2, Kanrin Inuyama Aich 484-8506 Japan
- Ishikawa Prefectural University; 1-308, Suematsu Nonoichi Ishikawa 921-8836 Japan
| | - Jenni Indah Dwi Pajar Ningsih
- Bogor Agricultural University; Jl. Agatis; Gedung Fakultas Peternakan Wing 1 Darmaga Bogor 16680 West Java, Indonesia
| | - Shumpei Kitamura
- Ishikawa Prefectural University; 1-308, Suematsu Nonoichi Ishikawa 921-8836 Japan
| | - Kanthi Arum Widayati
- Bogor Agricultural University; Jl. Agatis; Gedung Fakultas Peternakan Wing 1 Darmaga Bogor 16680 West Java, Indonesia
| | - Bambang Suryobroto
- Bogor Agricultural University; Jl. Agatis; Gedung Fakultas Peternakan Wing 1 Darmaga Bogor 16680 West Java, Indonesia
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Tsuji Y, Okumura T, Kitahara M, Jiang Z. Estimated Seed Shadow Generated by Japanese Martens(Martes melampus): Comparison with Forest-Dwelling Animals in Japan. Zoolog Sci 2017; 33:352-7. [PMID: 27498794 DOI: 10.2108/zs160017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate the seed shadow generated by wild Japanese martens (Martes melampus), we combined data on their ranging behavior from the northern foot of Mt. Fuji, central Japan (seven males and three females) with data on gut passage time obtained from martens in Toyama Municipal Family Park Zoo (three males and one female). The movement distances varied, and mean distances for 0-1, 2-3, and 4-5 h intervals were 152.4, 734.7, and 1,162.4 m, respectively, with no significant sex difference. The mean gut passage time of ingested seeds was 7.4 h (range: 0.6-51.7 h), and two-thirds were defecated within 12 h. Seeds of fleshy fruits was frequently transported to 501-1,000 m, and 20% of ingested seeds were transported > 1,000 m from feeding sites. We found positive correlations between body size and home range of the animals in Japan and their seed dispersal distances. We conclude that Japanese martens are medium-range dispersers that can transport seeds from the source to open habitats conducive for germination and/or growth, partly due to scent marking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamato Tsuji
- 1 Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Aichi 484-8506, Japan.,† These authors contributed equally to this work
| | | | | | - Zhaowen Jiang
- 2 Wildlife Management Office, Tokyo 194-0215, Japan.,† These authors contributed equally to this work
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12
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Mise Y, Yamazaki K, Soga M, Koike S. Comparing methods of acquiring mammalian endozoochorous seed dispersal distance distributions. Ecol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-016-1397-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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