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Ramananjato V, Randimbiarison F, Rabarijaonina THNP, Razafindratsima OH. Arboreal mouse lemurs discovered sleeping in a burrow on the ground. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9543. [PMID: 36479037 PMCID: PMC9719989 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Finding sleeping sites is important for the fitness of many mammal species. Like most nonhuman primates, Madagascar's mouse lemurs (genus: Microcebus) are thought to exclusively use arboreal sleeping sites. The rufous mouse lemurs (Microcebus rufus) in Ranomafana National Park (southeastern Madagascar) have always been documented to sleep in either tree holes or leaf nests. However, in our recent field expedition, we observed, with the help of telemetry technologies, an unprecedented event of M. rufus sleeping in a burrow on the rainforest ground, curled up with a very slow heartbeat. Thus far, such behavior has not been observed in any other Microcebus species but is common in high-altitude dwarf lemurs (genus: Cheirogaleus), a closely related genus to the mouse lemurs. We believe that this discovery could illustrate an ecophysiological response strategy to habitat changes, which warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronarindra Ramananjato
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA,Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité AnimaleUniversity of Antananarivo, Faculty of SciencesAntananarivoMadagascar
| | - Finaritra Randimbiarison
- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité AnimaleUniversity of Antananarivo, Faculty of SciencesAntananarivoMadagascar
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2
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Razafindratsima OH, Raoelinjanakolona NN, Heriniaina RR, Nantenaina RH, Ratolojanahary TH, Dunham AE. Simplified Communities of Seed-Dispersers Limit the Composition and Flow of Seeds in Edge Habitats. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.655441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Edge effects, driven by human modification of landscapes, can have critical impacts on ecological processes such as species interactions, with cascading impacts on biodiversity as a whole. Characterizing how edges affect vital biotic interactions such as seed dispersal by frugivores is important for better understanding potential mechanisms that drive species coexistence and diversity within a plant community. Here, we investigated how differences between frugivore communities at the forest edge and interior habitats of a diverse tropical rainforest relate to patterns of animal-mediated seed dispersal and early seedling recruitment. We found that the lemur communities across the forest edge-interior gradient in this system showed the highest species richness and variability in body sizes at intermediate distances; the community of birds showed the opposite pattern for species richness. Three large-bodied frugivores, known to be effective dispersers of large seeds, tended to avoid the forest edge. As result, the forest edges received a lower rate of animal-mediated seed dispersal compared to the interior habitats. In addition, we also found that the seeds that were actively dispersed by animals in forest edge habitats were smaller in size than seeds dispersed in the forest interior. This pattern was found despite a similarity in seed size of seasonally fruiting adult trees and shrubs between the two habitats. Despite these differences in dispersal patterns, we did not observe any differences in the rates of seedling recruitment or seed-size distribution of successful recruit species. Our results suggest that a small number of frugivores may act as a potential biotic filter, acting on seed size, for the arrival of certain plant species to edge habitats, but other factors may be more important for driving recruitment patterns, at least in the short term. Further research is needed to better understand the potential long-term impacts of altered dispersal regimes relative to other environmental factors on the successional dynamics of edge communities. Our findings are important for understanding potential ecological drivers of tree community changes in forest edges and have implications for conservation management and restoration of large-seeded tree species in disturbed habitats.
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3
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Tonos J, Razafindratsima OH, Fenosoa ZSE, Dunham AE. Individual‐based networks reveal the highly skewed interactions of a frugivore mutualist with individual plants in a diverse community. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jadelys Tonos
- Rice Univ., Biosciences Dept Houston TX USA
- Centre ValBio, Ranomafana National Park Ifanadiana Madagascar
| | - Onja H. Razafindratsima
- Centre ValBio, Ranomafana National Park Ifanadiana Madagascar
- Dept of Integrative Biology, Univ. of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Zo Samuel Ella Fenosoa
- Centre ValBio, Ranomafana National Park Ifanadiana Madagascar
- Ecole Doctorale Sciences de la Vie et de l'Environnement, Univ. d'Antananarivo Antananarivo Madagascar
| | - Amy E. Dunham
- Rice Univ., Biosciences Dept Houston TX USA
- Centre ValBio, Ranomafana National Park Ifanadiana Madagascar
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4
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Ramananjato V, Rakotomalala Z, Park DS, DeSisto CMM, Raoelinjanakolona NN, Guthrie NK, Fenosoa ZES, Jonhson SE, Razafindratsima OH. The role of nocturnal omnivorous lemurs as seed dispersers in Malagasy rain forests. Biotropica 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Veronarindra Ramananjato
- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale Faculté des Sciences University of Antananarivo Antananarivo Madagascar
| | - Zafimahery Rakotomalala
- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale Faculté des Sciences University of Antananarivo Antananarivo Madagascar
| | - Daniel S. Park
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
| | - Camille M. M. DeSisto
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge MA USA
| | - Nancia N. Raoelinjanakolona
- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale Faculté des Sciences University of Antananarivo Antananarivo Madagascar
| | - Nicola K. Guthrie
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology University of Calgary Calgary AB Canada
| | - Zo E. S. Fenosoa
- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale Faculté des Sciences University of Antananarivo Antananarivo Madagascar
| | - Steig E. Jonhson
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology University of Calgary Calgary AB Canada
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Beckman NG, Aslan CE, Rogers HS, Kogan O, Bronstein JL, Bullock JM, Hartig F, HilleRisLambers J, Zhou Y, Zurell D, Brodie JF, Bruna EM, Cantrell RS, Decker RR, Efiom E, Fricke EC, Gurski K, Hastings A, Johnson JS, Loiselle BA, Miriti MN, Neubert MG, Pejchar L, Poulsen JR, Pufal G, Razafindratsima OH, Sandor ME, Shea K, Schreiber S, Schupp EW, Snell RS, Strickland C, Zambrano J. Advancing an interdisciplinary framework to study seed dispersal ecology. AoB Plants 2020; 12:plz048. [PMID: 32346468 PMCID: PMC7179845 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plz048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Although dispersal is generally viewed as a crucial determinant for the fitness of any organism, our understanding of its role in the persistence and spread of plant populations remains incomplete. Generalizing and predicting dispersal processes are challenging due to context dependence of seed dispersal, environmental heterogeneity and interdependent processes occurring over multiple spatial and temporal scales. Current population models often use simple phenomenological descriptions of dispersal processes, limiting their ability to examine the role of population persistence and spread, especially under global change. To move seed dispersal ecology forward, we need to evaluate the impact of any single seed dispersal event within the full spatial and temporal context of a plant's life history and environmental variability that ultimately influences a population's ability to persist and spread. In this perspective, we provide guidance on integrating empirical and theoretical approaches that account for the context dependency of seed dispersal to improve our ability to generalize and predict the consequences of dispersal, and its anthropogenic alteration, across systems. We synthesize suitable theoretical frameworks for this work and discuss concepts, approaches and available data from diverse subdisciplines to help operationalize concepts, highlight recent breakthroughs across research areas and discuss ongoing challenges and open questions. We address knowledge gaps in the movement ecology of seeds and the integration of dispersal and demography that could benefit from such a synthesis. With an interdisciplinary perspective, we will be able to better understand how global change will impact seed dispersal processes, and potential cascading effects on plant population persistence, spread and biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelle G Beckman
- Department of Biology & Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Clare E Aslan
- Landscape Conservation Initiative, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Haldre S Rogers
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Oleg Kogan
- Physics Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Judith L Bronstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - James M Bullock
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Benson Lane, Wallingford, UK
| | - Florian Hartig
- Theoretical Ecology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Mathematics, Lafayette College, Easton, PA, USA
| | - Damaris Zurell
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Dept. Land Change Science, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Humboldt-University Berlin, Geography Dept., Berlin, Germany
| | - Jedediah F Brodie
- Division of Biological Sciences and Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Emilio M Bruna
- Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation & Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Robin R Decker
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Edu Efiom
- REDD+ Unit, Cross River State Forestry Commission, Calabar, Nigeria
- Biology Department, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Evan C Fricke
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, University of Maryland, Annapolis, MD, USA
| | - Katherine Gurski
- Department of Mathematics, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Alan Hastings
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Jeremy S Johnson
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Bette A Loiselle
- Center for Latin American Studies and Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Maria N Miriti
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Michael G Neubert
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Liba Pejchar
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - John R Poulsen
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Gesine Pufal
- Natur Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Manette E Sandor
- Landscape Conservation Initiative, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Katriona Shea
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Sebastian Schreiber
- Department of Evolution and Ecology and Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Eugene W Schupp
- Department of Wildland Resources & Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Rebecca S Snell
- Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | | | - Jenny Zambrano
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
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Schupp EW, Zwolak R, Jones LR, Snell RS, Beckman NG, Aslan C, Cavazos BR, Effiom E, Fricke EC, Montaño-Centellas F, Poulsen J, Razafindratsima OH, Sandor ME, Shea K. Intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of intraspecific variation in seed dispersal are diverse and pervasive. AoB Plants 2019; 11:plz067. [PMID: 31857875 PMCID: PMC6914678 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plz067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
There is growing realization that intraspecific variation in seed dispersal can have important ecological and evolutionary consequences. However, we do not have a good understanding of the drivers or causes of intraspecific variation in dispersal, how strong an effect these drivers have, and how widespread they are across dispersal modes. As a first step to developing a better understanding, we present a broad, but not exhaustive, review of what is known about the drivers of intraspecific variation in seed dispersal, and what remains uncertain. We start by decomposing 'drivers of intraspecific variation in seed dispersal' into intrinsic drivers (i.e. variation in traits of individual plants) and extrinsic drivers (i.e. variation in ecological context). For intrinsic traits, we further decompose intraspecific variation into variation among individuals and variation of trait values within individuals. We then review our understanding of the major intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of intraspecific variation in seed dispersal, with an emphasis on variation among individuals. Crop size is the best-supported and best-understood intrinsic driver of variation across dispersal modes; overall, more seeds are dispersed as more seeds are produced, even in cases where per seed dispersal rates decline. Fruit/seed size is the second most widely studied intrinsic driver, and is also relevant to a broad range of seed dispersal modes. Remaining intrinsic drivers are poorly understood, and range from effects that are probably widespread, such as plant height, to drivers that are most likely sporadic, such as fruit or seed colour polymorphism. Primary extrinsic drivers of variation in seed dispersal include local environmental conditions and habitat structure. Finally, we present a selection of outstanding questions as a starting point to advance our understanding of individual variation in seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene W Schupp
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Rafal Zwolak
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Landon R Jones
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Rebecca S Snell
- Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | - Noelle G Beckman
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Clare Aslan
- Landscape Conservation Initiative, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Brittany R Cavazos
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Edu Effiom
- REDD & Biodiversity Unit, Cross River State Forestry Commission, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Evan C Fricke
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, University of Maryland, Annapolis, MD, USA
| | | | - John Poulsen
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Onja H Razafindratsima
- Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - Manette E Sandor
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
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7
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Rogers HS, Beckman NG, Hartig F, Johnson JS, Pufal G, Shea K, Zurell D, Bullock JM, Cantrell RS, Loiselle B, Pejchar L, Razafindratsima OH, Sandor ME, Schupp EW, Strickland WC, Zambrano J. The total dispersal kernel: a review and future directions. AoB Plants 2019; 11:plz042. [PMID: 31579119 PMCID: PMC6757349 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plz042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The distribution and abundance of plants across the world depends in part on their ability to move, which is commonly characterized by a dispersal kernel. For seeds, the total dispersal kernel (TDK) describes the combined influence of all primary, secondary and higher-order dispersal vectors on the overall dispersal kernel for a plant individual, population, species or community. Understanding the role of each vector within the TDK, and their combined influence on the TDK, is critically important for being able to predict plant responses to a changing biotic or abiotic environment. In addition, fully characterizing the TDK by including all vectors may affect predictions of population spread. Here, we review existing research on the TDK and discuss advances in empirical, conceptual modelling and statistical approaches that will facilitate broader application. The concept is simple, but few examples of well-characterized TDKs exist. We find that significant empirical challenges exist, as many studies do not account for all dispersal vectors (e.g. gravity, higher-order dispersal vectors), inadequately measure or estimate long-distance dispersal resulting from multiple vectors and/or neglect spatial heterogeneity and context dependence. Existing mathematical and conceptual modelling approaches and statistical methods allow fitting individual dispersal kernels and combining them to form a TDK; these will perform best if robust prior information is available. We recommend a modelling cycle to parameterize TDKs, where empirical data inform models, which in turn inform additional data collection. Finally, we recommend that the TDK concept be extended to account for not only where seeds land, but also how that location affects the likelihood of establishing and producing a reproductive adult, i.e. the total effective dispersal kernel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haldre S Rogers
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
- Corresponding author’s e-mail address:
| | - Noelle G Beckman
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Florian Hartig
- Theoretical Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jeremy S Johnson
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Gesine Pufal
- Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katriona Shea
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Damaris Zurell
- Geography Department, Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Dynamic Macroecology, Department of Landscape Dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - James M Bullock
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | | | - Bette Loiselle
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation & Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Liba Pejchar
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Manette E Sandor
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Eugene W Schupp
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - W Christopher Strickland
- Department of Mathematics and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Jenny Zambrano
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman WA, USA
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Voarintsoa NRG, Raveloson A, Barimalala R, Razafindratsima OH. `Malagasy' or `Madagascan'? Which English term best reflects the people, the culture, and other things from Madagascar? Scientific African 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2019.e00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
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Gardner CJ, Waeber PO, Razafindratsima OH, Wilmé L. Decision complacency and conservation planning. Conserv Biol 2018; 32:1469-1472. [PMID: 29718564 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Charlie J Gardner
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NR, U.K
| | - Patrick O Waeber
- Forest Management and Development, Department of Environmental Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, ETH Zentrum, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Onja H Razafindratsima
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, U.S.A
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A
- Department of Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424, U.S.A
| | - Lucienne Wilmé
- Missouri Botanical Garden, Madagascar Research and Conservation Program, Lot VP 31, Anjohy Ankadibevava, BP 3391, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
- World Resources Institute, 10 G St. NE Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20002, U.S.A
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Razafindratsima OH, Dunham AE. Frugivores bias seed-adult tree associations through nonrandom seed dispersal: a phylogenetic approach. Ecology 2018; 97:2094-2102. [PMID: 27859187 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Frugivores are the main seed dispersers in many ecosystems, such that behaviorally driven, nonrandom patterns of seed dispersal are a common process; but patterns are poorly understood. Characterizing these patterns may be essential for understanding spatial organization of fruiting trees and drivers of seed-dispersal limitation in biodiverse forests. To address this, we studied resulting spatial associations between dispersed seeds and adult tree neighbors in a diverse rainforest in Madagascar, using a temporal and phylogenetic approach. Data show that by using fruiting trees as seed-dispersal foci, frugivores bias seed dispersal under conspecific adults and under heterospecific trees that share dispersers and fruiting time with the dispersed species. Frugivore-mediated seed dispersal also resulted in nonrandom phylogenetic associations of dispersed seeds with their nearest adult neighbors, in nine out of the 16 months of our study. However, these nonrandom phylogenetic associations fluctuated unpredictably over time, ranging from clustered to overdispersed. The spatial and phylogenetic template of seed dispersal did not translate to similar patterns of association in adult tree neighborhoods, suggesting the importance of post-dispersal processes in structuring plant communities. Results suggest that frugivore-mediated seed dispersal is important for structuring early stages of plant-plant associations, setting the template for post-dispersal processes that influence ultimate patterns of plant recruitment. Importantly, if biased patterns of dispersal are common in other systems, frugivores may promote tree coexistence in biodiverse forests by limiting the frequency and diversity of heterospecific interactions of seeds they disperse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onja H Razafindratsima
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas, 77005, USA.,BP 33, Centre ValBio, Ranomafana, Ifanadiana, 312, Madagascar
| | - Amy E Dunham
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas, 77005, USA.,BP 33, Centre ValBio, Ranomafana, Ifanadiana, 312, Madagascar
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Dunham AE, Razafindratsima OH, Rakotonirina P, Wright PC. Fruiting phenology is linked to rainfall variability in a tropical rain forest. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amy E. Dunham
- Department of BioSciences Rice University Houston TX 77005 USA
- Centre ValBio Ranomafana National Park 312 Ifanadiana Madagascar
| | - Onja H. Razafindratsima
- Centre ValBio Ranomafana National Park 312 Ifanadiana Madagascar
- Department of Biology College of Charleston Charleston SC 29424 USA
| | | | - Patricia C. Wright
- Centre ValBio Ranomafana National Park 312 Ifanadiana Madagascar
- Department of Anthropology Stony Brook University Stony Brook NY 11794 USA
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Abstract
Species are characterized by their behavioral, physiological, and ecological attributes, which determine their role in ecosystems. In turn, ecosystems and their functions are defined by the species that inhabit them. Thus, evaluating the functional diversity and distributions of species is of utmost importance to studies of biogeography, community ecology, macroevolution, and conservation. The functional diversity of species are determined by traits such as diet, foraging strata, trophic level, activity cycle, litter size, generation length, habitat breadth, and body mass. While there has been a recent growth of information regarding the vertebrate taxa of Madagascar, this information is not always easy to access (non-digitized), and is often fragmented by taxon, location, trait, or combinations thereof. Here, we present the Malagasy Animal trait Data Archive (MADA), a compilation of these and other functional traits, representing the ecological and geographical diversity of all 214 extant mammal and 242 bird species of Madagascar. Data were collected from extensive literature reviews. This Archive is currently limited by select cases of missing data, errors, and uncertainty in the literature; however, it represents the most comprehensive collection of functional trait data of Malagasy mammals and birds to date. The structure of the database allows for different levels of information (and specificity) in each entry and organization by taxon, range, bioclimate, and trait. MADA will be continuously updated as new data become available. Potential uses of MADA include ecological research on the trait or trophic structure of communities, inquiries regarding the mechanisms of community assembly, comparative studies of functionally (dis)similar species, and conservation efforts concerned with the loss of ecosystem function. Madagascar is simultaneously home to one of the most exclusive, diverse, and endangered faunas of the world, making MADA a uniquely valuable resource for biodiversity science and conservation. No copyright restrictions are associated with this dataset. We would appreciate that researchers cite this paper if using all or part of the datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onja H Razafindratsima
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Yasmin Yacoby
- Environmental Sciences and Public Policy Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
| | - Daniel S Park
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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Razafindratsima OH, Brown KA, Carvalho F, Johnson SE, Wright PC, Dunham AE. Edge effects on components of diversity and above-ground biomass in a tropical rainforest. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kerry A. Brown
- Department of Geography and Geology; Kingston University; Kingston Upon Thames Surrey UK
| | - Fabio Carvalho
- Department of Geography and Geology; Kingston University; Kingston Upon Thames Surrey UK
| | - Steig E. Johnson
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology; University of Calgary; Calgary AB Canada
- Centre ValBio; Ifanadiana Fianarantsoa Madagascar
| | - Patricia C. Wright
- Centre ValBio; Ifanadiana Fianarantsoa Madagascar
- Department of Anthropology; Stony Brook University; Stony Brook NY USA
| | - Amy E. Dunham
- Centre ValBio; Ifanadiana Fianarantsoa Madagascar
- Department of BioSciences; Rice University; Houston TX USA
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15
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Affiliation(s)
- Onja H. Razafindratsima
- Rice University, Department of BioSciences, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005 USA
- Centre ValBio, BP 33, Ranomafana, 312 Ifanadiana, Madagascar
| | - Amy E. Dunham
- Rice University, Department of BioSciences, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005 USA
- Centre ValBio, BP 33, Ranomafana, 312 Ifanadiana, Madagascar
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Martinez BT, Razafindratsima OH. Frugivory and seed dispersal patterns of the red-ruffed lemur, Varecia rubra, at a forest restoration site in Masoala National Park, Madagascar. Folia Primatol (Basel) 2014; 85:228-43. [PMID: 25323399 DOI: 10.1159/000363408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2004] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Frugivorous primates can play a critical role in the regeneration of degraded habitats by dispersing seeds of their food plants. We studied the diet and seed dispersal patterns of 3 groups of habituated red-ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra) in a rain forest restoration site in Masoala National Park, Madagascar, to assess the species' seed dispersal effectiveness. Fruits accounted for 61% of the diet, with an average foraging time of 10 min per fruit patch per day. Seeds from 75% of the consumed fruit species were recovered in the collected V. rubra feces. We traced the potential parent plants of 20 dispersed-seed species to calculate a gut passage range (63-423 min; mean = 225, n = 35). The median seed dispersal distance from the potential parent plant was 48 m (mean = 83 m, range 0-568 m, n = 194). The home ranges of 2 of the 3 groups overlapped with the regenerating forest parcels. Although 92% of fecal samples with seeds were dispersed into the undisturbed forest, V. rubra fed on the fruits of the non-native pioneer shrub Clidemia hirta, while also dispersing native and non-native seed species into the regenerating forest parcels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara T Martinez
- Graduate Program in Conservation Biology and the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn., USA
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17
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Dunham AE, Maitner BS, Razafindratsima OH, Simmons MC, Roy CL. Body size and sexual size dimorphism in primates: influence of climate and net primary productivity. J Evol Biol 2013; 26:2312-20. [PMID: 24016213 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Revised: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the evolution of body size and sexual size dimorphism has been a longstanding goal in evolutionary biology. Previous work has shown that environmental stress can constrain male-biased sexual size dimorphism at the population level, but we know little about how this might translate to geographical patterns of body size and sexual size dimorphism at the species level. Environmental constraints due to a highly seasonal, resource-poor and/or variable environment have often been cited to explain the unusual lack of sexual size dimorphism among Madagascar's diverse and numerous primate taxa; however, empirical tests of this hypothesis are lacking. Using a phylogenetic approach and a geographical information system platform, we explored the role of seasonality, interannual variability and annual measures of temperature and rainfall, and net primary productivity on patterns of body size and sexual size dimorphism across 130 species of primates. Phylogenetically controlled comparisons showed no support for a role of environmental constraints in moderating sexual size dimorphism at the interspecific level, despite significant associations of environmental variables with body mass. Results suggest that the focus of discussions that have dominated in the last two decades regarding the role of environmental constraints in driving patterns of monomorphism of Madagascar's lemurs should be reconsidered; however, the conundrum remains.
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Affiliation(s)
- A E Dunham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
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18
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Razafindratsima OH, Jones TA, Dunham AE. Patterns of movement and seed dispersal by three lemur species. Am J Primatol 2013; 76:84-96. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2013] [Revised: 08/02/2013] [Accepted: 08/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Onja H. Razafindratsima
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Rice University; Houston Texas
- Centre ValBio Ranomafana; Ifanadiana Fianarantsoa Madagascar
| | - Thomas A. Jones
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Rice University; Houston Texas
| | - Amy E. Dunham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Rice University; Houston Texas
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