Fruit and seed traits and vertebrate–fruit interactions of tree species occurring in Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana

Seed dispersal is widely considered an important mechanism for the conservation of plant diversity. In tropical regions, over 80% of woody plant species are dispersed by vertebrates, often through the consumption of fruits. Our understanding of what drives interactions between vertebrates and fruits is limited. Through a systematic literature search, we compiled a database of fruit and seed traits and vertebrate–fruit interactions for tree and vertebrate species occurring in the Guianas, with the aim of facilitating research into seed dispersal and seed predation of tree species in the Guianas. The database was compiled by extracting data from 264 published sources. It consists of 21,082 records, of which 19,039 records contain information about 19 different fruit and seed traits belonging to 1622 different tree species. The other 2043 records contain information on vertebrate–fruit interactions between 161 vertebrate species and 464 tree species. Our analyses showed a taxonomic bias, particularly in the interaction data, toward large-bodied vertebrates, with most interactions recorded for the bearded saki (Chiropotes chiropotes), followed by the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris). For plants we found an overrepresentation of the Sapotaceae and Moraceae families and an underrepresentation of the Rubiaceae, Myrtaceae, and Lauraceae families in the interactions. There are no copyright restrictions on the data set; please cite this publication when using these data

Commercialization of Aframomum spp. in Africa : a Systematic Review of Literature and Supporting Botanical Vouchers

Aframomum (Zingiberaceae) is a genus of plants native to tropical Africa that are sold on African markets as spices and traditional medicine. Not all species of Aframomum are equally abundant or widespread, and no overview exists of the specific species traded or the quality of the species identifications in publications referencing the sale of Aframomum. Through a systematic literature review, we show that 14 species of Aframomum are sold in 15 African countries. The majority of the studies were done in Nigeria and Cameroon and A. melegueta was the most frequently reported species in trade. A. kayserianum was the only commercialized species with confirmed conservation issues. Our literature review shows extensive knowledge gaps regarding the commercialization of Aframomum in Africa. Most studies did not include herbarium vouchers, or only used market-sourced plant material, which impedes the possibilities for species verifications. Additionally, most East African countries were devoid of relevant research. These gaps can be bridged by future research in East Africa and voucher collection from living material. Information on the conservation status of traded Aframomum species can be obtained by population studies on wild resources and documenting local domestication efforts, as the cultivation of marketed species tends to relieve the pressure from wild resources.</p

Fruit and seed traits and vertebrate-fruit interactions of tree species occurring in Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana

Through a systematic literature search, we compiled a database of fruit and seed traits and vertebrate-fruit interactions for tree and vertebrate species occurring in the Guianas, with the aim to facilitate research into seed dispersal and seed predation of tree species in the Guianas. The database was compiled by extracting data from 264 published sources. It consists of 21.125 records, of which 19.039 records contain information about 19 different fruit and seed traits belonging to 1.622 different tree species. The other 2.086 records contain information on vertebrate-fruit interactions between 164 vertebrate species and 464 tree species