Fungal infestation boosts fruit aroma and fruit removal by mammals and birds

For four decades, an influential hypothesis has posited that competition for food resources between microbes and vertebrates selects for microbes to alter these resources in ways that make them unpalatable to vertebrates. We chose an understudied cross kingdom interaction to experimentally evaluate the effect of fruit infection by fungi on both vertebrate (mammals and birds) fruit preferences and on ecologically relevant fruit traits (volatile compounds, toughness, etc). Our well-replicated field experiments revealed that, in contrast to previous studies, frugivorous mammals and birds consistently preferred infested over intact fruits. This was concordant with the higher level of attractive volatiles (esters, ethanol) in infested fruits. This investigation suggests that vertebrate frugivores, fleshyfruited plants, and microbes form a tripartite interaction in which each part could interact positively with the other two (e.g. both orange seeds and fungal spores are likely dispersed by mammals). Such a mutualistic view of these complex interactions is opposed to the generalized idea of competition between frugivorous vertebrates and microorganisms. Thus, this research provides a new perspective on the widely accepted plant evolutionary dilemma to make fruits attractive to mutualistic frugivores while unattractive to presumed antagonistic microbes that constrain seed dispersalinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Does spatial locative comprehension predict landmark-based navigation?

In the present study we investigated the role of spatial locative comprehension in learning and retrieving pathways when landmarks were available and when they were absent in a sample of typically developing 6- to 11-year-old children. Our results show that the more proficient children are in understanding spatial locatives the more they are able to learn pathways, retrieve them after a delay and represent them on a map when landmarks are present in the environment. These findings suggest that spatial language is crucial when individuals rely on sequences of landmarks to drive their navigation towards a given goal but that it is not involved when navigational representations based on the geometrical shape of the environment or the coding of body movements are sufficient for memorizing and recalling short pathways

Primate-plant mutualisms : is there evidence for primate fruit syndromes?

For over thirty years, researchers have identified the traits of “primate fruits” (fruits that are exclusively or primarily dispersed by primates). This book chapter reviews the primate fruit syndrome hypothesis in the history of primate seed dispersal studies. It addresses whether primate fruit syndromes exist in alignment with primates exerting sufficient selective pressure on plants via seed dispersal that alters the evolutionary trajectories of those plants. Because of recent technological advances that allow for the quantification of fruit traits, along with the importance of primates as seed dispersers, the fruit syndrome hypothesis can be tested.Canada Research Chairs ProgramNatural Science and Engineering Research Council of CanadaFonds Québécois de la Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologie

Synergistic effects of seed disperser and predator loss on recruitment success and long-term consequences for carbon stocks in tropical rainforests

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:33:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-12-01The extinction of large frugivores has consequences for the recruitment of large-seeded plants with potential lasting effects on carbon storage in tropical rainforests. However, previous studies relating frugivore defaunation to changes in carbon storage ignore potential compensation by redundant frugivores and the effects of seed predators on plant recruitment. Based on empirical data of the recruitment success of a large-seeded hardwood tree species (Cryptocarya mandioccana, Lauraceae) across a defaunation gradient of seed dispersers and predators, we show that defaunation increases both seed dispersal limitation and seed predation. Depending on the level of seed predator loss, plant recruitment is reduced by 70.7-94.9% as a result of the loss of seed dispersers. The loss of large seed predators increases the net seed mortality by 7-30% due to the increased abundance of small granivorous rodents. The loss of large seed dispersers can be buffered by the compensatory effects of smaller frugivores in seed removal, but it is not sufficient to prevent a decrease in plant recruitment. We show that the conservation of both seed predators and dispersers is necessary for the recruitment of large-seeded plants. Since these plants contribute substantially to carbon stocks, defaunation can jeopardize the maintenance of tropical forest carbon storage.Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Zoologia Laboratório de Primatologia, Avenida 24A, CP199 1515Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Ecologia Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação, Avenida 24A, 1515 CP199Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ) Universidade de São Paulo (USP) Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Avenida Pádua Dias, 11Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Zoologia Laboratório de Primatologia, Avenida 24A, CP199 1515Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Ecologia Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação, Avenida 24A, 1515 CP19

Seed Dispersal by Primates and Implications for the Conservation of a Biodiversity Hotspot, the Atlantic Forest of South America

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:28:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-06-01Primates play a fundamental role as seed dispersers, particularly in tropical rainforests. Because defaunation and fragmentation are leading several primate species to local extinction, it is fundamental to understand the role of primates as effective seed dispersers. Here we present a systematic review of studies of seed dispersal by primates in a biodiversity hotspot, the Atlantic Forest of South America, to 1) highlight gaps in our knowledge, 2) determine species richness and proportion of seed species dispersed, and 3) test the relationship between primate body size and the size of dispersed species. Our review found 79 studies of the diet of six ecospecies (Callithrix, Leontopithecus, Callicebus, Sapajus, Alouatta, Brachyteles) but only 20 of these report information on seed dispersal, and none of these are on Callithrix or Callicebus. We found a strong bias in the distribution of species and regions, with most of the studies concentrated in southeastern Brazil. All ecospecies dispersed a large proportion of the seed species they handled (72.1–93.6%). Brachyteles dispersed the highest diversity of plants (N = 73), followed by Sapajus (N = 66), Leontopithecus (N = 49), and Alouatta (N = 26). Although we found no significant relationship between primate body size and the size of seeds dispersed, Brachyteles disperse a higher diversity of large-seeded species than smaller-bodied primates. These results suggest that the local extinction of large primate species may lead to dramatic changes in the plant community, as many large-seeded plants are inaccessible to smaller arboreal frugivores. We propose guidelines for future research on primate seed dispersal to enable the evaluation of seed dispersal effectiveness and to improve our understanding of the fundamental role of primates in this key ecosystem process.Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)Laboratório de Primatologia Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)Laboratório de Primatologia Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP

Using energetic models to investigate the survival and reproduction of beaked whales (family Ziphiidae)

Mass stranding of several species of beaked whales (family Ziphiidae) associated with exposure to anthropogenic sounds has raised concern for the conservation of these species. However, little is known about the species' life histories, prey or habitat requirements. Without this knowledge, it becomes difficult to assess the effects of anthropogenic sound, since there is no way to determine whether the disturbance is impacting the species' physical or environmental requirements. Here we take a bioenergetics approach to address this gap in our knowledge, as the elusive, deep-diving nature of beaked whales has made it hard to study these effects directly. We develop a model for Ziphiidae linking feeding energetics to the species' requirements for survival and reproduction, since these life history traits would be the most likely to be impacted by non-lethal disturbances. Our models suggest that beaked whale reproduction requires energy dense prey, and that poor resource availability would lead to an extension of the inter-calving interval. Further, given current information, it seems that some beaked whale species require relatively high quality habitat in order to meet their requirements for survival and reproduction. As a result, even a small non-lethal disturbance that results in displacement of whales from preferred habitats could potentially impact a population if a significant proportion of that population was affected. We explored the impact of varying ecological parameters and model assumptions on survival and reproduction, and find that calf and fetus survival appear more readily affected than the survival of adult females