Title
Strategies of seed dispersal and seed predation in Amazonian ungulates
Date Issued
01 January 1991
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Abstract
Fruit constitutes 81% of the diet of red brocket deer Mazama americana, 87% of grey brocket deer M. gouazoubira, 59% of collared peccary Tayassu tajacu, 66% of white-lipped peccary T. pecari and 33% of lowland tapir Tapirus terrestris. These Amazonian ungulates often disperse seeds over short distances by spitting them out during mastication. The lowland tapir is the only ungulate that frequently disperses intact seeds through the digestive tract. Brocket deer destroy most of the seeds they consume by digesting them with rumen microbes, while peccaries crack seeds using their resistant teeth, strong jaw muscles, and thick skull bones. Defensive strategies of seeds include strength, chemical toxins, mast fruiting, fibrous lignin, and size variation. Brocket deer and peccaries have pregastric fermentation that may detoxify some secondary compounds of seeds. Small seeds occasionally pass intact through brocket deer and peccary guts, but strong palm seeds that avert many mammalian predators are often destroyed by ungulates. The fibrous lignin that protects seeds of Jessenia bataua (Palmae) appears to be effective against ungulates which may explain its abundance in the study area. -from Author
Start page
255
End page
261
Volume
23
Issue
3
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Agricultura
Subjects
DOI
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-0026324889
Source
Biotropica
Resource of which it is part
Biotropica
ISSN of the container
00063606
DOI of the container
10.2307/2388202
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus