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Seed predation and defleshing in the agouti-dispersed palm Astrocaryum standleyanum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 July 2010

Patrick A. Jansen ,
Kelly Elschot ,
P. Johannes Verkerk  and
S. Joseph Wright
Patrick A. Jansen*
Affiliation:
Community and Conservation Ecology, University of Groningen, PO Box 14, NL-9750 AA Haren, the Netherlands Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panamá, República de Panamá Center for Ecosystem Studies, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
Kelly Elschot
Affiliation:
Community and Conservation Ecology, University of Groningen, PO Box 14, NL-9750 AA Haren, the Netherlands
P. Johannes Verkerk
Affiliation:
Center for Ecosystem Studies, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8123, 6700 ES Wageningen, the Netherlands
S. Joseph Wright
Affiliation:
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Panamá, República de Panamá
*
1Corresponding author: P. A. Jansen. Email: patrick.jansen@wur.nl
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Abstract:

The agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) meticulously defleshes Astrocaryum standleyanum palm seeds before scatter hoarding. On Barro Colorado Island, Panama, we experimentally tested three hypotheses on how this behaviour could reduce seed predation to the mutual benefit of the tree and the rodent. The first and established hypothesis – that defleshing reduces seed predation by bruchid beetles by intercepting larvae – was rejected. Experiments in which manually defleshed seeds or entire fruits were incubated at different times showed that defleshing reduced bruchid infestation before fruit fall but not after fruit fall. The second hypothesis – that defleshing reduces cache pilferage by making seeds less conspicuous – was supported. An experiment in which intact fruits and manually defleshed seeds were placed in mimicked agouti caches and followed showed that seeds with flesh were pilfered at higher rates than defleshed seeds. The third hypothesis – that defleshing reduces post-dispersal infestation of cached seeds – was rejected. An experiment in which intact fruits and manually defleshed seeds were placed in mammal exclosures and later collected to assess infestation showed that burial reduced seed infestation but defleshing did not. Thus, seed defleshing reduced palm seed predation, but in a different way than previously believed. We also found that (1) bruchid beetles can be pre-dispersal rather than post-dispersal seed predators, (2) seed infestation by scolytid beetles may control bruchid larvae, and (3) scolytids rather than bruchids are the main invertebrate seed predators of this palm.

Keywords

Astrocaryum standleyanumBarro Colorado IslandBruchidaecache pilferageDasyprocta punctatascatter-hoardingPanamaScolytidaeseed handlingseed predation
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 26 , Issue 5 , September 2010 , pp. 473 - 480
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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