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Fruiting and frugivores at a strangler fig in the tropical rain forest of Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Rosamond Coates-Estrada  and
Alejandro Estrada
Rosamond Coates-Estrada
Affiliation:
Estación de Biología Los Tuxtlas, Instituto de Biología-UNAM Apartado Postal 176, San Andrés Tuxtla, Veracruz, México
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Abstract

Diurnal and nocturnal censuses were conducted on animal visitors at a single strangler Ficus aff. cotinifolia (H.B.K.) tree during the entire period of ripe fruit availability. Fruit fall to the ground was measured with fruit traps, and chemical analyses were conducted on the figs. Fourteen species of birds, four species of nonvolant mammals and two species of bats consumed the figs. Of the total number of ripe figs accounted for during the sampling period (N= 1.9 X 105), 42% fell to the ground, 45% were removed by mammals and 13% by birds. Frugivores such as the howling monkey Alouatta palliata, the cacomistle Bassariscus sumichrasti, the keel-billed toucan Ramphastos sulphuratus and fruit-eating bats removed the largest amounts of figs from the tree and deposited seeds of 13 plant species other than figs below the tree crown.

Resumen

Se llevaron a cabo censos diurnos y nocturnos de los animates que visitaron un higo estrangulador, Ficus aff. cotinifolia (H.B.K) durante el periódo completo de disponibilidad de higos maduros. La lluvia de higos bajo la sombra de la copa del árbol se medió por medio de trampas de colecta de frutos y muestras de los higos fueron sometidas a análisis quimicos. Catorce especies de aves, cuatro especies de mamiferos no voladores y dos especies de murcielagos fueron obscrvados alimentandose de los higos en la copa. Del total de higos contados durante el periódo de frutación (N= 1.9 X 105), 42% cayeron al suelo, 45% fueron removidos por mamiferos y 13% por aves. Frugivoros como el mono alluador (Alouatta palliata), el cacomixtle (Bassariscus sumichrasti), el tucàn (Ramphastos sulphuratus) y murcielagos consumidores de frutos retiraron la mayor cantidad de higos durante sus visitas al àrbol y depositaron las semillas de 13 especies de plantas bajo la sombra de la copa.

Keywords

FicusfrugivoryMéxicoseed dispersaltropical rain forest
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 2 , Issue 4 , November 1986 , pp. 349 - 357
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

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