Article (Scientific journals)
Tamarins and dung beetles: an efficient diplochorous dispersal system in the Peruvian Amazonia
Culot, Laurence; Mann, Darren J.; Muñoz Lazo, Fernando J.J. et al.
2011In Biotropica, 43 (1), p. 84-92
Peer reviewed
 

Files


Full Text
Culot_etal_2011_Biotropica.pdf
Publisher postprint (209.03 kB)
Request a copy

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to



Details



Keywords :
Saguinus fuscicollis; Saguinus mystax; Scarabaeinae; secondary forest; seed burial; seed dispersal
Abstract :
[en] Dung beetles fulfil several key ecosystem functions but their role as secondary seed dispersers is probably one of the most complexes because several factors can diversely affect the seed / beetle interaction. Little is known about the dung beetle communities and their influence on occurrence and depth of burial of seeds dispersed in small faeces. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of various factors (type of faeces, defecation pattern, season, habitat, seed characteristics) on dung beetle community (composition, number and size of individuals and species) and its consequences on occurrence and depth of burial of seeds primarily dispersed by two tamarin species. We captured dung beetles in a Peruvian rainforest with 299 dung-baited pitfall traps to characterize the dung beetle community. Seed burial occurrence and depth were assessed by marking, in situ, 551 dispersed seeds in faeces placed in a cage. We observed a significant effect of the amount of dung, season, time of defecation, and habitat on the number of individuals and species of dung beetles, as well as on seed burial occurrence and depth, while the type of faeces only significantly influenced the number and the size of dung beetles. Surprisingly, there was no significant effect of seed length, shape, and mass neither on seed burial occurrence, nor on burial depth. We highlighted that dung beetles compete for the first access to the resource on small faeces rather than for space for the building of their nest as observed on large faeces.
Disciplines :
Environmental sciences & ecology
Author, co-author :
Culot, Laurence ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences et gestion de l'environnement > Biologie du comportement - Ethologie et psychologie animale
Mann, Darren J.;  Oxford University > Museum of Natural History
Muñoz Lazo, Fernando J.J.;  National University of Peruvian Amazon > 3Department of Ecology and Fauna
Huynen, Marie-Claude ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences et gestion de l'environnement > Biologie du comportement - Ethologie et psychologie animale
Heymann, Eckhard W.;  German Primate Centre - DPZ > Department of Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Language :
English
Title :
Tamarins and dung beetles: an efficient diplochorous dispersal system in the Peruvian Amazonia
Publication date :
2011
Journal title :
Biotropica
ISSN :
0006-3606
eISSN :
1744-7429
Publisher :
Blackwell Publishing
Volume :
43
Issue :
1
Pages :
84-92
Peer reviewed :
Peer reviewed
Funders :
FRIA - Fonds pour la Formation à la Recherche dans l'Industrie et dans l'Agriculture [BE]
Available on ORBi :
since 16 March 2010

Statistics


Number of views
142 (19 by ULiège)
Number of downloads
2 (2 by ULiège)

Scopus citations®
 
27
Scopus citations®
without self-citations
19
OpenCitations
 
26

Bibliography


Similar publications



Contact ORBi