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Predation and removal of seeds from five species of palms by Guerlinguetus ingrami (Thomas, 1901) in an urban fragment of the Montane Atlantic Forest

This study investigated the fruvigory pattern of Guerlinguetus ingrami, considering the removal, predation and caching of the fruits of palm species (Syagrus pseudococos, S. ruschiana, Bactris setosa, Polyandrococos caudescens and Euterpe edulis) in an urban forest fragment of the montane Atlantic forest in the state of Espírito Santo, Southeastern Brazil. These palm species show characteristics theoretically expected to be seen in plants dispersed by squirrels (trees with a high productivity and whose fruits are large, with few seeds covered by rigid endocarps and that are not utilized by other arborean seed predators). Here we describe differences in the frugivory pattern exhibited by G. ingrami towards plants with the same dispersal syndrome. The diaspores of species with larger fruits were removed and cached by the squirrel at rates higher than the palms with small fruits. As a result of the high specificity showed by the squirrel's activities related to seed dispersal, this rodent should be important in compensatory shifts only in small, defaunated forest fragments. Therefore, the selectivity of G. ingrami could indicate that its role as a seed dispersor into small forest fragments would be restricted, due to the grater likelihood of mortality associated to the plants scattered by this species. The role of G. ingrami as a seed predator must be quantified for the effects of its behavioral activities in small fragments to be understood.

Guerlinguetus ingrami; Frugivory; Atlantic forest


Sociedade de Investigações Florestais Universidade Federal de Viçosa, CEP: 36570-900 - Viçosa - Minas Gerais - Brazil, Tel: (55 31) 3612-3959 - Viçosa - MG - Brazil
E-mail: rarvore@sif.org.br