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Seed consumption by small mammals from Borneo

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2009

Konstans Wells*
Affiliation:
Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, D-89069 Ulm, Germany
Richard T. Corlett
Affiliation:
Dept. of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Maklarin B. Lakim
Affiliation:
Sabah Parks, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Elisabeth K. V. Kalko
Affiliation:
Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, D-89069 Ulm, Germany Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
Martin Pfeiffer
Affiliation:
Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, D-89069 Ulm, Germany
*
1Corresponding author. Email: konstans.wells@uni-ulm.de

Extract

Fruit and seed consumers can both positively and negatively affect plant recruitment through seed dispersion and seed predation, respectively. In turn, fruits influence the abundance and distribution of consumers sustained by local plant assemblages. These interactions are key processes in plant recruitment and the dynamics of tropical forests, where most plants depend on dispersal by frugivorous animals (Corlett 1998). An understanding of these interactions and the functional role of particular seed-dispersing animals is increasingly important nowadays, given that human impact on tropical forest ecosystems may negatively impact seed dispersal and forest regeneration in both natural and human-altered forests (Wright et al. 2000).

Type
Short Communication
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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References

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