Esquilos Sciurus alphonsei (Mammalia: Rodentia) como dispersores de Attalea oleifera (arecaceae) em remanescentes de Floresta AtlÃntica Nordestina, Brasil

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2003

RESUMO

This study investigated the role of the squirrel Sciurus alphonsei Thomas 1906 as a disperser of the fruits of Attalea oleifera Kunth in a remnant of the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil. During 4 months squirrels visits to 15 individuals of palm trees were monitored totaling 118 h of focal tree observations, and 39 visual/vocal records of the animal. At each palm tree 4 quadrants were considered (A, B, C e D) of which A and D faced the forest border and B and C, the forest interior. In each of the quadrants we counted all removed pyrenes and along 20 x 2 m transects which started in each of the quadrants at an angle of 45Â. We counted all the potential feeding places (structures in the trees, such as twigs and lianas, in which the squirrels can use when feeding), and also 1, 2 e 3 leaves seedlings. Observations were carried out in observational platforms 10 m distant from the focal plant, between August and December 2002. Squirrels removed pyrenes preferentially to distances between 2,0 - 7,9 m from the adult palm and despite removing to higher distances in the forest border, there was no preferential removal between forest border and interior. This study indicates that squirrels are one of the few dispersers of A. oleifera, despite formally referred as seed predators, which is extremely important since potential dispersers are rare due to the destruction of the Atlantic Forest

ASSUNTO(S)

attalea dispersÃo squirrels - sciurus esquilos - sciurus attalea zoologia aplicada atlantic forest floresta atlÃntica dispersion

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