Publication
Title
Effects of site and fruit size on the composition of avian frugivore assemblages in a fragmented Afrotropical forest
Author
Abstract
Factors influencing the interaction between fruiting trees and their frugivorous seed dispersers in fragmented Afrotropical landscapes are poorly known. With the use of Mantel statistics we analysed assemblages of frugivorous birds on 58 individual trees belonging to 11 species growing in seven Kenyan cloud forest fragments. Overall, frugivores showed little specialization on particular trees. Fruit size explained a substantial amount of the variation in frugivore assemblages among different tree species at the same site. In addition. frugivore assemblages on conspecific trees were significantly more similar when the trees occurred at the same site, This location effect was attributable to the different sites and forest fragments (of different sizes and disturbance levels) varying in the densities and composition of their avian frugivores. vegetation composition and tree fruiting phenologies. It was consolidated further by the low mobility of most of these avian frugivores. particularly their reluctance to crops between forest fragments. Habitat disturbance and fragmentation may therefore have affected fruit selection. with implications for both seed dispersal and regeneration.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Oikos: a journal of ecology. - København
Publication
København : 2002
ISSN
0030-1299
DOI
10.1034/J.1600-0706.2002.960214.X
Volume/pages
96 :2 (2002) , p. 320-330
ISI
000174095900014
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 29.02.2012
Last edited 04.03.2024
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