seed dispersal by tana river mangabeys in fragmented gallery forests塔纳河白眉猴传播种子的支离破碎的画廊森林.pdf

Vol.2, No.1, 12-20 (2012) Open Journal of Ecology /10.4236/oje.2012.21002 Seed dispersal by Tana River mangabeys in fragmented gallery forests 1* 1 2 Duncan M. Kimuyu , Geoffrey M. Wahungu , Dennis O. Otieno 1School of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, Karatina University College, Karatina, Kenya; * Corresponding Author: dkimuyu@ 2Department of Plant Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany Received 28 November 2011; revised 27 December 2011; accepted 10 January 2012 ABSTRACT their competitive role in different biocoenosis can vary. Dispersers also differ in diet, digestive anatomy, body Data collected on a free ranging group of Tana size, social structure, and movement patterns [6]. Even River mangabeys (Cercocebus galeritus) indi- for local groups or members of a given species, seasonal cates that this endangered primate species, variations in food availability may cause great differ- which has previously been regarded as a seed ences in their plant-specific seed dispersal efficiency [6- predator, plays an important role in seed dis- 8]. Evaluations on the effectiveness of a particular dis- persal and do contribute to the regeneration of a perser also requires quantification of the fate of dis- highly fragmented gallery forest. We observed persed seeds [9]. fruit handling behavior and the post-dispersal Among animals, many