Endozoochorous seed dispersal by golden snub-nosed monkeys in a temperate forest  

作　　者：Hui YAO Yanpei BAI Yuan CHEN Haochun CHEN Wanji YANG Xiangdong RUAN Zuofu XIANG 

机构地区：[1]Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Biology,Central South University of Forestry&Technology,Changsha,China [2]Shennongjia Forest District,Shennongjia National Park,China [3]School of Life Sciences,Sun Yat-Sen University,Guangzhou,China [4]National Forest Inventory and Design Institute,Beijing,China

出　　处：《Integrative Zoology》2021年第1期120-127,共8页整合动物学（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31870509,31670397).

摘　　要：Seed dispersal is essential for plant recruitment and the maintenance of biodiversity.Colobine monkeys are primarily folivorous,but they also consume fruits and are often assumed to be seed predators.Although they are known to be epizoochorous seed dispersers,their role as endozoochorous seed dispersers needs reassessment.We examined potential endozoochory in golden snub-nosed monkeys(Rhinopithecus roxellana)at Dalongtan in Shennongjia National Park,central China,by assessing potential germination of ingested seeds(n=1806,9 species)from fecal samples.Intact seeds were in almost all fecal samples(ranging from 5-130 seeds),and ingested seeds were from small seeded species(seed width<4.5 mm).The 2 most abundant species were Actinidia arguta(73%)and Rosa caudata(15%).The fruits of A.arguta were unripe when ingested(i.e.effective seed predation)and the ingested seeds did not germinate in the trials.Therefore,ingestion of unripe seeds does not lead to effective seed dispersal.However,germination rates of defecated R.caudata(9%)were greater than control seeds(6%and 0%),demon-strating potential endozoochorous seed dispersal.Thus,colobine monkeys do indeed disperse mainly small-seeded from multi-seeded fruits through potential endozoochory and this process enhances the recruitment of seedlings.

关 键 词：ENDOZOOCHORY GERMINATION seed dispersal seed recruitment temperate forest 

分 类 号：Q94[生物学—植物学]