Importance of plant and bird traits on the seed removal pattern of endangered trees across different forest patches in southeast China

Ecological Processes - 2020
Ning Li1, Shuai Zhang2, Yi Ren1, Zheng Wang2
1Institute of Applied Ecology, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, 211171, Jiangsu, China
2College of Biology and Environmental Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China

Tóm tắt

AbstractSeed removal by birds has been recognized as an important part of seed dispersal process in patchy forest areas; however, few studies have focused on the contribution of both plant and bird traits to seed removal. In this study, field data of seed removal for Taxus chinensis was combined with the data of bird and plant traits for analysis. The relevant traits of plants and birds that influenced T. chinensis–bird interaction were identified in a remnant patchy forest in yew ecological garden, Fujian Province, southeast China. Twenty bird species were found to forage and remove the seeds of T. chinensis. The number of bird species varied in different forest patches; however, their contribution to seed removal showed no significant differences. Both bird and plant traits were found to affect seed removal. The seed removal rate was positively affected by bird traits, such as foraging frequency and wing length, but decreased with body weight. The plant traits, such as number of fruits, tree height, canopy density, and crown width, which are related to safe shelter and food resource conditions, increased the seed removal rate. Our results underline the functional importance of bird and plant traits in the seed removal from endangered trees in patchy forests. Therefore, future conservation strategies should prioritize and recognize the role of both plant and bird traits in seed dispersal in remnant patchy forests.

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