A germinação e o vigor de sementes de Crecropia e Ficus são afetadas pelo processo de digestão em morcego frugívoro?

Ademir Kleber Morbeck Oliveira,Frederico Tormin De Freitas Lemes,Atenise Pulchério Leite

doi:10.4013/nbc.2018.131.01

Ademir Kleber Morbeck Oliveira, Frederico Tormin De Freitas Lemes + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4013/nbc.2018.131.01

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Abstract

Taking into account the importance of the bats as seed dispersers, the aim of this study was to evaluate the seed consumption of two arboreal species (Cecropia pachystachya and Ficus gomelleira) by a species of frugivorous bat (Sturnira lilium). As hypothesis, seeds of Cecropia and Ficus ingested by Sturnira are favored in the germination process under laboratory conditions. Bats were captured with mist nets and their fecal excretion were collected and submitted to the following treatments: (1) digestive system Cecropia Group, (2) digestive system Ficus Group, (3) Cecropia control Group, and (4) Ficus control Group. The passage of seeds through Sturnira lilum digestive system reduced the percentage of seed germination (19% – C. pachystachya and 16% – F. gomelleira) and vigor in both plant species. This result indicates that loss of seed viability occurs during the process of ingestion and digestion of seeds, reducing the percentage of germination. However, most seeds cross the digestive system without damage, resulting in good germination rates, which may allow the dispersion and establishment of Cecropia and Ficus propagules in other areas.Keywords: Bats, Chiroptera, endozoochory.

Highlights

Seed dispersal in tropical forests depends heavily on mammals and birds, a dynamic process that has great influence on the distribution patterns of plant individuals in the community
Cecropia Control Group began the process of primary root protrusion on the first day of testing and Digestive System Ce cropia Group on the third day (Figure 1) and presented significant differences in percentage of germinated seeds (U = 0, p = 0.014) and vigor (GMT and GSI: U = 0, p = 0.014) when compared to Cecropia Digestive System Group
Fi cus Control Group started the process on the seventh day, while Digestive System Ficus Group began on the 11th day (Figure 2) and presented significant differences in percentage of germinated seeds (U = 0, p = 0.014) and vigor (GSI: U = 0, p = 0.014 and GMT: U = 1, p = 0.029) when compared to Ficus Digestive System Group

Summary

Introduction

Seed dispersal in tropical forests depends heavily on mammals and birds, a dynamic process that has great influence on the distribution patterns of plant individuals in the community. Endozoochory, that is the dispersion after passing through the digestive system of vertebrates, is one of the most important, including the interaction known as dispersive mutualism, where the animals obtain nutrients from fruits that they consume dispersing the diaspores away from the parent plant, undergoing less intraspecific competition than when remaining close to the progenitor plant (Fenner, 2000; Galetti et al, 2006), besides decreasing the predation (Janzen, 1970) This process can colonize recently open habitats or deposit the seeds in microhabitats more favorable to their germination and establishment (Howe and Smallwood, 1982)

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