Artificial perches for the supply of seeds in a fragmented landscape in southwest Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Artificial perches can provide an important supply of seeds and contribute to ecological restoration. In the present study, we verified the effectiveness of artificial perches for the dispersal of seeds in an area of the southwest Brazilian Amazon. We conducted the study on the Catuaba Experimental Farm in State of Acre, Brazil, from March 2016 to March 2017. We installed seed traps with artificial perches and control traps at different distances from the adjacent forest. We collected 19,865 seeds in boxes under the artificial perches and 1300 in the control traps. There was greater richness of plant species and abundance of seeds in the boxes under the artificial perches when compared with the control traps. The artificial perches at a distance of 40 m from the adjacent forest presented a greater species richness and distinct composition of plants. The quantity of dispersed seeds did not correlate with precipitation, although there was a correlation between rainfall and the fresh seed mass. The artificial perches were efficient at dispersing seeds and are a low-cost technique that can be used as a strategy for the regeneration of forests in degraded areas.