Abstract
BackgroundEulychnia acida is an endemic Chilean cactus species whose fruits show several traits that, taken as a whole, are compatible with a seed dispersal syndrome by large herbivore vertebrates. Since only a few large native mammals exist in Chile at present, cactus fruit consumption and seed dispersal may be coopted by introduced mammals as predicted by Janzen and Martin’s (1982) hypothesis for tropical ecosystems.FindingsWe describe the current frugivore species of E. acida in a protected semiarid-Mediterranean ecosystem using field measurements and feeding experiments. In addition, to examine a potential role as seed dispersers of the cactus species, we offered fruits and performed germination tests on seeds defecated by Lama guanicoe and the introduced goat Capra a. hircus under captivity conditions. Our data indicate that while fruits of E. acida are pecked by the Chilean tinamou, Nothoprocta perdicaria, and the Chilean mockingbird, Mimus thenca, and eaten by the brush-tailed rodent, Octodon degus, none of these species could be considered a legitimate seed disperser. Unlike L. guanicoe, the goat C. a. hircus did not reduce seed germination, having a neutral effect.ConclusionsResults from this study indicate that introduced C. a. hircus was the only species showing a potential role in the seed dispersal process of E. acida. In the absence of native frugivore species, goats might play an important role in population recruitment of the endemic cactus. These results extend Janzen and Martin’s (1982) anachronism hypothesis to the Chilean Mediterranean ecosystem.
Highlights
Eulychnia acida is an endemic Chilean cactus species whose fruits show several traits that, taken as a whole, are compatible with a seed dispersal syndrome by large herbivore vertebrates
Results from this study indicate that introduced C. a. hircus was the only species showing a potential role in the seed dispersal process of E. acida
These results extend Janzen and Martin’s (1982) anachronism hypothesis to the Chilean Mediterranean ecosystem
Summary
Eulychnia acida is an endemic Chilean cactus species whose fruits show several traits that, taken as a whole, are compatible with a seed dispersal syndrome by large herbivore vertebrates. Frugivore species play a fundamental role in seed dispersal, as they increase the probability of seed germination by removing the pulp and/or through gut passage and carry seeds away from parental individuals to sites where the probability of seedling recruitment may be higher [5, 6]. In Chile, a potential large-sized fruit consumer and disperser of E. acida is the native camelid Lama guanicoe (guanaco), which is sometimes observed in the foothills of the Andes Mountain Range in north-central Chile. In the arid coast of the Atacama Desert, L. guanicoe eats mostly lichens and succulent plants, such as Eulychnia iquiquensis [19], which suggests a role in the seed dispersal process of cactus species
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