Induced seed dispersal of Cecropia hololeuca (Urticaceae) by birds and mammals in a restored area at APA Campinas, Campinas - SP

Abstract

Seed dispersal is an important natural process in the restoration of degraded ecosystems. The aim of this project is to identify the frugivorous fauna with potential for the induced dispersal of Cecropia hololeuca (Urticaceae) seeds, immersed in banana pulp and offered in a feeder located in a restored area, and to evaluate its role in the enrichment of this area. The frugivorous species visiting the feeder were filmed by self-firing cameras and their behavior were analyzed in relation to the frequency of occurrence, as well as their relative efficiency in the dispersal of these seeds. It is expected that the evaluation of birds and mammals as restoration tools through the induced seed dispersal will represent an alternative and efficient technique for the enrichment of restoration sites. The Black-tufted marmoset Callithrix penicillata was the most frequent species in the video sequences, with more individuals per sequence but with the lowest latency time, that is, with the lowest interval between the placement of the bananas and the arrival of the species at the feeder. Visits were more frequent when fruit was available at the feeder, than when fruit was absent. C. penicillata seems to have the greatest dispersal potential among the frugivores in the studied community, although it is currently an invasive primate species in the Atlantic Forest of southeast Brazil.