Manipulación diferencial de frutos de Brosimum alicastrum por parte de primates y su efecto sobre la oferta para mamíferos consumidores secundarios

Abstract

Despite their importance, little is known about the effect that flashing massive production of fruits has on primary and secondary consumers. A series of experiments were conducted at Palo Verde, Costa Rica, in order to analyze: 1) the explosive fruit production of a tree of Brosimum alicastrum (Moraceae); 2) fruit handling by: mantled howler monkeys ( Alouatta palliata ) and white-faced capuchins ( Cebus capucinus ); and 3) visitation of fruits on the ground by potential mammalian secondary consumers. In three days fruits of B. alicastrum available on the branches fell from 10.000 to 1000. We documented a differential primate handling of Brosimum fruits, represented by a significantly greater proportion of naked seeds (F=2.83; p =0.049) dropped by A. palliata ; and a significantly greater proportion of complete and partially consumed fruits (F=20.65; p=0.000918) dropped by C. capucinus . Treatments, consisting of footprint traps with naked seeds and complete fruits used as bait, were explored by four mammalian potential secondary consumers: white tail deer, Odocoileus virginianus ; collared peccary ,Tayassu tajacu , white nosed coati, Nasua narica , and the agouti, Dasyprocta punctata . Tayassu tajacu had the greater number of footprint tracks on both types of fruits offered; on the other hand, footprints of N. narica were only recorded in treatments with complete fruits, while footprints of O. virginianus were only recorded on treatments with naked seeds.