Seed dispersal by vertebrates in Madagascar’s forests: review and future directions

Abstract

Madagascar’s highly diverse forests are critically threatened because of increasing deforestation, and those that remain are facing declines of vertebrate frugivores that disperse their seeds. Thus, understanding plant - frugivore interactions is of critical importance for the conservation and maintenance of plant diversity in Madagascar. This paper reviews observational and experimental studies of the multifaceted aspects of seed dispersal by vertebrates across Madagascar including the relative importance of different seed vectors, the patterns of seed deposition, and the post - dispersal fate of dispersed seeds. This also aims to lay a foundation for future studies by discussing understudied aspects that are crucial for the understanding of the role of frugivores on plant populations and communities in Malagasy forests. Such perspectives are important given the increasing threats to seed dispersers, the low richness of frugivore assemblages in Malagasy forests and the strong reliance of many plant species on frugivores for their dispersal. Understanding this ecosystem service can provide us insights on plant colonization, community structure, demography and invasion, as well as forest restoration and regeneration.