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Wesleyan University

Publication Date

Fall 2022

Program Name

Madagascar: Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management

Abstract

Madagascar is a country rich in floral and faunal diversity. However, anthropogenic habitat destruction and climate change increasingly threaten its biodiversity. Endozoochorous plants that dependent on frugivory for seed dispersal are under threat due to increasing rates of localized extinctions of frugivorous lemurs, the primary seed dispersers of the island. While lemurs are the islands most abundant frugivores, other frugivorous vertebrates like birds and bats likely play a significant role in seed dispersal, although this role is still poorly understood. This study, conducted in Analamazaotra forest, compares the rates of visitation and consumption of six endemic fruiting tree species by avian frugivores. Of the six plants, three were observed to have fruits taken (Ficus sp., Gastonia duplicata, and Ocotea cymosa). Two frugivorous birds were observed to take fruits, the Madagascar bulbul (Hypsipetes madagascariensis) and the velvet asity (Philepitta castanea). H. madagascariensis took fruits from O. cymosa and Ficus sp., while P. castanea took fruits from G. duplicata. The results of this study also showed a separation in the foraging strata preferred by each frugivorous bird species. This separation can potentially be explained by nichification of feeding behavior as a method of avoiding interspecies competition for resources.

Disciplines

African Studies | Biodiversity | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Forest Biology | Ornithology

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