First evidence of epizoochorous seed dispersal by golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) in temperate forest

Although many primates are identified as effective endozoochorous seed dispersers in forest ecosystems, epizoochorous seed dispersal by primates has generally been overlooked. In this study, we report epizoochorous seed dispersal in a group of free-ranging golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus ro...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant ecology 2018-04, Vol.219 (4), p.417-427
Main Authors: Chen, Yuan, Chen, Haochun, Zhang, Youji, Yao, Hui, Yang, Wanji, Zhao, Yucheng, Ruan, Xiangdong, Xiang, Zuofu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Analysis
Applied Ecology
Biodiversity
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Community & Population Ecology
Dispersion
Ecology
Forest ecosystems
Forests
Hooks
Life Sciences
Monkeys
Monkeys & apes
Plant Ecology
Plant populations
Plant species
Primates
Rhinopithecus roxellana
Seed dispersal
Seeds
Temperate forests
Terrestial Ecology
Terrestrial ecosystems
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Although many primates are identified as effective endozoochorous seed dispersers in forest ecosystems, epizoochorous seed dispersal by primates has generally been overlooked. In this study, we report epizoochorous seed dispersal in a group of free-ranging golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) residing in the temperate forests of central China by identifying seeds carried by 12 well-habituated individuals. The results showed a total of 1920 seeds (five families, seven genera) belonging to eight plant species attached to the monkeys’ fur; the three most abundant species were Geum aleppicum (54% of the total), Torilis japonica (17%), and Agrimonia pilosa (14%). The majority of seeds (95.3%) that attached to the monkeys’ fur had special morphologies such as hairs, hooks, or awns. We also found that the quantity of seeds attached to the fur was not significantly different by age-sex class, even though adult males have very long fur. Our study provides the first empirical evidence of epizoochorous seed dispersal by primates and suggests the role of primates in seed dispersal may be greater than previously assumed.
ISSN:1385-0237
1573-5052
DOI:10.1007/s11258-018-0805-7