The insect‐focused classification of fruit syndromes in tropical rain forests: An inter‐continental comparison

• Published in: Biotropica 2019-01, Vol.51 (1), p.39-49
• Main Authors: Dahl, Chris, Ctvrtecka, Richard, Gripenberg, Sofia, Lewis, Owen T., Segar, Simon T., Klimes, Petr, Sam, Katerina, Rinan, Dominic, Filip, Jonah, Lilip, Roll, Kongnoo, Pitoon, Panmeng, Montarika, Putnaul, Sutipun, Reungaew, Manat, Rivera, Marleny, Barrios, Hector, Davies, Stuart J., Bunyavejchewin, Sarayudh, Wright, Joseph S., Weiblen, George D., Novotny, Vojtech, Basset, Yves
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Classification; Clustering; Composition; Dipterocarpaceae; Disorders; Dispersion; Dominant species; Earth; Flowers & plants; ForestGEO; Forests; fruit color; Fruits; Genera; Insects; Morphology; Observatories; Phylogeny; Plant morphology; plant traits; Rain; Rainforests; seed dispersal; seed predation; Seeds; Symptoms; Taxonomy; Tropical climate; Tropical forests; tropical insects; Vertebrates
• ISSN: 0006-3606; 1744-7429
• DOI: 10.1111/btp.12622

We propose a new classification of rain forest plants into eight fruit syndromes, based on fruit morphology and other traits relevant to fruit‐feeding insects. This classification is compared with other systems based on plant morphology or traits relevant to vertebrate fruit dispersers. Our syndromes are based on fruits sampled from 1,192 plant species at three Forest Global Earth Observatory plots: Barro Colorado Island (Panama), Khao Chong (Thailand), and Wanang (Papua New Guinea). The three plots differed widely in fruit syndrome composition. Plant species with fleshy, indehiscent fruits containing multiple seeds were important at all three sites. However, in Panama, a high proportion of species had dry fruits, while in New Guinea and Thailand, species with fleshy drupes and thin mesocarps were dominant. Species with dry, winged seeds that do not develop as capsules were important in Thailand, reflecting the local importance of Dipterocarpaceae. These differences can also determine differences among frugivorous insect communities. Fruit syndromes and colors were phylogenetically flexible traits at the scale studied, as only three of the eight seed syndromes, and one of the 10 colors, showed significant phylogenetic clustering at either genus or family levels. Plant phylogeny was, however, the most important factor explaining differences in overall fruit syndrome composition among individual plant families or genera across the three study sites. in Melanesian is available with online material. TOK IGO PAS Insait long dispela wok painim aut long stadi bilong frut bilong bik‐bus. Mipela kamapim wanpela nuipela wei bilong skelim narapela kainkain diwai spises bilong frut igo long eight‐pela sindroms bas long makmak bilong frut o narapela traits wei binatang bilong frut i save kaikaim. Dispela wok skelim tu igo wankain long narapela sistem i kam long animol olsem (pisin, kapul, na mumut) kisim frut igo dispersim pikinini diwai. Mipela skelim frut sindroms i kam long 1,192 kainkain diwai spises bilong Forest Global Earth Observatory plots long: Barro Colorado Island (Panama), Khao Chong (Thailand) na Wanang (Papua New Guinea). Dispela tri‐pela fores plots ino luk wankain na tu frut sindroms stap long dispela hap kantri. Diwai spises kamapim frut igat indehisent frut insait wei planti seds stap em impoten long tri‐pela kantri. Tasol long Panama igat planti moa diwai spises kamapim drai fruts. Olsem tasol long kantri, New Guinea na Thailand diwai spises igat fl