Feeding Ecology of Fruit Pigeons in Subtropical Rainforests of South-Eastern Queensland.

1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 365 ◽  
Author(s):  
GJ Innis
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Important Food ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Lowland Forest ◽  
Upland Forest ◽  
Foraging Preference ◽  
Plant Families

In a 5-yr (1979-84) study of 6 species of fruit pigeon in lowland (dry) and upland (wet) subtropical rain forests in the Jimna and Conondale Ranges, the effects of forest phenology on pigeon abundance were investigated. The pigeons utilized 89 species of plants from 39 families of trees, palms and vines. The seasonal availability of fruit was similar in each forest type: most plant species bore crops during the wet season (Dec.-Mar.) and held crops into the early dry season (April-May); the late dry season (June-Oct.) was a time of general fruit shortage. More than 60% of the species of food plants present in upland forest were rare or absent in lowland forest. In general, each species of pigeon utilized a distinct suite of plant species in each forest type. Certain species of fig (Ficus spp.) fruited asynchronously and were the most important food for sedentary wompoo fruit-doves (Ptilinopus magnificus magnificus) in both forest types. These and other species of fig were the most important food for topknot pigeons (Lopholaimus antarcticus) and rose-crowned fruit-doves (P. regina regina) in lowland forest. An influx of flocks of up to 200 topknot pigeons into upland forest occurred each year in response to the fruiting of Archontophoenix cunninghamiana. The foraging habits of rose-crowned fruit-doves were largely opportunistic in upland forest, utilizing whatever fruit was available at particular times. White-headed pigeons (Columba leucomela) foraged solely in Olea paniculata during irregular visits to lowland forest. A regular summer influx into upland forest occurred in response to the fruiting of a vine, Piper novae-hollandiae. In each forest type, brown cuckoo-doves (Macropygia amboinensis) had a distinct foraging preference for plant species characteristic of disturbed forests; important plant families were the Solanaceae, Ulmaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Araliaceae. Superb fruit-doves (P. superbus) were seldom found in either forest type.

Feeding ecology of green catbirds (Ailuroedus crassirostris) in subtropical rainforests of south-eastern Queensland.

1992 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 317 ◽  
Author(s):  
GJ Innis ◽  
J McEvoy
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
Lowland Forest ◽  
Upland Forest ◽  
Nestling Diet ◽  
Average Size ◽  
The Relationship

Foraging data for green catbirds were collected over an 8-year period in lowland (dry) and upland (wet) subtropical rainforests of the Jimna and Conondale Ranges. The fruits of 104 species of trees, palms and vines comprised the bulk of the diet. Catbirds foraged the fruits of a similar number of species (56) in lowland forest as in upland forest (60). Lowland forest was distinctive, however, in that almost 77% of the food plants occurring in upland forest were rare or absent in lowland forest. Catbirds also foraged flowers, various plant material, insects and millipedes, and these were also significant components of the diet during spring and summer. Different species of asynchronous fruiting figs (Ficus spp.) occurred in lowland and upland forest, and these were the most important foods in each forest type. In lowland forest, catbirds seldom ventured beyond their home ranges (average size 1.9+/-O.2 ha) to forage, and bred from December to March when figs were the only reliable fruit that figured prominently in the diet. Insects also appeared to be an important (perhaps essential) component of the nestling diet during this period. Long-term (5-10 years) data on the fruiting phenology of 94 of the food plants enabled the relationship between the fruiting reliability of food plants and their importance in the diet to be evaluated. Availability of most (79% in lowland forest, 77% in upland forest) species of fruit was irregular and foraging by catbirds was therefore mostly opportunistic.

Diet determination of cattle grazing in the Sanyati communal areas in Zimbabwe

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 35-40
Author(s):  
Hanne H. Hansen ◽  
Jørgen Madsen
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Cattle Grazing ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Particle Identification ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Communal Area ◽  
Communal Areas

SummaryThe diet of cattle grazing in the Sanyati communal area, Zimbabwe was determined using plant particle identification from faeces from intact animals, and faeces and oesophageal extrusa from fistulated animals. A total of 130 plant genus, species and types were identified. The twenty most frequently occurring species in the samples comprised between 76 and 90% of the identifiable diet. The most frequent grass species were more than half of the identified diet in the dry season while they were half or less of the identified diet in the wet season. There were more plant species identified in the wet season than in the dry season. Significant differences were found when comparing the plant species identified in faeces to those in oesophageal extrusa from fistulated animals. This may be due to incomplete recovery of ingesta in the bags, or to the loss of identifiable particles in the faeces when compared to oesophageal extrusa because of digestibility. More research is needed to validate the use of oesophageal extrusa for diet botanical determination.

The Diets of the Large Rock-Rat, Zyzomys Woodwardi, and the Common Rock-Rat, Z. Argurus (Rodentia: Muridae).

1985 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Begg ◽  
CJ Dunlop
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Food Store ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Faecal Samples ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Reference Collection ◽  
The Common

The diets of Zyzomys woodwardi from two habitat types and Z, argurus from one of them were investigated by microanalysis of faecal samples which were collected over a 12-month period. Forty-three species of food plants were identified. Differences were found in the diets of Z. woodwardi from the two habitat types, according to the different food plants available; the two species living sympatrically shared 52% of plant species identified. Both species ate a wide range of seed sizes, according to what was available seasonally. Hard-shelled seeds remained on the ground as a ready food store for much of the year but grasses were utilized only in the dry season, as they rotted or germinated during the wet. The technique used produced fragments that were identifiable, when the reference collection was sufficiently extensive, but was not suitable for detailed quantitative comparisons and was extremely time-consuming.

Estimating seasonal abundance and habitat use of small carnivores in the Western Ghats using an occupancy approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 469-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riddhika Kalle ◽  
Tharmalingam Ramesh ◽  
Qamar Qureshi ◽  
Kalyanasundaram Sankar
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Camera Trap ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Seasonal Abundance ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Palm Civet ◽  
Leopard Cat

Abstract:Rigorous population studies on many small carnivores are lacking in India. Presence-absence models with habitat covariates were applied to estimate seasonal occupancy and abundance of nine small-carnivore species from camera-trap data in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (2010 and 2011). We deployed 25 camera-trap stations in the deciduous forest, 21 in the semi-evergreen forest and 26 in the dry thorn forest. In total, 7380 trap-nights yielded 448 photographs of small carnivores: jungle cat (n = 72), leopard cat (n = 6), rusty-spotted cat (n = 11), small Indian civet (n = 89), common palm civet (n = 37), brown palm civet (n = 20), stripe-necked mongoose (n = 66), ruddy mongoose (n = 96) and Indian grey mongoose (n = 51). In the dry season, rusty-spotted cat was the rarest carnivore with an average abundance (λmean) of 0.24 ± 0.26, while ruddy mongoose was the most abundant (λmean = 0.90 ± 0.40). In the wet season, leopard cat was the rarest species (λmean = 0.048 ± 0.041) while grey mongoose was the most abundant (λmean = 0.68 ± 0.35). Abundance of jungle cat, common palm civet, ruddy mongoose and grey mongoose increased in the dry thorn forest whereas in the dry season abundance of small Indian civet decreased in this forest type. Abundance of leopard cat and small Indian civet was not influenced by habitat in the wet season. Deciduous forest was positively associated with abundance of rusty-spotted cat. Deciduous and semi-evergreen forests had a positive effect on abundance of stripe-necked mongoose while the latter was a positive predictor of abundance and occupancy for brown palm civet. Improved modelling approaches can account for the spatio-temporal variation in habitat use of small carnivores occupying specialized niches in heterogeneous tropical forests of southern India.

Seasonal Variation in Bee-Plant Interactions in an Inselberg in the Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil

Sociobiology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelita França Marques ◽  
Mariana Scaramussa Deprá ◽  
Maria Cristina Gaglianone
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Interaction Network ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Bee Plant

Studies on bee-plant interactions are relevant to the understanding of temporal patterns in neotropical communities. In isolated habitats such as inselbergs little is yet known about the temporal dynamics in the availability of fl oral resources and interacting bee. In the present study, the objective is to verify the eff ect of seasonality on the bee-plant interaction in an Atlantic Forest inselberg in southeastern Brazil. The bees were sampled monthly in the dry (April/2008-September/2008) and wet seasons (October/2008-March/2009) using an entomological net. A total of 322 bees of 33 species were captured on fl owers of 34 species of plants during the year. Bees richness was similar between seasons (22 species in the wet season and 21 in the dry season), but abundance was higher in the wet season (60% of individuals) and higher diversity occurred in the dry season. Augochloropsis sp1 were the most abundant species and visited the largest number of plant species at each season. In the interaction network, plants with the highest degree were distinct between the seasons. The number of possible interactions was higher in the dry season compared to the wet season and connectance was similar; nestedness however varied between the seasons. The composition of plant and bees species was distinct between the seasons, as well as the interactions between them, mainly due to the alteration in the composition of the plant species and the change in the choice of the bees for the floral resources between the seasons.

Patterns and correlates of interspecific variation in foliar insect herbivory and pathogen attack in Brazilian cerrado

2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBERT J. MARQUIS ◽  
IVONE R. DINIZ ◽  
HELENA C. MORAIS
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Mature Leaf ◽  
Insect Damage ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Leaf Production ◽  
Leaf Toughness ◽  
Interspecific Differences ◽  
Pathogen Attack

Patterns of insect herbivore and leaf pathogen attack are described for 25 plant species (10 trees, 10 shrubs and five herbs) at a Brazilian savanna (cerrado) site. Plant and leaf traits were correlated with interspecific variation in attack by herbivores and pathogens in order to account for differences among plant species. Across all species, pathogen damage was 1.5 times higher than insect damage (17.3% vs. 6.8%, respectively). Most insect damage occurred to young leaves while they were expanding (end of the dry season). In contrast, pathogen attack was low on young expanding leaves at the end of the dry season, increased as those leaves matured in the wet season, but continued to increase through the next dry season. Protein-binding capacity was negatively associated with interspecific differences in insect damage to mature leaves. Protein availability and plant height were positive predictors of pathogen attack among plant species, while leaf expansion rate was a significant negative predictor. Interspecific differences in leaf phenology had little effect on the amount of damage caused by either insects or pathogens. However, new leaves produced during the wet season suffered less insect damage than leaves produced during the dry season, the time of greatest leaf production. Timing of young leaf production affected pathogen attack but the season of escape depended on plant species. In contrast, there was no evidence for escape in space as common species were less likely to suffer high pathogen attack than rare species. New and mature leaf toughness, and time for a leaf to reach full expansion all increased from herbs to shrub to trees, while mature leaf nitrogen decreased in that order.

scholarly journals Vertical Arthropod Dynamics across Organic Matter Fractions in Relation to Microclimate and Plant Phenology

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
María F. Barberena-Arias ◽  
Elvira Cuevas
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Temperature Pattern ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Organic Matter Fractions ◽  
One Year ◽  
Arthropod Abundance

Plant diversity is a key factor influencing belowground dynamics including microclimate and decomposer arthropod communities. This study addresses the effect of individual plant species on belowground arthropods by focusing on seasonal variations in precipitation, temperature and arthropods along the vertical organic matter profile. In the Guanica Dry Forest, Puerto Rico, microclimate was described and 5 plant species and 10 trees/species were selected. Under each tree, for one year, temperature was measured and samples collected along the organic matter fractions. Collected arthropods were standardized to ind/m2, identified to Order/Family and assigned to morphotypes. The annual temperature pattern was similar for all species and OM fractions. Arthropod abundance was similar among plant species and higher in humus than in litter fractions. Richness and species composition were different among plant species and OM fractions. All plant species and OM fractions showed low arthropod abundance and richness, and similar arthropod species composition in the dry season, while in the wet season abundance and richness were higher and species composition varied across plant species and OM fractions. These data suggest that arthropods form specific assemblages under plant species and stages of decomposition that, during the dry season, represent a subgroup adapted to extreme environmental conditions.

scholarly journals ALGUNOS ASPECTOS SOBRE LA TEMPERATURA DE HOJAS PERTENECIENTES A PLANTAS DE LA REGIÓN XEROFÍTICA DE SANTA MARTA (COLOMBIA)

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinhard Schnetter
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
High Temperatures ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Favorable Conditions ◽  
Very High

Leaf temperatures of several plant species of the xerophytic vegetation near Santa Marta (Colombia) were studied during the dry and the wet season. The leaves of species growing in a cactus thorn scrub reached very high temperatures, especially in the dry season, while leaf temperatures of plants in the area of a disappeared semi-deciduous seasonal forest were lower because of more favorable conditions of water supply and microclimate.

scholarly journals Feeding Preferences of the Italian Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus italicus Festa, 1925) in a Coastal Mediterranean Environment

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 308
Author(s):  
Pierangelo Freschi ◽  
Simonetta Fascetti ◽  
Francesco Riga ◽  
Gabriella Rizzardini ◽  
Mauro Musto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Selection ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Woody Plants ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Quercus Suber ◽  
Feeding Preferences ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Plant Frequency ◽  
Plant Families

The present study was aimed to deepen the knowledge on diet and on feeding preferences of the Italian roe deer. The research was carried on in the Castelporziano Presidential Estate, a protected area of Latium coast. Quadrat method was used to assess plant frequency, whereas diet composition was determined by fecal micro-histological analysis. A total of 143 plant species were identified in the site and 109 of them were found in the feces of the Capreolus capreolus italicus. All over the year, most of the taxa were ingested in low percentages (≤5%) and the most utilized plant species were Quercus suber, Prunus spinosa, Rubia peregrina, and Crateaegus monogyna. Fagaceae and Rosaceae plant families represented the bulk of the diet and were positively selected. In addition, a positive selection on Fabaceae and Oleaceae families was found in wet season but not in dry one. In both periods the Italian roe deer showed a positive selection for deciduous woody plants and evergreen woody plants, instead avoided wild forbs and wild graminoids. Our results confirmed that this subspecies behaved as a generalist highly selective feeder.

Ecology of the Northern Bettong, Bettongia tropica, a Tropical Mycophagist

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 549 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. N. Johnson ◽  
A. P. McIlwee
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Hypogeous Fungi ◽  
Eucalyptus Forest ◽  
Seasonal Ecology ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Open Woodland

The diet and seasonal ecology of the northern bettong, Bettongia tropica, was studied at three sites along a moisture gradient from closed Allocasuarina-Eucalyptus forest to dry open woodland in north-eastern Queensland. At each site, fungi (sporocarps of hypogeous ectomycorrhizal species) were the major food, and most of the remainder of the diet consisted of grass leaf and stem, roots and tubers, and lilies. Forbs and invertebrates were also eaten, but in small quantities. Fungus consumption was greatest at the wettest forest type and least at the driest site. Seasonal variation was insignificant except at the driest site, where fungus consumption peaked in the late wet season and dropped during the dry season; this seasonal fall in fungus consumption was associated with an increase in consumption of grass and roots and tubers. There was little seasonal variation in body condition, except at the driest site, where the dry-season decline in the proportional representation of fungus in the diet was associated with a decline in body condition. Breeding was continuous and aseasonal. B. tropica is found only in a narrow zone of sclerophyll forest along the western edge of wet tropical rainforest in north-eastern Queensland. We suggest that this species (like bettongs and potoroos in southern Australia) depends on hypogeous fungi, and that expansion of its geographical range into drier forest types is prevented by shortages of fungus during the dry season.

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