Fruiting trees provide fruit and insect resources for four tropical deer species

IF 2.7 3区 环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY
Ecosphere Pub Date : 2024-07-15 DOI:10.1002/ecs2.4889
Balram Awasthi, Jin Chen, Kim R. McConkey
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Abstract

Fruiting trees provide important fruit and seed resources for various animal species, but rarely are they considered to be rich sources of insects as well. During a study of seed dispersal of Trewia nudiflora (Euphorbiaceae) using camera traps in Nepal, we observed four tropical deer species (Axis axis, Muntiacus vaginalis, Rusa unicolor, Axis porcinus) foraging for insects, rather than fruits under the trees. These herbivorous deer are proven seed dispersers of Trewia, but 8%–38% of video captures (across each species) were of insectivory, rather than frugivory. The deer chased and consumed red cotton bugs (Dysdercus sp. family Pyrrhocoridae), which were seed predators that hoarded Trewia seeds. It is likely that other unidentified insect species were also consumed. Tropical deer species are considered to be fully herbivorous, so our observations extend their known diets and possibly indicate a seasonal requirement for protein. These findings also highlight tri-trophic interactions among deer, insects, and fruits that could have important implications for seedling recruitment if seed predators are being consumed by seed dispersers (in addition to fruit consumption).

Abstract Image

果树为四种热带鹿提供水果和昆虫资源
果树为各种动物提供了重要的果实和种子资源,但很少有人认为它们也是昆虫的丰富来源。在尼泊尔利用相机陷阱对裸花翠菊(大戟科)的种子传播进行研究期间,我们观察到四种热带鹿(Axis axis、Muntiacus vaginalis、Rusa unicolor、Axis porcinus)在树下觅食昆虫而非果实。这些食草鹿是经证实的 Trewia 种子传播者,但 8%-38%的视频捕获(每个物种)是捕食昆虫,而不是觅食。这些鹿追逐并吃掉了红棉虫(Dysdercus sp.很可能还吃了其他不明昆虫物种。热带鹿类被认为是完全的草食性动物,因此我们的观察结果扩展了它们已知的食谱,并可能表明它们对蛋白质的季节性需求。这些发现还突显了鹿、昆虫和果实之间的三营养交互作用,如果种子散播者消耗的是种子捕食者(除了消耗果实之外),这些发现可能会对幼苗新陈代谢产生重要影响。
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来源期刊
Ecosphere
Ecosphere ECOLOGY-
CiteScore
4.70
自引率
3.70%
发文量
378
审稿时长
15 weeks
期刊介绍: The scope of Ecosphere is as broad as the science of ecology itself. The journal welcomes submissions from all sub-disciplines of ecological science, as well as interdisciplinary studies relating to ecology. The journal''s goal is to provide a rapid-publication, online-only, open-access alternative to ESA''s other journals, while maintaining the rigorous standards of peer review for which ESA publications are renowned.
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