Seed Dispersal Modes of the Sandstone Plateau Vegetation of the Middle Caquetá River Region, Colombian Amazonia^†

María Victoria Arbeláez,

María Victoria Arbeláez

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), Universiteit van Amsterdam, Kruislaan 319, 1096 SM Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Tropenbos-Colombia Foundation, Carrera 21 No 39 – 35, Bogotá, Colombia

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Angela Parrado-Rosselli,

Corresponding Author

Angela Parrado-Rosselli

² Corresponding author; Tel./Fax: ($71) 320-3319/3502; e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author

María Victoria Arbeláez,

María Victoria Arbeláez

Search for more papers by this author

Angela Parrado-Rosselli,

Corresponding Author

Angela Parrado-Rosselli

² Corresponding author; Tel./Fax: ($71) 320-3319/3502; e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author

First published: 28 February 2005

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2005.03077.x

Citations: 14

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ABSTRACT

We characterized the dispersal spectra and phenology of 298 vascular plant species of the sandstone plateaus of Colombian Amazonia. Dispersal modes were determined by the morphology of dispersion units, personal observations on fruit consumption, and an extensive literature review. We obtained the number of species per dispersal mode for the sandstone plateaus and for two recognized vegetation types: open-herbaceous vegetation and low forest-shrub vegetation. Dispersal modes were assigned to 295 plant species. Animals dispersed the highest percentage of species (46.6%), while the percentage of autochorous and anemochorous species was 29.4 and 23 percent, respectively. The dispersal spectrum of the low forest-shrub vegetation type, based on the coverage of every species, showed that percentages of anemochorous (40.2%) and zoochorous species (37.8%) were similar. Autochory was the most important seed dispersal mode of the open-herbaceous vegetation (60%). Birds were the principal group of potential dispersers (58.9%) of zoochorous species and reptiles the least important. We found two marked fruiting peaks, one from the end of the dry season to the beginning of the wet season and the second one from the beginning to the middle of the dry season. Our results showed that besides the differences in the vegetation structure and floristic composition between the sandstone plateaus and the adjacent tall forest, there also exist differences in the dispersal spectra and the fruiting rhythms.

RESUMEN

Nosotros caracterizamos el espectro de dispersión y la fenología de 298 especies de plantas vasculares de las mesetas de arenisca de la Amazonia colombiana. Los mecanismos de dispersión fueron determinados en base a la morfología de las unidades de dispersión, observaciones personales sobre el consumo de frutos y una exhaustiva revisión de literatura. Obtuvimos el número de especies por mecanismo de dispersión para las mesetas de arenisca y para los tipos de vegetación reconocidos: vegetación herbácea abierta y vegetación arbustiva-boscosa-baja. Los mecanismos de dispersión fueron asignados a 295 especies de plantas. Los animales dispersaron el mayor porcentaje de especies (46.6%), mientras que el porcentaje de especies autocoras y anemocoras fue 29.4 y 23 por ciento, respectivamente. El espectro de dispersión del tipo de vegetación arbustiva-boscosa-baja, basado en la cobertura de cada especie, mostró que los porcentajes de especies anemocoras (40.2%) y zoocoras (37.8%) son muy similares. La autocoria fué el mecanismo de dispersión de semillas más importante de la vegetación herbácea abierta (60%). Las aves fueron el grupo principal de dispersores potenciales (58.9%) de las especies zoocoras, y los reptiles los menos importante. Encontramos dos picos marcados de fructificación, el primero desde el final de la estación seca hasta el inicio de la estación lluviosa, y el segundo desde el inicio hasta mediados de la estación seca. Nuestros resultados muestran que a pesar de las diferencias en la estructura de la vegetación y composición florística entre las mesetas de arenisca y el bosque alto adyacente, también existen diferencias en el espectro de dispersión y en los ritmos de fructificación.

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Volume37, Issue1

March 2005

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Seed Dispersal Modes of the Sandstone Plateau Vegetation of the Middle Caquetá River Region, Colombian Amazonia^†

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Seed Dispersal Modes of the Sandstone Plateau Vegetation of the Middle Caquetá River Region, Colombian Amazonia†

ABSTRACT

RESUMEN

LITERATURE CITED

Citing Literature

References

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Information

Seed Dispersal Modes of the Sandstone Plateau Vegetation of the Middle Caquetá River Region, Colombian Amazonia^†