Parent-parent and parent-offspring distances in Spondias radlkoferi seeds suggest long-distance pollen and seed dispersal : evidence from latrines of the spider monkey
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Media type:
E-Article
Title:
Parent-parent and parent-offspring distances in Spondias radlkoferi seeds suggest long-distance pollen and seed dispersal : evidence from latrines of the spider monkey
Description:
<p>Pollen and seed dispersal are key ecological processes, directly impacting the spatial distribution, abundance and genetic structure of plant populations; yet, pollen- and seed-dispersal distances are poorly known. We used molecular markers to identify the parental origin (n=152 adult trees) of 177 <italic>Spondias radlkoferi</italic> (Anacardiaceae) seeds deposited by the spider monkey (<italic>Ateles geoffroyi</italic>) in latrines located beneath 17 sleeping-trees in two continuous forest sites (CF) and two forest fragments (FF) in the Lacandona rain forest, Mexico. We estimated mean parent-offspring (PO) distances per latrine and, for those seeds (54% of seeds) with more than one candidate parent (i.e. the potential maternal and parental parents), we also estimated parent-parent (PP) distances per latrine, and tested if PO and PP distances differed between forest types. Global PO and PP distances per latrine averaged 682 m (range = 83–1741 m) and 610 m (range = 74–2339 m), respectively, and did not differ significantly between CF and FF. This suggests that pollen dispersal is extensive in both forest types and that long seed dispersal distances (>100 m) are common, thus supporting the hypothesis that the spider monkey is an effective seed disperser of <italic>S. radlkoferi</italic> in continuous and fragmented forests.</p>