Parthenocarpy, attractiveness and seed predation by birds in Bursera morelensis |
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| Authors: | MF Ramos-Ordoñez MC Arizmendi |
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| Institution: | Unidad de Biología, Tecnología y Prototipos, Facultad de Estudios Superiores, Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A. P. 314, Tlalnepantla, Edo. de México 54000, Mexico |
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| Abstract: | Parthenocarpy (production of seedless fruits) is a characteristic associated with a strategy to reduce seed predation by birds and to increase the attractiveness to frugivorous birds. Red cuajiote (Bursera morelensis) is an endemic tree species of Mexico that produces seeded and parthenocarpic fruits. The purpose of this work was to examine whether parthenocarpy is a factor that increases the number of bird visits to trees and if it is a strategy to diminish seeds predation by granivorous birds. We made field observations to determine the relation between the number of bird visits and fruit removal rate, to the total number of parthenocarpic fruits produced, and the number of birdpredated fruits to the number and proportion of parthenocarpic fruits in the trees. We found that in trees with a bigger amount of parthenocarpic fruits, both frugivoruos and granivorous birds made more visits; we then suggested that parthenocarpic fruits can act like a signal of attraction by means of a density and coloration effect. Also, we found that in trees with bigger proportions of parthenocarpic fruit, predation by granivorous birds is smaller. Parthenocarpy has an adaptative value for B.morelensis increasing bird visitation and reducing seed predation in the Tehuacan Valley. |
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| Keywords: | Attractiveness Birds Bursera morelensis Parthenocarpy Semiarid Tehuacan Valley |
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