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8 - Frugivory in large mammalian herbivores

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 November 2009

By
Richard Bodmer  and
David Ward
Edited by
Kjell Danell ,
Roger Bergström ,
Patrick Duncan  and
John Pastor
Richard Bodmer
Affiliation:
University of Kent
David Ward
Affiliation:
University of KwaZulu‐Natal
Kjell Danell
Affiliation:
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Roger Bergström
Affiliation:
The Forestry Research Institute of Sweden
Patrick Duncan
Affiliation:
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris
John Pastor
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota, Duluth
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Summary

INTRODUCTION

Body size and complexity of digestive systems are key factors in the herbivore ecology of mammals (Langer 1987), and much attention has been devoted to herbivory in browsing and grazing forms and how this relates to conservation (Sinclair & Arcese 1995, Owen‐Smith 2002). However, frugivory, or fruit feeding, is equally important in the ecology of mammalian herbivores and the conservation of biodiversity (Bodmer 1990, Andresen 2000, Levey et al. 2002). This chapter looks at frugivory in large mammalian herbivores. It focuses on the tropical regions, but we must stress that frugivory is equally important in temperate habitats. The chapter examines: (1) the relationships between frugivores and the evolution of browsing and grazing herbivory; (2) the ecology of frugivory in relation to seed dispersal and seed predation; and (3) two case studies of frugivory, one in the Negev desert and the other in Amazonia. The case studies show the importance of frugivory in the ecology of large herbivores, and the links between frugivory and conservation.

Successful biological conservation requires an understanding of the ecology of species and their interactions with human resource use (Freese 1997). Frugivory in large herbivores exemplifies these relations and the need for studying ecological interactions to understand the application of successful conservation (Levey et al. 2002). For example, the bush meat crisis in tropical forests is currently one of the most important conservation issues that must be addressed (Robinson & Bennett 2000).

Type
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Information
Large Herbivore Ecology, Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation , pp. 232 - 260
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

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