Can fruiting plants control animal behaviour and seed dispersal distance?

Abstract

In an Afrotropical forest, we tested the hypothesis that fleshy-fruit plants with interspecific dif-ferences in fruit quality and quantity affect ranging behaviour of their seed dispersal vector. Iffruiting plants could affect their dispersal vector, the plants also affect their seed dispersal distanceand eventually their plant population biology. From 2007 to 2011, we measured seed transportby georeference daily bonobo group movements via GPS. Seed dispersal distance was estimatedwith mechanistic model, using 1200 georeferenced dispersal events and the average seed transittime through bonobo (24.00 h). We compared dissemination for eight plant species that deal withthis trade-off: attracting dispersers by means of fruit quality/quantity versus retaining them in thepatch because of the same quality/quantity value that attracted them. Because fruit traits of theseeight species were different, we expected a difference in seed dispersal distance. Surprisingly, seeddispersal distances induced by bonobos were not affected by fruit traits. Although fruit nutrientcontents, abundance and average patch feeding duration differed between plant species, patch feed-ing time was not related to subsequent dispersal distances. The apes’ dispersal distance survey gavean average dispersal distance estimated of 1332±24 m from the parent plant (97.9%>100 m).To conclude, feeding time invested in the patch, fruit quality and abundance had no apparent effecton bonobo seed dispersal distance. The possible effects in plant population biology are discussed.