A typical understory palm (Licuala ferruginea) in lowland rainforest, Bukit Timah, Singapore. Credit: Jun Ying Lim
A typical understory palm (Licuala ferruginea) in lowland rainforest, Bukit Timah, Singapore. Credit: Jun Ying Lim - The loss of large mammalian frugivores as seed dispersers in tropical ecosystems will have severe consequences for many rainforest plants. This is the conclusion from a study using empirical data and simulations of fruit-eating mammals and palms, both iconic elements of tropical forests worldwide. The authors of the study, including UvA researchers Jun Ying Lim and W. Daniel Kissling, have published their results in the scientific. Mammalian frugivores represent a major group of seed dispersers in tropical ecosystems. Large frugivores are especially important as they are the only ones able to disperse large-seeded plants. They also disperse seeds over long distances, which is important for facilitating genetic exchange among plant populations.
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