The role of long seed dispersal by large mammals in maintaining biological diversity of forests

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25241026
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental and ecological symbiosis
• Research Institution: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute
• Principal Investigator: Takashi Masaki 国立研究開発法人森林総合研究所, 森林植生研究領域, 領域長 (60353851)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小池 伸介 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (40514865) ; 菊地 賢 国立研究開発法人森林総合研究所, 森林遺伝研究領域, 主任研究員 (10353658) ; 永光 輝義 国立研究開発法人森林総合研究所, 森林遺伝研究領域, 室長 (30353791)
• Research Collaborator: NAOE SHOJI 国立研究開発法人森林総合研究所, 東北支所, 研究員 (80732247) ; KATO SHURI 国立研究開発法人森林総合研究所, 多摩森林科学園, 主任研究員 (90467217)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-10-21 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 長距離散布 / 大型哺乳類 / 遺伝子流動 / カスミザクラ / ウワミズザクラ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Large mammals, specifically Asiatic black bear, dispersed no less than 10% of seeds they fed over 2 km from their seed sources. Stump-tailed macaque also showed long-distance dispersal of seeds. In contrast, birds dispersed seeds mostly within 300 m from their seed sources. In addition, Black bear was proved to transport seeds they fed toward sites of higher elevation. On the other hand, spatial genetic structure of Prunus species was not affected by presence/absence of large mammals, suggesting that the long-distance dispersal of seeds by them had a limited effect on genetic structure of local tree populations.

Free Research Field

森林生態学