Fenología reproductiva y dispersión de semillas de Potalia turbinata (Gentianaceae) por vertebrados en un bosque húmedo tropical en Costa Rica
Fecha
2021
Autores
Salazar, Rachel Ann
Título de la revista
ISSN de la revista
Título del volumen
Editor
Resumen
Potalia turbinata (Gentianaceae) es un arbusto que se distribuye en la zona norte y caribe de Costa Rica. En general se sabe poco de esta especie, por ejemplo, se desconoce la fenología reproductiva y sus interacciones de dispersión. La dispersión de semillas es un proceso ecológico que involucra la remoción de las semillas de la planta progenitora para alejarlas y mejorar su valor adaptativo. Esta tesis tiene como objetivo describir la fenología reproductiva y el consumo de los frutos de Potalia turbinata por vertebrados. El estudio se lleva a cabo en la Reserva Biológica Tirimbina, ubicada en La Virgen de Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica, de 2016 a 2019 en un bosque tropical húmedo.
En el primer capítulo describo la fenología reproductiva de Potalia turbinata y determino si existe una correlación entre la producción de frutos y el clima para la producción de frutos y el vigor de la planta. Por medio de observaciones mensuales, se establece que la floración y la fructificación de la especie es anual a nivel de la población y supra-anual a nivel del individuo. Se presenta un pico de floración en marzo y un pico de fructificación en junio. La floración está correlacionada con la época menos lluviosa (r=-0.44, p=0.015). Además, se determina el promedio de número de semillas por fruto, así como las características morfológicas de frutos y semillas, tales como peso, tamaño (ancho y largo) y dureza. Encontré que la producción de frutos está relacionada con el vigor de la planta (altura y diámetro).
En el segundo capítulo, identifico a los vertebrados que visitan la planta y consumen los frutos (potenciales dispersores), detallo el comportamiento de animales en la planta, y compruebo si hay diferencias temporales en las visitas entre dispersores. Un total de 24 plantas con frutos fueron monitoreadas con cámaras trampa. Todas las interacciones observadas de planta-animal con P. turbinata fueron de mamíferos: un roedor (Nyctomys sumichrasti) y murciélagos (Artibeus spp., Dermanura spp., y Carollia spp). Los roedores a veces se alimentan de los frutos in situ y los murciélagos hacen vuelos exploratorios antes de remover frutos. Se encontraron diferencias temporales significativas entre los roedores y murciélagos en los meses de la remoción de frutos. Los murciélagos visitan la planta los últimos meses de la temporada de fructificación en comparación con Nyctomys que llega más temprano durante la temporada. Las características de los frutos de P. turbinata son típicas de la dispersión por mamíferos por su color verde y la posición del fruto en la planta. Los murciélagos generalmente son dispersores efectivos, ya que dispersan las semillas lejos de la planta madre, mientras que los roedores tienden a ser depredadores de semillas. Este proyecto aporta información sobre las interacciones planta-animal previamente desconocidas de Potalia turbinata.
Potalia turbinata (Gentianaceae) is a shrub that is distributed in the northeast of Costa Rica. Little is known about this species; for example, the reproductive phenology and its dispersal interactions are unknown. Seed dispersal is an ecological process that involves removing the seeds away from the parent plant to improve their adaptive value. This thesis aims to describe the reproductive phenology and consumption of Potalia turbinata fruits by vertebrates. The study is carried out in the Tirimbina Biological Reserve, located in La Virgen de Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica, from 2016 to 2019 in a tropical humid wet forest. In the first chapter, I describe the reproductive phenology of Potalia turbinata and determine if there is a correlation between fruit production and climate, as well as fruit production and plant vigor. Through monthly observations, I established that the flowering and fruiting of the species is annual at the population level and supra-annual at the individual level. There is a flowering peak in March and a fruiting peak in June. Flowering is correlated with the less rainy season (r = -0.44, p = 0.015). In addition, I recorded the average number of seeds per fruit, as well as the morphological characteristics of the fruits and seeds, such as weight, size (width and length) and hardness. I found that fruit production is related to plant vigor (height and diameter). In the second chapter, I identify the vertebrates that visit the plant and consume the fruits (potential dispersers), detail the behavior of animals at the plant, and check if there are temporal differences in visits between dispersers. A total of 24 plants with fruits were monitored with camera traps. All observed plant-animal interactions with P. turbinata were from mammals: a rodent (Nyctomys sumichrasti) and bats (Artibeus spp., Dermanura spp., and Carollia spp.). Rodents sometimes fed on the fruit in situ, and bats exhibited exploratory flights before removing fruit. Significant temporal differences were found between rodents and bats in the months of fruit removal. Bats visited the plant in the last months of the fruiting season compared to Nyctomys which arrived earlier in the season. The characteristics of P. turbinata fruits are typical of mammal seed dispersal due to their green color and the position of the fruit on the plant. Bats are generally effective dispersers, as they disperse seeds far from the parent plant, while rodents tend to be seed predators. This project provides information on previously unknown plant-animal interactions of Potalia turbinata.
Potalia turbinata (Gentianaceae) is a shrub that is distributed in the northeast of Costa Rica. Little is known about this species; for example, the reproductive phenology and its dispersal interactions are unknown. Seed dispersal is an ecological process that involves removing the seeds away from the parent plant to improve their adaptive value. This thesis aims to describe the reproductive phenology and consumption of Potalia turbinata fruits by vertebrates. The study is carried out in the Tirimbina Biological Reserve, located in La Virgen de Sarapiquí, Heredia, Costa Rica, from 2016 to 2019 in a tropical humid wet forest. In the first chapter, I describe the reproductive phenology of Potalia turbinata and determine if there is a correlation between fruit production and climate, as well as fruit production and plant vigor. Through monthly observations, I established that the flowering and fruiting of the species is annual at the population level and supra-annual at the individual level. There is a flowering peak in March and a fruiting peak in June. Flowering is correlated with the less rainy season (r = -0.44, p = 0.015). In addition, I recorded the average number of seeds per fruit, as well as the morphological characteristics of the fruits and seeds, such as weight, size (width and length) and hardness. I found that fruit production is related to plant vigor (height and diameter). In the second chapter, I identify the vertebrates that visit the plant and consume the fruits (potential dispersers), detail the behavior of animals at the plant, and check if there are temporal differences in visits between dispersers. A total of 24 plants with fruits were monitored with camera traps. All observed plant-animal interactions with P. turbinata were from mammals: a rodent (Nyctomys sumichrasti) and bats (Artibeus spp., Dermanura spp., and Carollia spp.). Rodents sometimes fed on the fruit in situ, and bats exhibited exploratory flights before removing fruit. Significant temporal differences were found between rodents and bats in the months of fruit removal. Bats visited the plant in the last months of the fruiting season compared to Nyctomys which arrived earlier in the season. The characteristics of P. turbinata fruits are typical of mammal seed dispersal due to their green color and the position of the fruit on the plant. Bats are generally effective dispersers, as they disperse seeds far from the parent plant, while rodents tend to be seed predators. This project provides information on previously unknown plant-animal interactions of Potalia turbinata.
Descripción
Palabras clave
phenology, plant-animal interactions, seed dispersal, Gentianaceae