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Functional uniqueness of a small carnivore as seed dispersal agents: a case study of the common palm civets in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia

  • Plant-Animal interactions - Original Paper
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Abstract

Many carnivorous mammals consume fruits and disperse the intact seeds to specific sites. Few studies have attempted to quantify this seed dispersal or evaluate its effectiveness, despite its potential importance and functional uniqueness. In the study reported here, we found that a frugivorous carnivore, the common palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), generated seed shadows that are distinct from those of the sympatric frugivore, the pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina), and played a unique and important role in the regeneration of Leea aculeata (Leeaceae). We found that macaques dispersed the seeds randomly, while civets dispersed them non-randomly to sites such as the banks of small rivers, rain-flow paths, abandoned trails, and treefall gaps, which are characterized by low stem density and canopy cover. Seeds of L. aculeata that were dispersed by civets to the banks of rivers and gaps had significantly higher survival and growth rates than those dispersed to rain-flow paths or abandoned trails. Seeds dispersed by macaques or to random locations also had low survival. Although the effects of the civets on seed fate were not straightforward, compared with macaques and random dispersal, civets significantly enhanced the survival and growth of L. aculeata seeds after 1 year. These results indicate that non-random dispersal by civets is important for the persistence of L. aculeata. Civets may disperse other plant species and thus could have profound effects on forest dynamics.

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Acknowledgments

We thank EPU Malaysia and the Sabah Wildlife Department for granting us permission to conduct research in Sabah, Malaysia. We are grateful to Drs. J. Yamagiwa, N. Nakagawa, G. Hanya, H. Matsubayashi, H. Samejima, N. Kuze, and Ms. M. Nakabayashi for their encouragement and suggestions. J. Shykoff and two anonymous referees made useful comments to a previous version of the paper. This research was supported by a Research Fund of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists for Y. N. and by the Global COE Program A06 to Kyoto University, and by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) with a Grant-in-Aid for Science Research (B; #21310150 to MI-M). This study complies with the current laws of Malaysia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Oiwake-cho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Yoshihiro Nakashima & Eiji Inoue

  2. Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University, Sekiden-cho, Tanaka, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto, 606-8203, Japan

    Miho Inoue-Murayama

  3. Sabah Wildlife Department, 5th Floor, B Block, Wisma MUIS, 88100, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

    Jum Rafiah Abd. Sukor

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  1. Yoshihiro Nakashima
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  2. Eiji Inoue
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  3. Miho Inoue-Murayama
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  4. Jum Rafiah Abd. Sukor
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Correspondence to Yoshihiro Nakashima.

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Communicated by Jacqui Shykoff.

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Nakashima, Y., Inoue, E., Inoue-Murayama, M. et al. Functional uniqueness of a small carnivore as seed dispersal agents: a case study of the common palm civets in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia. Oecologia 164, 721–730 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-010-1714-1

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