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Characteristics of fruits consumed by mammalian frugivores in Japanese temperate forest
Author(s) -
Koike Shinsuke,
Masaki Takashi
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
ecological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1440-1703
pISSN - 0912-3814
DOI - 10.1111/1440-1703.1057
Subject(s) - frugivore , biology , palatability , temperate climate , macaque , ecology , temperate forest , zoology , habitat , food science
Understanding the interactions among fruits and frugivore assemblages provides fundamental information for the management of ecosystems. Asian temperate forests are inhabited by distinct frugivores, namely, large tree‐climbing mammals such as bears and macaques, suggesting that fruits and frugivore assemblages may vary from those of other temperate forests. Our aim here was to systematically analyze the characteristics of fruits consumed by four dominant frugivorous mammals in Japanese temperate forests and to clarify the fruit palatability or preference of each species by comparing the fruit consumption patterns of the frugivores. We collected fruit feeding records of Asian black bear, Japanese marten, raccoon dog and Japanese macaque, as well as detailed information on the characteristics of the fruits consumed. Among the 299 fruit species recorded, the size, color and type of fruits consumed by bears and macaques were similar, and the fruiting season and life form of plants bearing fruits consumed by bears, macaques and raccoon dogs were similar. However, the characteristics of fruits consumed by martens were different. The ability to climb trees, body weight and manual dexterity may influence these differences.