Interações entre espécies zoocóricas e frugívoros terrestres do Cerrado no Parque Estadual da Serra Azul, MT

Abstract

The study investigated the interactions between zoochoric species and frugivores at the Parque Estadual da Serra Azul (PESA) in Barra do Garças (MT). The main objective was to describe the interactions between the terrestrial frugivore community and fleshy (or farinaceous pulp) fruits available on the ground across different phytophysiognomies. The specific questions addressed were: What factors influence the occurrence and number of fruit removals by frugivores? And what factors influence the occurrence of fruit removals by frugivores? The hypotheses tested were: (i) fruit removal by frugivores is positively influenced by fruit availability; (ii) climatic season affects fruit removal, with higher activity during the rainy season; (iii) vegetation density in an area is positively correlated with the frequency of frugivore visits and fruit removals. To address these questions, 90 trees of different species were monitored using camera traps to record frugivore activity. Analyzed variables included plant species, phytophysiognomy, climatic season, vegetation density, and the amount of fruit removed. Statistical analyses using generalized linear models with binomial and negative binomial distributions showed that fruit removal occurrence was significantly influenced by plant species (p = 0.045) and marginally by phytophysiognomy (p = 0.054). The probability of a tree having fruit removed was 72% lower in open cerrado and 56% lower in semi-deciduous forest compared to dense cerrado. Additionally, fruit removal was significantly affected by plant species (p = 0.017), climatic season (p = 0.005), and phytophysiognomy type (p = 0.033), with higher removal rates during the rainy season. These results indicate that frugivore-plant interactions in the Cerrado are strongly modulated by seasonality and phytophysiognomy characteristics. Fruit availability and frugivore activity vary significantly throughout the year, highlighting the importance of frugivores' behavioral adaptations for maintaining seed dispersal dynamics. It is concluded that conservation strategies should account for seasonal variations and the ecological specifics of different Cerrado phytophysiognomies to ensure effective biodiversity preservation.