Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T21:22:22.007Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Red crabs in rain forest, Christmas Island: removal and fate of fruits and seeds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Dennis J. O'Dowd  and
P. S. Lake
Dennis J. O'Dowd
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
P. S. Lake
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The red land crab (Gecarcoidea nalalis) is the major collector of fruits and seeds from the rain forest Moor on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. At three sites, they rapidly removed fruits and seeds of 17 species tested (usually within 12 h after placement) and most were taken to crab burrows. Direct observations of seed predation, and application of estimated chelar forces of red crabs indicated that seeds of many species, especially those with thin seed coats, are likely to be killed through handling. However, removal of some resistant seeds to burrows may be favourable for seedling establishment when canopy gaps occur. Fruit removal rates by crabs were positively related to nitrogen concentration in fruit tissues but negatively correlated with condensed tannins. These observations suggest that seed predation by land crabs may affect the success of colonization and the relative abundance of plants on oceanic islands.

Keywords

Christmas IslandfruitGecarcoidea natalisIndian Oceanislandland crabsrain forestseed dispersalseed predationseeds
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , February 1991 , pp. 113 - 122
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

LITERATURE CITED

Boucher, D. H. 1981.Seed predation by mammals and forest dominance by Quercus oleoides, a tropicallowland oak. Oecologia (Berlin) 49:409–414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burcgren, W. & Mcmahon, R. 1988. Biology of the land crabs. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davidson, D. W., Samson, D. A. & Inouye, R. S. 1985 Granivory in the Chihuahuan desert: interactions within and between trophic levels. Ecology 66:468–502.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Steven, D. & Putz, F. E. 1984. Impact of mammals on early recruitment of a tropical tree, Dipleryx panamensis, in Panama. Oikos 43:207–216.Google Scholar
Fleming, T. H., Williams, C. F., Bonaccorso, F. J. & Herbst, L. H. 1985. Phenology, seeddispersal, and colonization in Muntingia calabura, a neotropical pioneer tree. American Journal of Botany 72:383–391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fox, L. R. & Macauley, B.J. 1977. Insect grazing on Eucalyptus in response to variation in leaf tannins and nitrogen. Oecologia (Berlin) 29:145–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gray, H. 1981. Christmas Island - Naturally. Christmas Island Natural History Association, Singapore.Google Scholar
Henning, H. G. 1975. Okologische, ethologische und sinnephysiologische Unlersuchungcn an der Land-krabbe Cardiosoma guanhumi Latreille (Decapoda, Brachyura) in Nordkolumbicn. Forma el Functio 8:253–304.Google Scholar
Hicks, J. H. 1985. The breeding behaviour and migrations of the terrestrial crab Gecarcoidea natalis (Decapoda: Brachyura). Australian Journal of Zoology 33:127–142. (See accessory publication.)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hicks, J. H., Rumpff, H. & Yorkston, H. 1984. Christmas crabs. Christmas Island Natural Histor Association, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean.Google Scholar
Howe, H. F., Schupp, E. W. & Westley, L. C. 1985. Early consequences of seed dispersal for aneotropical tree (Virola surinamensis). Ecology 66:781–791.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Inouye, R. S., Byers, G. S. & Brown, J. H. 1980. Effects of predation and competition on survivorship fecundity, and community structure of desert annuals. Ecology 61:1344–1351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Janzen, D. H. 1975. Intra-habitat and inter-habitat variation in Guazuma ulmifolia (Sterculiaceae) seed predation by Amblycerus cistelinus (Bruchidae) in Costa Rica. Ecology 56:1009–1013.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, M. A. B. 1985. The dispersal of Pandanus tectorius by the land crab Cardisoma carnifex, Oikos 45:169–173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Louda, S. M. 1989. Predation in the dynamics of seed regeneration. Pp. 25–51 in Leck, M. V., Parker, V.T. & Simpson, R. L. (eds). Ecology of seed banks. Academic Press, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Louda, S. M. & Zedler, P. H. 1985. Predation in insular plant dynamics: an experimental assessment of postdispersal fruit and seed survival, Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands. American Journal of Botany 72:438–445.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Dowd, D.J. & Lake, P. S. 1989. Red crabs in rain forest, Christmas Island: removal and relocation of leaf-fall. Journal of Tropical Ecology 5:337–348.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Dowd, D. J. & Lake, P. S. 1990. Red crabs in rainforest, Christmas Island: differential herbivory of seedlings. Oikos 58:289–292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ridley, H. N. 1930. The dispersal of plants throughout the world. Reeve, Ashford, England.Google Scholar
Smith, T. J. 1987a. Seed predation in relation to tree dominance and distribution in mangrove forests.Ecology 68:266–273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, T.J. 1987b. Effect of seed predators and light level on the distribution of Avicennia marina (Forsk.)Vierh. in tropical, tidal forests. Estuarine and Coastal Shelf Science 25:43–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Southwood, T. R. E. 1978. Ecological methods with particular reference to the study of insect populations. Chapmanand Hall, London.Google Scholar
Southwood, T. R. E., Brown, V. K. & Reader, P. M. 1986. Leaf payability, life expectancy and herbivore damage. Oecologia (Berlin) 70:544–548.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swain, T. & Hillis, W. E. 1959. The phenolic constituents of Prunus domestica. I. The quantitative analysis of phenolic constituents. Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture 10:63–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turkay, M. 1974. Die Gecarcinidae Asiens und Ozeaniens (Crustacea: Decapoda). Senckenbergiana Biologische 55:223–259.Google Scholar
Zar, J. H. 1984. Biostatistical Analysis. Second edition. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey.Google Scholar