Chemical defences of fruits and mast-fruiting of dipterocarps

Abstract

Mast-fruiting is the intermittent and synchronous production of large fruits by a population of plants at long intervals (Herrera et al. 1998, Kelly 1994). Several hypotheses have been proposed concerning the adaptive advantages of mast-fruiting (Janzen 1971, 1974; Kelly 1994), and some field observations have provided evidence for these hypotheses (Norton & Kelly 1988, Shibata et al. 1998, Sork 1993). The predator-satiation hypothesis is one well-known explanation for reproductive synchrony in plants and animals (Janzen 1971, 1974; Kelly 1994). This hypothesis claims that mast fruiting at irregular intervals of several years is an effective means of satiating vertebrate fruit predators: low seed production can only support low densities of predators during the periods between mast-fruiting events, but more fruits are produced than predators can consume in masting years (Janzen 1971, Kelly 1994). Thus, it may be said that mast-fruiting is a defence strategy of plants against post-dispersal vertebrate fruit predators.