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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
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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

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