Parkia multijuga (fabaceae): interações multi-espécie e estratégias que maximizam a sobrevivência nos estágios iniciais de sua história de vida

Abstract

The period of seed maturation and dispersal is a crucial moment in the life history of plants. Antagonistic interactions that cease light can compromise the natural regeneration of the species. Pre-dispersion and post-dispersal seed predation is common in most Fabaceae, which develop strategies to minimize the impact of predators. Parkia multijuga Benth. (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae), is an Amazonian mainland tree that grows massively and synchronously with other individuals at long intervals from one season to the next, and has independent fruits with large seeds that are predated by bruquídeos before being dispersed and submitted to a primary dispersion. The latter are also seed dispersers. These multispecies ecological interactions are fundamental to a species' life history. In order to understand, describe and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of these interactions for the plant, fruits were collected from 15 individuals from the central region of Amazonas, measuring the distance of primary dispersion and quantifying the fruits and predated seeds pre and post-primary dispersion, in addition to levels of seed predation. In addition, germination experiments with simulated predation were carried out under greenhouse conditions. In the field experiments were carried out that measured the secondary dispersion and tested the fruiting strategy of the mast and model of Janzen-Connel. Photographic traps were used to determine which animals interacted with the fruits and to identify which of them were seed predators / dispersers. The mean values of the primary dispersion measures varied between 4.36 m and 8.57 m, while the secondary dispersion recorded distances between 3.00 m and 54.60 m with an average of 16.23 m. Before primary dispersion, about 31.70% of the seeds are reached by bruquídeos, 18.32% are aborted and 49.97% are inside the pods, to be predated or dispersed/buried by scatter-hoarding rodents. Of the seeds predated by the bruquids, 75% had a predation level lower than 31%, and 58% of these seeds survive and generate normal seedlings under greenhouse conditions. Five animals were recorded interacting with the fruits and seeds of P. multijuga evidencing that they were responsible for the removal of all the fruits and seeds arranged under the canopy of the trees. In order of frequency in the records are the following animals (only the first two were seen opening the fruits); Myoprocta acouchy, Proechimys sp. cuvieri/guyannensis, Dasyprocta leporina, Metachirus nudicaudatus and Didelphis marcupiali