干旱区生态环境知识资源中心(Arid): Frugivory by carnivores: Black-backed jackals are key dispersers of seeds of the scented !nara melon in the Namib Desert

Arid

DOI	10.1111/jzo.13153
	Frugivory by carnivores: Black-backed jackals are key dispersers of seeds of the scented !nara melon in the Namib Desert
	Shikesho, S. D.; Midgley, J. J.; Marais, E.; Johnson, S. D.
通讯作者	Shikesho, SD
来源期刊	JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
ISSN	0952-8369
EISSN	1469-7998
出版年	2024
卷号	322 期号:4 页码:309-317
英文摘要	Carnivorous mammals have been reported to feed on fleshy fruits and disperse seeds, but these interactions are seldom observed and are poorly understood in hyper-arid regions. Scent may play a key role in these interactions, given that most carnivores have sensitive olfactory systems and dichromatic vision. The !nara (Acanthosicyos horridus: Cucurbitaceae) in the Namib Desert produces large (10-20 cm diameter) melons that remain green while undergoing increased volatile emissions with a changing chemical profile as they ripen. Using extensive camera trapping, we found that the fruits are consumed mainly by black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) and rarely also by other carnivores such as cape fox (Vulpes chama) and brown hyaena (Hyaena brunnea). We found that scent cues play a crucial role as jackals mainly sought fruits at night and easily located ripe fruits that were experimentally buried beneath the sand to remove visual cues. Seeds retrieved from jackal scat showed improved germination relative to un-ingested seeds. This study highlights the importance of fruit scent in mediating seed dispersal mutualisms involving carnivores. In the central Namib Desert, Black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) play a key role in the seed dispersal of !nara (Acanthosicyos horridus) by consuming !nara melons and dispersing viable seeds. The jackals rely on scent cues from volatile organic compounds (VOC) produced by melons during ripening to identify ripe melons, as the rind of the !nara melon does not change color during the ripening process. image
英文关键词	Cucurbitaceae carnivore frugivory endozoochory germination rate olfactory cues seed dispersal mutualism camera trapping Namib Desert
类型	Article
语种	英语
收录类别	SCI-E
WOS记录号	WOS:001157241800001
WOS关键词	FLESHY FRUITS ; GERMINATION ; OLFACTION ; ECOLOGY ; RESERVE ; MAMMALS ; DIET ; FOX
WOS类目	Zoology
WOS研究方向	Zoology
资源类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.177/qdio/handle/2XILL650/404765
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Shikesho, S. D.,Midgley, J. J.,Marais, E.,et al. Frugivory by carnivores: Black-backed jackals are key dispersers of seeds of the scented !nara melon in the Namib Desert[J],2024,322(4):309-317.
APA	Shikesho, S. D.,Midgley, J. J.,Marais, E.,&Johnson, S. D..(2024).Frugivory by carnivores: Black-backed jackals are key dispersers of seeds of the scented !nara melon in the Namib Desert.JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY,322(4),309-317.
MLA	Shikesho, S. D.,et al."Frugivory by carnivores: Black-backed jackals are key dispersers of seeds of the scented !nara melon in the Namib Desert".JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 322.4(2024):309-317.