Frugivoria e dispersão de sementes por aves em euterpe oleracea mart. (arecacea) na Amazônia Maranhense

Abstract

Frugivorous animals are those whose diet is based on the consumption of fruits and consequently consume seeds either actively or passively. Birds are among the most important seed dispersers, not only due to their abundance but also because of the frequency with which they feed on fruits and their high mobility. Among the 96 bird families in Brazil, only 22 regularly consume fruits, and this consumption can be exclusive or not. The present study was conducted on Fazenda Nativa 09, located 7 km from the town of Governador Newton Bello-MA, from July 2023 to June 2024, with the aim of determining which bird species consume fruits and are potential dispersers of Euterpe oleracea. The methodology used was focal tree observation, with observations conducted on five individuals of Euterpe oleracea, totaling a sampling effort of 120 hours. Seven bird species were identified using the Euterpe oleracea palm as a food resource. Among the recorded bird species, Turdus leucomelas, Penelope pileata, and Tachyphonus rufus were considered potential dispersers, as they swallowed the fruits whole or carried them away from the parent plant. The bird species with the highest frequency of visits to the observed Euterpe oleracea individuals were Turdus leucomelas (25 visits, 52.1%); Amazona amazonica (8 visits, 14.6%); and Aratinga jandaya (6 visits, 12.5%). The most commonly used fruit removal tactic by the birds was picking, employed by almost all the birds that consumed the Euterpe oleracea fruits. Aggressive interactions were relatively insignificant (15.5%) concerning the total number of visits. The frequency of visits varied significantly among species. Turdus leucomelas visited all the observed plants, with the highest peak in visit difference (20.83%), followed by Amazona amazonica (5.83%). In the study area, considerable anthropogenic activity such as hunting, fishing, logging, and extraction of açai bunches was observed, which had a significant impact on the observations. It is hoped that the information contained in this study will be of great importance, as it may contribute to the understanding of the açai palm (Euterpe oleracea) and its natural frugivores