Project: Seed dispersal by the black lion-tamarin, Leontopithecus chrysopygus (Primates, Callitrichidae), in a fragment of Atlantic Forest

Abstract: Primates can be efficient seed dispersers, having an important role on the regeneration of degraded areas and forest fragments. The aim of the study was to determine the role of the black lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus) as a seed disperser through: 1) the characterization of the fruits consumed by the black-lion-tamarin and the identification of those that are dispersed; 2) the analysis of the spatial distribution of seeds dispersed and their dispersal distances; 3) the determination of the effect of gut passage on seed germination. We followed one group of black lion tamarins for 22 days in a fragment of Tropical Semideciduous Forest from March to September of 2015. We collected group behavior data, mapped the fruit trees they fed on and the locations of the feces, and collected the fruits consumed and the fecal samples. To determine the effect of gut passage on germination success, we compared the percentage of germination of defecated seeds, seeds with pulp, and without pulp. The black lion tamarins spent 25.6% of the time feeding, 85% of these feeding events being on fruits. They dispersed ten from the 11 species they consumed to a mean distance of 343.8 ± 225.8 m, within a home range of 82.9 ha. The spatial distribution of seeds dispersed was associated to the location of the feeding trees as well to the resting and sleeping trees. The passage of seeds through the black lion tamarins’ gut significantly increased the germination success of 3 out of 9 tested species and had a neutral effect on the others. Although the study occurred during the dry season, a period of low fruit availability, fruits constituted a large part of the black lion tamarin’s diet. In addition, the black lion tamarins dispersed the seeds of almost all of the species consumed within a large area and at long distances, which indicates that the species can be considered as an effective seed disperser.

Contact: mirela.alcolea@yahoo.com

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