Abstract
Seed associations were analysed from 5314 bird droppings, 5697 bird stomach contents, and 129 1 m2 seed traps at two sites over four years to evaluate temporal and spatial seed associations in the Eastern Deciduous Forest of North America. Analysis was concentrated on the eight most abundant seeds found in seed traps in two sites in New Jersey. Seed mixing at any given location over the course of a year is greater for seeds of fruits of low nutritional quality than for seeds of high quality fruits. Mixing within bird guts and in fecal droppings is greater for small seeds than for large seeds. The factors influencing mixing patterns and the potential selective influences on the evolution of nutritional quality of fruits and timing of fruit ripening are discussed.
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© 1986 Dr W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht
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Stiles, E.W., White, D.W. (1986). Seed deposition patterns: influence of season, nutrients, and vegetation structure. In: Estrada, A., Fleming, T.H. (eds) Frugivores and seed dispersal. Tasks for vegetation science, vol 15. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4812-9_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4812-9_5
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