Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-06T07:12:15.085Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chemical defences of fruits and mast-fruiting of dipterocarps

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 1999

Shinya Numata
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1–1 Minami-Osawa, Hachiouji, Tokyo, 192–0397 Japan
Naoki Kachi
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1–1 Minami-Osawa, Hachiouji, Tokyo, 192–0397 Japan
Toshinori Okuda
Affiliation:
National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16–2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305–0053 Japan
N. Manokaran
Affiliation:
Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, 52109 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract

Mast-fruiting is the intermittent and synchronous production of large fruits by a population of plants at long intervals (Herrera et al. 1998, Kelly 1994). Several hypotheses have been proposed concerning the adaptive advantages of mast-fruiting (Janzen 1971, 1974; Kelly 1994), and some field observations have provided evidence for these hypotheses (Norton & Kelly 1988, Shibata et al. 1998, Sork 1993). The predator-satiation hypothesis is one well-known explanation for reproductive synchrony in plants and animals (Janzen 1971, 1974; Kelly 1994). This hypothesis claims that mast fruiting at irregular intervals of several years is an effective means of satiating vertebrate fruit predators: low seed production can only support low densities of predators during the periods between mast-fruiting events, but more fruits are produced than predators can consume in masting years (Janzen 1971, Kelly 1994). Thus, it may be said that mast-fruiting is a defence strategy of plants against post-dispersal vertebrate fruit predators.

Type
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Copyright
© 1999 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)