Interactions of peccaries and tapirs on plants, including seed predation, dispersal, and the impact of tramping
Principal Investigator: Harald Beck, PhD
Department of Biological
Sciences, Towson University
Towson, MD 21252 USA
Office: Smith 249
Web page: http://www.towson.edu/biology/TU%20Biology%20H%20Beck.htm
Harald Beck
One of my research
focuses on animal-plant interactions and how those affect the population
dynamics and species richness of tree seedlings in the Amazon. For instance,
the dramatic impacts of peccaries on the forest dynamics become apparent
to anyone who has watched a 100-strong herd of these animals thundering
through the understory and thereby trampling and uprooting many seedlings.
One obvious question is how are seedling growth, survival, and diversity
affected by movement and foraging behaviors of large mammals such as peccaries?
To test this and other hypotheses, in 2004 I established several long-term
exclosure experiments in Cocha Cashu and Los Amigos.
Within the pristine and well protected setting of Manu National Park,
results from this study may not only provide "baseline data"
on animal-plant interactions and their ecological ramifications but also
allow comparisons with forests where overhunting has driven large mammals
to extinction and new generations of trees are maturing without the seed
predation, dispersal, soil disturbance, and physical damage.
“Large-mammal
exclosure (2 x 5 m) in Cocha Cashu established in 2004”
Another research project is
to test if peccaries function as Eecosystem Engineers by physically modifying
and creating new habitats for other species. Peccaries create and maintain
wallows, terrestrial water bodies that range from 1 to over 80 square
meters. Wallows are the only permanent water body in the dry season. Thereby
they may be crucial foraging and breeding habitat for numerous animal
taxa. Since 2004 I have been quantifying the animal community in over
55 wallows, and compared those to other ephemeral pools that filled after
rain.
Preliminary results demonstrate that wallows have a higher species diverse
and unique amphibian community compared to other water bodies. For example,
during the dry season over 12 different frog species utilize wallows as
habitat and foraging ground. In addition, six frog species used wallows
as breeding habitat. Other taxa found in wallow include many invertebrates,
turtles, snakes, and even nine different fish species!
These data support the notion that peccaries do function as ecosystem
engineers and maintain species diversity. The question is how are species
that utilize or depend on wallows affected in forests were peccaries are
extinct?
“A typical
peccary wallow during the dry season, notice the trampled area surrounding
the wallow”
If you are interested in working
with my on these or other projects or do a master thesis feel free to
send me an e-mail at hbeck@towson.edu