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Propagule predation in a Neotropical mangrove: the role of the Grapsid crab Goniopsis cruentata

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Abstract

In Neotropical mangroves the crabs Ucides cordatus and Goniopsis cruentata have been considered the most significant propagule consumers, but their relative importance has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to compare the magnitude of predation by these crabs on three mangrove species propagules: Avicennia schaueriana, Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle. We found that G. cruentata is a more important predator than U. cordatus in both natural and restored areas. We also tested the hypothesis that Ucides and Goniopsis have antagonistic effects on propagules predation using a cage experiment where the presence/absence of these species was manipulated in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The effects of Goniopsis were stronger in the absence of Ucides due to negative interactions between these predator species. Moreover, we found that Goniopsis preference for A. schaueriana and L. racemosa can favor the dominance of R. mangle in Neotropical mangroves. This study suggests that propagule predation by Goniopsis should be controlled in mangrove restoration programs at abandoned shrimp farms and destroyed areas, if dominance by R. mangle is undesirable relative to mixed species communities.

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Acknowledgments

Conselho de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal Superior (CAPES)/REUNI provided a PhD grant to Alexander C. Ferreira. We also thank Sarah Mariana da Silva, Nicholas S. A. de Araujo, Vandir Villar, Leonardo D. R. da Silva, Elisa V. Gurgel, Eduardo Silva and Carlos E. R. D. Alencar, for their valuable field assistance.

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  1. Departamento de Botânica, Ecologia e Zoologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, CEP 59161175, Brazil

    Alexander C. Ferreira, Gislene Ganade, Fúlvio A. Morais Freire & José Luiz Attayde

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  1. Alexander C. Ferreira
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  2. Gislene Ganade
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  3. Fúlvio A. Morais Freire
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Ferreira, A.C., Ganade, G., Morais Freire, F.A. et al. Propagule predation in a Neotropical mangrove: the role of the Grapsid crab Goniopsis cruentata . Hydrobiologia 707, 135–146 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1416-2

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