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Impact of avian frugivores on dispersal and recruitment of the invasive Prunus serotina in an agricultural landscape

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Abstract

Although seed dispersal is considered to be a key process determining the spatial structure and spread of non-native plant populations, few studies have explicitly addressed the link between dispersal vector behaviour, seed distribution and seedling recruitment to gain insight into the process of exotic species invasion within a fragmented landscape context. The present study analyses the relationship between avian frugivory and spatial patterns of seed deposition and seedling recruitment for an expanding population of the invasive Prunus serotina in a hedgerow network landscape in Flanders, Belgium. We quantified fruit production, observed frugivores, and determined the spatial distribution of bird droppings and P. serotina seedlings. A relatively diverse assemblage of frugivores visited P. serotina seed trees, with Columba palumbus and Turdus merula being by far the most important dispersers. Landscape structure strongly affected dispersal vector behaviour and the spatial distribution of perching birds, droppings and seedlings. Frugivorous birds non-randomly dispersed seeds to perching sites and an association between perching birds, seed deposition and seedling recruitment was found. Results indicate that landscape structure contributes to non-random seed deposition of P. serotina by common local frugivores. Cutting the larger seed trees is proposed as the most feasible measure to slow down the invasion rate.

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Acknowledgements

The authors want to express their sincere gratitude to Atsuyuki Okabe and Shino Shiode from the Centre for Spatial Information Science, University of Tokyo, for their kind permission to use the SANET software for Network K-function analysis and providing valuable technical assistance. Besides, the authors would like to thank the two anonymous referees whose comments have substantially improved this paper. The research was supported financially by a Research Assistant Grant of the Fund for Scientific Research, Flanders (FWO) to Bart Deckers. Margot Vanhellemont holds a scholarship from the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Forest, Nature and Landscape Research, University of Leuven (K.U.Leuven), Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001, Leuven, Belgium

    Bart Deckers, Eva Maddens, Bart Muys & Martin Hermy

  2. Laboratory of Forestry, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 264, 9090, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium

    Kris Verheyen & Margot Vanhellemont

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  1. Bart Deckers
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  2. Kris Verheyen
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  3. Margot Vanhellemont
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  4. Eva Maddens
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  5. Bart Muys
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  6. Martin Hermy
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Correspondence to Kris Verheyen.

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Deckers, B., Verheyen, K., Vanhellemont, M. et al. Impact of avian frugivores on dispersal and recruitment of the invasive Prunus serotina in an agricultural landscape. Biol Invasions 10, 717–727 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-007-9164-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-007-9164-3

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