Authors
Shinsuke Koike, Takashi Masaki, Yui Nemoto, Chinatsu Kozakai, Koji Yamazaki, Shinsuke Kasai, Ami Nakajima, Koichi Kaji
Publication date
2011/2
Journal
Oikos
Volume
120
Issue
2
Pages
280-290
Publisher
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Description
We estimated the seed shadow created by the Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus in order to evaluate the bears effectiveness as a seed disperser. We combined data from bear movements, determined by GPS telemetry, with data from gut retention time (GRT). We estimated plant seed shadows in two ways: from direct movement data to give the actual seed shadow (ASS), and from cumulative movement data to give the potential seed shadow (PSS). The purpose of this study was to answer the following questions: (1) does GRT differ between seasons or in the size of contents? (2) Does seed shadow vary among sex, seasons, estimation method (ASS or PSS), and years? (3) Does the masting affect seed shadows? There were no differences in median GRT among seasons or seed dimensions. Combining these data, the seed shadows produced by long GRT (median; 15.2–19.7 hours, maximum; 44.0 hours) and …
Total citations
20112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024112694864784782