Seed dispersal and predation of fleshy-fruited plants by Japanese macaques in the cool temperate zone of northern Japan.

Abstract

Japanese macaques, Macaca fuscata, play an important role in dispersing seeds of fleshy-fruited plants in the warm temperate forest of Yakushima Island, southern Japan Various plant species with fleshy fruits are also found in the cool temperate zone of northern Japan The frugivorous diet of the macaque in fall, which was recorded by direct observations of foraging behavior (e.g. In order to evaluate a species' role as a seed disperser, it is necessary, initially, to examine which plant species and how many seeds they disperse successfully. There have been, however, no qualitative or quantitative studies of seed dispersal by the macaques in the northern part of their range. In this study, therefore, fecal analysis was conducted to identify seed species and abundance. The size of seeds dispersed was also examined, as seed size is an important factor influencing the seed treatment by macaques