Selection for Optimal Fruit-Crop Size in Bird-Dispersed Plants

摘要: Recent investigations of plant-frugivore interactions have failed to demonstrate the expected peak in fruit-removal rates (plant fitness) at intermediate or high crop sizes. In three species Costa Rican forest understory plants, I found that likelihood bird visitation increased with increasing size. Among those plants visited by birds, absolute number fruits removed size, whereas proportion, relative removed, actually decreased. Thus, effects size on different components dispersal process (likelihood fruit removal do visit, and postremoval behavior dispersers) often conflict, such no clear relationship between overall success is evident. Results presented here suggest selection for synchronous ripening large seasonal crops these plants. Nevertheless, propose models reproductive tre...