Movement patterns and seed dispersal by Trumpeter Hornbills in a fragmented landscape

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Katrin Böhning-Gaese
• Subject Area: Sensory and Behavioural Biology
• Term: from 2009 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 116427864

Long-distance movements of birds are necessary to disperse seeds of trees among isolated forests and forest fragments. Whereas we have a first understanding of move-ment patterns of birds and resulting seed shadows within forests, little is known about movement and seed dispersal among forest fragments. The aim of this study is to quantify movement patterns and seed dispersal of Trumpeter Hornbills (Ceratogymna bucinator) in a fragmented landscape in South Africa. To pursue this question we use an innovative telemetry device that stores data on the location of the bird on the bird; the data can later be downloaded via radiolink to a “BaseStation”. This technique allows to collect data on movement patterns of large birds at the landscape scale with hitherto unreached quality. We use these data together with data on habitat distribution, fruit availability and gut passage times to calculate seed dispersal kernels and spatially explicit seed rain at the landscape scale. To my knowledge, this is the first study that is able to quantify the spatial pattern of seed rain generated by a large-bodied frugivorous bird in a fragmented landscape. These data are essential to evaluate the ability of tropical trees to disperse in fragmented landscapes, especially under climate change.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants