查看文章

An inverse relationship between the amount of seed predation and the dominance of a tree species in mangrove forest canopies has been hypothesized based on field studies conducted in Australia (Smith 1987a). Seed predation experiments have recently been performed in mangrove forests of North America (Florida and Panama) and southeast Asia (Malaysia) on several species of Avicennia, Bruguiera, and Rhizophora. The results of these experiments are compared with additional data from Australia to test the generality of the dominance—predation model. Significant differences were found in the amount of predation on four species of Avicennia. All Avicennia were consumed in greatest quantity where they were rarest in the forest canopy and in least amounts where they dominated the canopy. Consumption of Rhizophora apiculata in Australia and Malaysia followed patterns similar to that for Avicennia. For …