Seed predation is one of the bottlenecks for the regeneration of tropical trees. The influence of post-dispersal seed predation of A. falcata on seedling recruitment was studied in a gallery forest in "Parque Estadual da Serra Azul" (PESA) in Barra do Garças, MT. Field experiments were designed to assess the differences in post-dispersal seed predation by vertebrates and invertebrates with regards to temporal and spatial variation, leaf litter and distance from parent tree. Ants Solenopsis (Diplorhoptrum) sp. were the main seed predator of A. falcata. Seed mortality by insects varied through the fruiting season; it was more intense at the beginning and at the end of the fruiting season. The survivorship of seed did not vary among different microhabitats and was independent of litter cover and proximity to an adult fruiting tree. The results of this study indicated that predation by ants can limit the recruitment of A. falcata. However, rainfall reduces predation rate by promoting seed germination and favouring seedling recruitment of A. falcata.
Anadenanthera falcata; exclosure experiments; gallery forest; microhabitats variation; seed predation
