Seed dispersal versus seed predation: an inter-site comparison of two related African monkeys

Abstract

C. pogonias and C. wolfi plant diets were studied in two sites, in Gabon and Zaire and compared with fruit availabilities. Monkeys in Gabon were found to be mainly fruit pulp-eaters while monkeys in Zaire were alternately seed-eaters, aril-eaters or leaf-eaters. These differences were related to differences in the availability of fruit categories: fleshy fruits were found to be much more abundant in Gabon than in Zaire forests. As a result, monkeys in Gabon were found to be mainly seed-dispersers while monkeys in Zaire were found, to a large extent, to be seed-predators. Results are discussed in terms of phenotypic flexibility in monkey feeding behavior, diversity of plant-monkey interactions, geographic variability of keystone plant resources, and their implications for forest management practices. The low availability of fleshy fruit species in Zaire is hypothezized to result from the poor soil conditions.