Abstract:

In this study, we investigated the seed foraging and transporting by dirds in a Chinese Yew population with 5 seed-bearing female trees in Xianyu Mountain in south Anhui Province from Oct. to Dec. in 2006 and 2007 respectively. The seed is surrounded by an outgrowth of the seed stalk called an aril, a freshy edible red shaped disk. The arils became red in late October, and ripe fleshy fruits retained on a tree up to 34 days, which suggested it would be as dispersal period. The population dispersal period was as long as 38 days and 34 days in the two years. The fruits either droped to the ground or were consumed by birds or other animals in the tree. Shaking from birds' feeding and heavy rain would increase the dropping rate of fruits. Seven species of frugivorous birds were found to feed on yew's fruits, and among them Red-billed Blue Magpie (Urocissa erythrorhyncha), Chestnut Bulbul (Hemixos castanonotus) and Mountain Bulbul (Hypsipetes mcclellandii) were the most important predators. Total 2 082 fruits, which accounted for 31.7% of all 6 574 fruits from mother tree ① in 2007, dropped to the ground, while other fruits should be consumed by birds or other nocturnal animals. The three bird species might swallow around 2 661 fruits which accounted for 40.47% of the all. The birds swallowed the whole fruit, and consumed the red aril. Each fresh fece was found to contain one or two yew's seeds. Therefore, the frugivorous birds would have played an important role in spreading yews' seed by their flying route.

Key words: Xianyu Mountain, Taxus chinensis var. mairei, seed fate, birds, foraging, transporting