Fallen Fruits and Terrestrial Vertebrate Frugivores: a Case Study in a Lowland Tropical Rainforest in Peninsular Malaysia

摘要

Mammals are a dominant component of the species assemblage of fragivores in Malaysian forests. Most Malaysian mammal species depend to varying degrees on wild fruits for food (Harrison, 1954, 1961; McClure, 1966; Lim, 1970; MacKinnon, 1978; Medway, 1978; Payne, 1980; Payne et al, 1985; Corlett, 1998; Kitamura et al, 2002). Although there is a great deal of literature on the food habits of Malaysian fmgivorous mammals, only a few studies provide a list of their food items at the plant species level. Such studies allow us to discuss the species-species interactions between plants and animals and the guild structure in the frugivore community.