Title
Feeding overlap and seed dispersal efficiency between sympatric hornbills and gibbons in Thailand
Author(s)
Savini, T.;Kanwatanakid-Savini, C.
Published
2011
Publisher
Raffles Bulletin of Zoology
Abstract
Gibbons and hornbills are often found in close sympatry in South-east Asian forest for which they play an important role as seed disperser. However, between the two species, the potential redundancy in dispersing seeds is currently debated. This potential redundancy might play an important role for forest regeneration as both species are facing drastic, but of different intensity, decline in their natural habitat. A closer investigation between the two species first show the presence of three feeding assemblages with gibbons isolated from hornbills and, within those a distinction between large and small body-sized birds. Secondly, each feeding assemblage show a different efficiency in seed dispersal capacity with an overall low redundancy recorded. Thirdly, we determine the effect of the raising habitat degradation observed in South-East Asia on the different feeding assemblage. Although no redundancy is observed between the two species, for which one assemblage can substitute another one in dispersing similar plant species, gibbons show a larger capacity than hornbill when limited to a small area, overall small home ranges. The importance of hornbills emerge when seed dispersal is analyzed over a larger area and, eventually between habitat fragments. This paper was presented at the 5(th) International Hornbill Conference jointly organised by the National Parks Board (Singapore) and the Hornbill Research Foundation (Thailand), in Singapore on 22(nd)-25(th) March 2009.

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PUB14682