Long seed dispersal distances by an inquisitive flightless rail (<i>Gallirallus australis</i>) are reduced by interaction with humans

Carpenter, Joanna K.; O’Donnell, Colin F. J.; Moltchanova, Elena; Kelly, Dave

doi:10.1098/rsos.190397

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…There may also be considerable variation around the retention time-body-mass relationship. Mean seed retention times for the 900 g flightless Gallirallus australis are 38-125 h (maximum of 958 h) [30], and broad ranges have been reported for large terrestrial vertebrates [28,29,35]. For large dinosaurs, the variability around allometric relationships may have been considerable.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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How far might plant-eating dinosaurs have moved seeds?

Perry

2021

Biol. Lett.

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Fossilized gut contents suggest that seeds consumed by dinosaurs may have remained intact in their stomachs, and since seed dispersal distance increases with body-mass in extant vertebrates, dinosaurs may have moved seeds long distances. I simulated seed dispersal by dinosaurs across body-masses from 1 × 10 1 to 8 × 10 4 kg using allometric random walk models, informed by relationships between (i) body-mass and movement speed, and (ii) body-mass and seed retention time. Seed dispersal distances showed a hump-shaped relationship with body-mass, reflecting the allometric relationship between maximum movement speed and body-mass. Across a range of assumptions and parameterizations, the simulations suggest that plant-eating dinosaurs could have dispersed seeds long distances.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, I evaluate the effects of truncating the mean seed retention time at 21 and 42 days, which, while longer than those of extant megafauna (e.g. [28,29]), are comparable with the extreme value reported by [30] for the flightless bird Gallirallus australis (Rallidae; 900 g).…”

Section: (B) Seed Retention and Dispersalmentioning

confidence: 99%

How far might plant-eating dinosaurs have moved seeds?

Perry

2021

Biol. Lett.

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“…In Westland, adults moved on average c. 190 m (n = 20) and sub-adults 170 m (n = 13) between sightings on successive days (Higgins & Marchant 1993). Weka near Hokitika moved a maximum distance of 2.3 km within a two-week period, but movements were reduced at campsites (n = 39; Carpenter et al 2019). Mean home range size was 2.0 ha (range 0.7-4.5 ha) on Kapiti I., 11.9 ha in Westland (n = 13; Coleman et al 1983) and 3.5 ha (n = 5 females) to 10 ha (n = 10 males) at Gisborne (Bramley 1994; whole-year range length 94-389 m).…”

Section: Wekamentioning

confidence: 99%

Movements and habitat connectivity of New Zealand forest birds: a review of available data

Innes¹,

Miskelly²,

Armstrong³

et al. 2022

NZJE

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New Zealand's original forested landscape has been greatly fragmented since human arrival, limiting connectivity and habitat quality for forest-dependent fauna. We review the limited available information about forest bird movement behaviour, especially whole-year sociality and movement, natal dispersal, and pasture-and water-gap crossing. Most small insectivores (17 species) and North Island kōkako are territorial year-round, but frugivore-nectivores (three species), raptors (two species), and volant parrots (four species) can be highly mobile, presumably to find scattered food. Natal dispersal is the main behaviour by which birds find new habitats and mates, but natal dispersal distances are unknown for half the species we review. There is limited information about species' ability to cross gaps between forests, and more is known about movement over water than pasture. We classify four species (North Island kōkako, pōpokotea, South Island tīeke, and North Island brown kiwi) as strongly gap limited, defined as currently unknown to cross water or pasture gaps larger than 500 m. A further eight species (mohua, tītitipounamu, pīpipi, weka, North Island tīeke, kakaruai, toutouwai, and miromiro) are moderately gap-limited, with maximum observed gap-crossing distances of less than 5 km. Pending new data, these twelve species have most need of corridors or translocations to enable them to establish in new, safe, ecosanctuary sites. Habitat connectivity can be increased by strategic planting, but this also risks decreasing populations if birds emigrate from safe to unsafe sites. Many managed ecosanctuaries are too small to accommodate natal dispersal distances expected in continuous forest, so pest control is required at larger scale in the long term to restore natural movement patterns.

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“…Their large gape and fruit consumption make them an important seed disperser, especially for species such as hīnau (Elaeocarpus dentatus) which may rely on dispersal by flightless birds (Carpenter et al 2018(Carpenter et al , 2019. They can retain seeds in their guts for almost six weeks (the longest avian seed retention times ever recorded), which gives them the potential to carry out important long distance (> 1 km) seed dispersal (Carpenter et al 2019). Similarly, mammalian predators overseas have been shown to be important long distance seed dispersers (Jordano et al 2007).…”

Section: The Roles Of Weka In Past and Present Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

European hedgehogs rear young and enter hibernation in New Zealand’s alpine zones

Foster¹,

Maloney²,

Recio³

et al. 2021

NZJE

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There is increasing interest in restoring native predators in order to regulate ecosystems and maintain biodiversity, but predator reintroductions are still controversial for complex social and ecological reasons. Few studies have examined predator restoration on islands or in ecosanctuaries, where highly endemic faunas have typically undergone precipitous declines and extinctions due to novel invasive predators, and translocations are used to restore species. Currently in New Zealand, discussions regarding predators typically focus on introduced mammalian pests, and the importance of native predators is frequently overlooked. We present a case study of the mesopredatory New Zealand weka (Gallirallus australis), a threatened flightless rail that provokes controversy among restoration practitioners due to concerns that it may decrease populations of other threatened species. We (1) review studies of weka diet and impacts on native and exotic fauna; (2) contrast prehistoric and contemporary predation webs focused on weka; and (3) consider the role of biocultural approaches in the management and restoration of socio-ecological systems with weka. Weka are opportunistic omnivores that can include vertebrates in their diet, and on small islands where weka can reach high densities there is some evidence that they may limit some prey populations. However, very few manipulative experimental studies measuring effects of weka on native species have been carried out, and such studies would be extremely valuable. Weka also consume invasive rodents and, if they obtain a sufficiently high density, may provide benefits in ecosanctuaries by limiting invasive mice populations. Māori historically harvested weka, and such harvest may now valuably limit weka numbers at certain island or ecosanctuary sites, perhaps replacing the effect of extinct avian competitors and apex predators. How weka and other native predators should be managed on islands depends on the value placed on ecosystem restoration, species-focused conservation, or biocultural enrichment.

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Long seed dispersal distances by an inquisitive flightless rail (Gallirallus australis) are reduced by interaction with humans

Cited by 9 publications

References 52 publications

How far might plant-eating dinosaurs have moved seeds?

How far might plant-eating dinosaurs have moved seeds?

Movements and habitat connectivity of New Zealand forest birds: a review of available data

European hedgehogs rear young and enter hibernation in New Zealand’s alpine zones

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