Effect of crop size on the probability of fruit removal in the understory palm Synecanthus warscewiczianus (Arecaceae)

Abstract. Fruit crop size has been previously shown to be positively correlated with frugivore visitation rate. In this study, the crop size of Synecanthus warscewiczianus, an understory tropical palm, was manipulated to investigate the effect of crop size on the probability of fruit removal. Crop size was manipulated, such that a large crop of thirty fruits and a small crop of three fruits was created. Each afternoon for three successive days the number of fruits removed from the sampled palms was recorded and fruits were replaced to restore the fruit crop to the manipulated size of thirty/three. The probability of fruit removal was found to be significantly greater in palms with a crop size of thirty than those with a crop size of three. The results of this study of an understory palm support findings found for tropical canopy trees, suggesting that crop size may increase the visitation and fruit removal of frugivores by presenting a display more easily spotted and offering a greater reward.