Avian Frugivory in a Fruiting Mulberry Tree (Morus rubra) in Arkansas

J. L. Jackson II, University of Arkansas - Fort SmithFollow
Ragupathy Kannan, University of Arkansas--Fort SmithFollow

Keywords

Mulberry, frugivory, birds

Abstract

A fruiting Mulberry tree (Morus rubra) was observed for 67 hours in the spring of 2016 and 2017 in Fort Smith, Arkansas. A total of 172 five-minute scans were performed, during which the following parameters were recorded: species visited, number of individuals of each species, time of visitations, and foraging tier. Between each scan, the foraging rate (number of fruits consumed/min) and inter- and intra- specific aggressive interactions were recorded. A total of 3465 observations of individual birds from 32 species was recorded. Species diversity index was higher in the upper half of the tree. The mean foraging rates for the 6 most commonly observed species ranged from 1.2-2.3 fruits/min. A total of 346 aggressive interactions was observed of which 68% were intraspecific.

Recommended Citation

Jackson, J. L. II and Kannan, Ragupathy (2018) "Avian Frugivory in a Fruiting Mulberry Tree (Morus rubra) in Arkansas," Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 72, Article 10.
https://doi.org/10.54119/jaas.2018.7219
Available at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol72/iss1/10

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