Fascinating Article on Tree Loss Related to Animal Extinction

[mrtree]

Attached is an article concerning the loss of large bodied animals in Madagascar and the relationship to loss of seed dispersal (and processing) that may lead to tree extinction.

http://www.kew.org/discover/blogs/kew-science/madagascars-orphans-extinction

There are a couple of fascinating points included in this article. I remember very similar results being found on islands where the elephant bird lived. Also of great interest is the illustration of fruit using a Strychnos species. The well known Strychnos nux-vomica is the (original) source of strychnine and curare is also found in another species. I remember seeing workers at the Lancetilla Botanical Gardens in Honduras picking the fruit from Strychnos nux-vomica to prevent toucans from eating them and dying.

 

[guymayor]

Is that why osage orange trees stopped spreading?

Thinking about the effects of extinct species on tree evolution is thinking in tree time! Trees evolved to withstand regular reduction by large creatures that grazed upon them, as well as storms, etc. The misconception that reducing trees is not as proper as amputating limbs at the collar or according to some mathematical ratio could be dispelled by considering that long-term view.

 

[RopeShield]

Food for thought.
Loss of tribes = loss of tree species.
Castanea dentata, ulmus american, juglans cinerea80% etc all I believe related to the loss of specific tribes within the six nations.
It's all connected down to smallest nothing up to the grandest everything.

 

[mrtree]

Natives of North Eastern North America were most certainly responsible for the movement of tree species.

This article talks about some interesting native mitigated movement and stand level diversity.

Native Americans as active and passive promoters of mast and fruit trees in the eastern USA The Holocene November 2008 18: 1123-1137,

Within the region of the six nations species range that are clearly related to natives are: Shagbark and Shellbark Hickory, and Pawpaw,