Avian Frugivores Behaviour and Seed Dusoersal of Prunus mahaleb Invading Natural Grasslands from Southern Pampas, Argentina

MORALES, J.M.; AMODEO, M.R.; ZALBA, S.M.

Porto

Workshop; Modelling Landscape invasion by Non-Native trees: Challenges and Applications Training School of COST Action FP1403 NNEXT; 2017

Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), Aveiro, Portugal

Prunus mahaleb (Saint Lucie?s cherry) is a fleshy-fruited small tree, native to Eurasia, that has been extensively used asa rootstock species for commercial orchard trees. It has been widely introduced in several countries, becoming invasivein many regions. This study was carried out at the Ernesto Tornquist Provincial Park (ETPP), which includes remnantsof mountain grasslands of high value for biodiversity conservation in the southern Argentine Pampas. Exotic woodyplants, including pines, brooms, acacias and P. mahaleb are invading the area. More than twenty animal species wereregistered contributing to its dispersal: 17 birds, two mammals and a leaf-cutting ant. Here we analyze the behaviourand movement patterns of four bird species that were identified as main contributors to short-distance dispersal.