Frugivory by Small Vertebrates Within a Deforested, Dry Tropical Region of Central America

Small vertebrates were inventoried within three habitat types in a degraded dry forest region of Panama. Animals were classified as frugivorous if they were observed foraging on fruit or if fecal samples contained mostly or exclusively seeds. Overall, we found that eight bat species and 21 bird species consumed fruit. The greatest numbers of birds were observed within live fences and bird species richness was greatest within riparian forests. Bat assemblages were not significantly different between habitats. The implication is that ecosystem services such as seed dispersal may still be functional in this landscape. Abstract in Spanish is available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/btp.in Spanish is available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/btp.