Why are fruits colorful? The relative importance of achromatic and chromatic contrasts for detection by birds

Página do item simplificado
dc.contributor.authorCazetta, Eliana [UNESP]
dc.contributor.authorSchaefer, Hinrich Martin
dc.contributor.authorGaletti, Mauro [UNESP]
dc.contributor.institutionUniversidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
dc.contributor.institutionUniv Freiburg
dc.date.accessioned2013-09-30T18:48:30Z
dc.date.accessioned2014-05-20T13:57:42Z
dc.date.available2013-09-30T18:48:30Z
dc.date.available2014-05-20T13:57:42Z
dc.date.issued2009-03-01
dc.description.abstractThe colors of fruits and flowers are traditionally viewed as an adaptation to increase the detectability of plant organs to animal vectors. The detectability of visual signals increases with increasing contrasts between target and background. Contrasts consist of a chromatic aspect (color) and an achromatic aspect (light intensity), which are perceived separately by animals. To evaluate the relative importance of fruits' chromatic and achromatic contrasts for the detection by avian fruit consumers we conducted an experiment with artificial fruits of four different colors in a tropical forest. We displayed the fruits against two different backgrounds, an artificial background and a natural one, because they differed in achromatic properties. We found no effect of the type of background on fruit detection rates. Detection rates differed for the four fruit colors. The probability of detection was explained by the chromatic contrast between fruits and their background, not by the achromatic contrasts. We suggest that birds attend primarily to chromatic contrast probably because these are more reliably detected under variable light conditions. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found habitat-specific differences in the conspicuousness of natural fruit colors in the study area. Fruits of understory species that are subjected to the variable light conditions within a forest displayed higher chromatic contrasts than species growing in the open restinga forest with constant bright illumination. There was no such difference for achromatic contrasts. In sum, we suggest that fruit colors differ between habitats because fruit colors that have strong chromatic contrasts against background can increase plants' reproductive success, particularly under variable light conditions.en
dc.description.affiliationUniv Estadual Paulista UNESP, Dept Ecol, Plant Phenol & Seed Dispersal Res Grp, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
dc.description.affiliationUniv Freiburg, Fac Biol, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
dc.description.affiliationUnespUniv Estadual Paulista UNESP, Dept Ecol, Plant Phenol & Seed Dispersal Res Grp, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
dc.description.sponsorshipFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)
dc.description.sponsorshipConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
dc.description.sponsorshipDeutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
dc.description.sponsorshipIdFAPESP: 05/52726-9
dc.description.sponsorshipIdFAPESP: 03/08447-2
dc.description.sponsorshipIdDFG: Scha 1008/4-1
dc.format.extent233-244
dc.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10682-007-9217-1
dc.identifier.citationEvolutionary Ecology. Dordrecht: Springer, v. 23, n. 2, p. 233-244, 2009.
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s10682-007-9217-1
dc.identifier.issn0269-7653
dc.identifier.lattes3431375174670630
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11449/20566
dc.identifier.wosWOS:000263362600005
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherSpringer
dc.relation.ispartofEvolutionary Ecology
dc.relation.ispartofjcr2.133
dc.relation.ispartofsjr1,117
dc.rights.accessRightsAcesso restrito
dc.sourceWeb of Science
dc.subjectAtlantic foresten
dc.subjectEye modelen
dc.subjectFrugivoryen
dc.subjectPlant-animal interactionen
dc.subjectSignalen
dc.titleWhy are fruits colorful? The relative importance of achromatic and chromatic contrasts for detection by birdsen
dc.typeArtigo
dcterms.licensehttp://www.springer.com/open+access/authors+rights?SGWID=0-176704-12-683201-0
dcterms.rightsHolderSpringer
unesp.author.lattes3431375174670630
unesp.author.orcid0000-0002-2209-2554[1]
unesp.campusUniversidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Instituto de Biociências, Rio Claropt

Arquivos

Licença do Pacote
Agora exibindo 1 - 2 de 2
Nenhuma Miniatura disponível
Nome:
license.txt
Tamanho:
1.71 KB
Formato:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Descrição:
Nenhuma Miniatura disponível
Nome:
license.txt
Tamanho:
1.71 KB
Formato:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Descrição:

Coleções

Artigos - Ecologia - IBRC