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Carapa Diversity, Seed Dispersal and Evolution
The trees that belong to the genus Carapa Aublet in the mahogany family (Meliaceae) are known as Carapa in French Guiana, Crabwood in Guyana (Photo), Andiroba in Brazil, Touloucouna and Kobi in Western Africa. This pantropical genus consists of small to large trees that grows in various habitats, from the littoral swamps and inundated forests to lowland, highland and mountain forest, up to 2200-2400 in Cameroun and Nigeria, to Rwanda, for instance. Until recently, only three species were recognized in the neotropics (C. guianensis, C. megistocarpa and C. procera), and two in the paleotropics (C. procera and C. grandiflora). The recent discovery of a new species in Guyana (Forget et al. 2009) and the recent systematic revision of Carapa (Kenfack submitted) open a new field of investigations for ecologists and evolutionary biologists. Given that Meliaceae are know to have dispersed 'out-of-Africa' questions thus remains on their dispersal between continents Via Europe and North America, and/or the across Atlantic ocean, and how they radiated and adapted to their new habitats lacking their original disperser fauna. This program aims at analysing the within- and between-species diversity and ecology of the genus Carapa across a gradient of habitats, and across tropical continents.
Collaborators and graduate students: David Kenfack (CTFS-SIGEO), Alexandra Muellner (Goethe Univ.), Hazel Chapman (Univ. Canterbury), Beth Kaplin (Univ. Antioch), Oliver Hardy and Jérôme Duminil (Univ Bruxelles), Aisha Nyiramana (MNHN) and Babale Aliyu (Gombe State Univ.).
Recent publications: Forget, P.-M., Poncy, O., Thomas, R., Hammond, D.S. & David Kenfack. 2008. A new species of Carapa (Meliaceae) from Central Guyana. Brittonia 61(4) 366-374. pdf
Rain Forest Phenology, Seed Fate and Climate Change
Periodic life-cycle events of organisms, i.e. phenology, are extremely sensitive to inter-annual variations in climatic conditions. Changes in plant phenology may affect seed dispersal patterns, given that predators of seeds (Photo) and dispersers may be satiated or starved by abundant/scarce seed crops respectively. Nevertheless, in tropical forests, the interactions between climatic variability, fruit production and seed dispersal are more complex and unknown. The objective of this study is to understand whether inter-annual climatic events (such El Niño/La Niña) affect seed dispersal thanks to the increase of fruit and seed production. We have undertaken a survey of plant phenology in the pristine Amazonian forest of Nouragues (French Guiana). Since February 2001, we have censused and analysed fruit and seed rain collected in 160 traps. Our results show an influence of climatic indices such as the Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) on seed and fruit production, being the two El Niño events of the 2001-2009 series preceded by an increase of the crop production. However, this general pattern was highly variable between species. Following the Janzen Satiation Hypothesis, increased seed crops may satiate seed predators and thus, increase the possibilities of seed dispersal by frugivorous species. However, high crop productions may also satiate frugivorous animals. Although many questions remain open, our results already show the influence of large climatic variation on fruit phenology and point out the consequences for seed dispersal in tropical forests. Another facet of the program is to compare fruit phenology and seed fate across countries within tropical America, and across the tropics.
Collaborators : Irene Mendoza (MNHN-Fundacion Caja madrid), Joe Wright (STRI), Jérôme Chave (CNRS). Patrick Chatelet (CNRS), Adeline Caubère (CNRS) & Isabelle Hardy (CNRS).
Recent publications: Forget, P.-M., D. Hammond, T. Milleron & R. Thomas. 2002. Seasonality of fruiting and food hoarding by rodents in Neotropical forests: consequences for seed dispersal and seedling recruitment. In Levey, D.J., Silva, W.R. and Galetti, M. (Eds), Seed dispersal and frugivory: ecology, evolution and conservation. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK, pp. 241-253. pdf
The Effect of Anthropogenic Pressures on Seed Dispersal and Recruitment of Tropical Trees
One major cause of biodiversity loss in tropical forests is hunting, and poaching in National Parks and Reserves, especially. Given that a majority of plants produce fruit and seeds that are consumed and dispersed by frugivores, respectively, it is obvious that lacking such a diverse fauna may have some detrimental effects of tree recruitment. We are interested to measure the impact of hunting on seed dispersal and predation by either vertebrates or invertebrates in various species whose seeds illustrate a gradient of seeds size and frugivores body mass. Our studies are carried out in America and in Africa, and we work with several model of trees whose seeds are either dispersed by arboreal and flying frugivores in the neotropics (e.g. Virola spp, Myristicaceae, Manilkara spp. Sapotaceae) or large, ground-dwelling granivores-herbivores such as elephants and/or rodents (photo) in both continents (Carapa spp. Meliaceae). Most of these plants have an economical value as a source of wood and/or Non-Timber Forest products.
Collaborators and graduate students: Patrick Jansen (CTFS-SIGEO) Hadrien Vanthomme (SCBI), Olivier Boissier (MNHN-Univ Paris 6).
Recent publications: Forget, P.-M., Dennis, A.J., Jansen, P.A., Kitamura, S., Lambert, J.E., Mazer, S.J. & Westcott, D.A. 2007 Relation between seed allometry and frugivore size in tropical rain forests : a cross-continental comparison. Pages 5-36. In Seed dispersal: theory and its application in a changing world edited by A. J. Dennis, R. A. Green, E. W. Schupp and D. A. Westcott. pdf + Appendix I et Appendix II (pp 628-652).
Forget, P.-M. & P.A. Jansen. 2007. Hunting increases dispersal limitation in the tree Carapa procera, a Nontimber forest product. Conservation Biology 21, 106-113. [pdf]
Forget, P.-M. & Cuijpers, L. 2008. Survival and scatterhoarding of frugivores-dispersed seeds as a function of forest disturbance. Biotropica, 40: 380-385. [pdf]
Lermyte C, Forget P-M - 2009. Rapid assessment of dispersal failure and seedling recruitment of large-seeded non-timber forest products trees in a tropical rainforest. Tropical Conservation Science 2(4) 404-424.
Vanthomme, H., Belle, B. & Forget, P.-M. 2010. Bushmeat hunting alters recruitment of large-seeded plant species in Central Africa. Biotropica 42:672-679. [pdf]
Carapa oil, e-Market and Organic Cotton
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In both the Amazon and Western Africa, Carapa trees are a valuable source of Non-Timber Forest Product such as natural oil that is extracted from seeds gathered by indigenous into the forest, or along rivers. Carapa oil (mostlmy known as Andiroba) is known for its medicinal properties, especially as a repellent against mosquitos and other biting insects, and to cure skin desease. It is also an ingredient of many cosmetic products such as skin cream, shampoo, conditioner, soaps. Because of these qualities, an important e-market developed, sellers mostly proposing Andiroba (C. guianensis) oil from the Brazilian Amazon. Most recently, though initially sold on local market and villages, sellers now propose natural oil and cosmetics made out of carapa (C. procera) oil originating from seeds gathered in Western African rainforests (Photo). In both continents, however, unsustainable harvesting of seeds along with hunting of seed dispersers, deforestation, habitat loss, forest fragmentation and degradation, may effect seedling recruitment and rapidly endanger tree stand regeneration, thus long-term seed crop and oil. production. Additionnally, there is currently not valid species certification, no label that the produced Carapa oil has been produced in an equitable manner, or that the product respect the environment. Our goal is to analyse how Carapa oil is produced and used across its range, and to compare oil chemistry between species and continents. As an alternative to deforestation and habitat loss, our goal is also to encourage the plantation of Carapa trees in order to stock carbon and to produce seeds, and to promote the use of Carapa oil as insecticid in the plantation of organic cotton. Carapa trees therefore offer important ecosystem services to human population as preventing them from being polluted with manufactured chemical products, and may be a source of income when considered to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD).
Collaborators : Marit Kolb (Inst. Ökologische und Nachhaltige Chemie), Mathieu Gueye (IFAN), Philippe Birnbaum (CIRAD), Natalie Weber (Ulm Univ.)
Recent publications: Gueye, M., Kenfack, D., Forget P.-M. 2009. Importance socio-culturelle, potentialités économiques et thérapeutiques du Carapa (Meliaceae) au Sénégal. Pages 357-366 In Systematics and conservation of African plants. Royal Botanic Garden, Kew edited by X. van der Burgt, J. van der Maese & J.-M (eds). pdf
Weber, N., Birnbaum, P., Forget P.-M., Gueye, M. & Kenfack, D. 2010. L’huile de carapa (Carapa spp., Meliaceae) en Afrique de l’Ouest : utilisations et implications dans la conservation des peuplements naturels. FRUITS 65 : 343-354. Abstract