Megafaunal fruits dataset. This is the page for the FRUBASE database, a huge dataset of fleshy fruit traits compiled from bibliographic references and my own work. Data are provided for more than 1000 plant species from all around the world.
Please, e-mail me ( ) if you are interested in getting additional details. Or write to the postal address:
Megafaunal fruits dataset. 
Brief
description of FRUBASE VERSION 4.0. DECEMBER 2007. This is the new FRUBASE_2008 version.
THE FRUBASE PACKAGE ACCOMPANIES:
Jordano, P. 1995. Angiosperm fleshy fruits and seed dispersers: a comparative
analysis of adaptation and constraints in plant-animal interactions. American
Naturalist 145: 163-191.
It contains a copy of the main data file used for this paper, as
well as other accompanying files (see below).
Taxonomic arrangement follows:
Nomenclature and taxonomic arrangement follows Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 8, June 2007. http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/. This scheme follows: A.P.G. [= Angiosperm Phylogeny Group] II. 2003. An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II. Bot. J. Linnean Soc. 141: 399-436.
Plant names and names of higher taxonomic categories have been checked with:
Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book. A portable dictionary of the higher
plants. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Please, contact me if you have suggestions, find errors, inconsistencies, orany
other bug in the file. As well, please let me know about your uses of this data
and send manuscripts and reprints when available. I´ll be happy to help
you in any case, as far as I can.
I am periodically updating this data base since I started writing my PhD thesis
more than 10 years ago. Thus, I´d like to receive suggestions for new
data sources and provide updated versions to those interested.
Please, use these data files for peaceful purposes, enjoy doing science with
them as I have enjoyed writing the paper quoted above, and learn as much as
you can with them. They are the result of splendid work by many people working
with plant-frugivore interactions and are embedded in papers reporting very
interesting results, descriptions and discussions on these interactions; please
read them.
CONTENTS
All files are plain ASCII text files, with the exception of SUMMARY and FRUWK1.
Those with data have TABs as their field delimiters so they can be readily imported
in any statistical package or spreadsheet program. The FRUWK1 is readily imported
by any spreadsheet application. Please, contact me if you need the files formatted
in other ways (e.g., my original SAS datasets, or EXCEL worksheets).
1. README - This file. Including
a description of the variables and a listing of the literature sources with
the numeric codes.
2. FRUBASE_2008 - The data file itself. Missing data are indicated by dots (.). The
file is .xls format and has a header line with variable names as in the list
below. The file is sorted by FAMILY, GENUS, and SPECIES names, in ascending
order.
3. FRUBASE_2008.zip - The archives, compressed.
Variable
names and descriptions in FRUBASE
CL Class
SCL SubClass
ORD Order
FAM Family
GEN Genus
SP Species
REF Reference number - This is my maintenance code for updates.
NEWREF New Reference number - These are the refs numbers in the files REFS and
SUMMARY.
FAMLAB Family Label - An 8-character label for family.
GENLAB Genus Label - An 8-character label for genus.
SPLAB Species Label - An 8-character label for species.
COD Species code - A 5-character code for the species.
DISPCAT Disperser type category - BIRDS, MIXED, MAMMALS.
DISP Disperser type - Finer categorization. Not yet completed. Needs revision.
AREA Geographic area - Major geographic areas of the data sources.
MEurope: Mediterranean Europe (also includes Israel and Morocco.
NEurope: Temperate and Northern Europe.
NAmerica: North America, excl. Southern Mexico.
NTAmerica: Neotropical America, incl. Southern Mexico.
Africa: Africa, south of Sahara.
Australasia: Australia, Malaysia, New Guinea, and whole SouthEast Asia.
FRUIT Fruit type - Type of fruit. Not completed yet. Needs revision.
LENG Fruit length (mm)
DIAM Fruit diameter (mm)
FRFM Fruit fresh mass (g)
PDM Dry mass of pulp per fruit (g)
SDM Dry mass of seed(s) per fruit (g)
SEEDS Number of seeds per fruit
SEEDM Seed dry mass (g)
RY Relative yield of pulp (PDM/FRFM*100)
KJG Specific energy content of pulp (kJ/g)
KJFR Total energy content per fruit (kJ)
PCW Percent water content of fruit
LIP Proportion of lipids (per g dry pulp)
PRO Proportion of protein (per g dry pulp)
NSC Proportion of non-structural carbohydrates (per g dry pulp)
ASH Proportion of minerals (per g dry pulp)
FIB Proportion of acid-detergent fiber (per g dry pulp)
REFERENCE
LIST.
This is the literature list for references of data in the main FRUBASE data
file. The number corresponds to the codes included in variable NEWREF of the
data file.
1. Abrahamson, W.G. and C.R. Abrahamson. 1989. Nutritional quality of animal
dispersed fruits in Florida sandridge habitats. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 116:
215-228.
2. Atramentowicz, M. 1988. La frugivorie opportuniste de trois marsupiaux didelphides
de Guyane. Rev. Ecol. (Terre Vie) 43: 47-57.
3. Beehler, B. 1983. Frugivory and polygamy in birds of paradise. Auk 100: 1-12.
4. Crome, F.H.J. 1975. The ecology of fruit pigeons in tropical Northern Queensland.
Aust. Wildl. Res. 2: 155-185.
5. Debussche, M., J. Cortez and I. Rimbault. 1987. Variation in fleshy fruit
composition in the mediterranean region: the importance of ripening season,
life-form, fruit type, and geographical distribution. Oikos 49: 244-252.
6. Denslow, J.S. 1987. Fruit removal rates from aggregated and isolated bushes
of the red elderberry, Sambucus pubens. Can. J. Bot. 65: 1229-1235.
7. Dinerstein, E. 1986. Reproductive ecology of fruit bats and the seasonality
of fruit production in a Costa Rican cloud forest. Biotropica 18: 307-318.
8. Dowsett-Lemaire, F. 1988. Fruit choice and seed dissemination by birds and
mammals in the evergreen forests of Upland Malawi. Rev. Ecol. (Terre Vie) 43:
251-286.
9. Erard, C., M. Thery and D. Sabatier. 1989. Regime alimentaire de Rupicola
rupicola (Cotingidae) en Guyane française. Relations avec la frugivorie
et lazoochorie. Rev. Ecol. (Terre Vie) 44: 47-74.
10. Eriksson, O. and J. Ehrlen. 1991. Phenological variation in fruit characteristics
in vertebrate-dispersed plants. Oecologia 86: 463-470.
11. Estrada, A., R. Coates-Estrada and C. Vazquez-Yanes. 1984. Observations
on fruiting and dispersers of Cecropia obtusifolia at Los Tuxtlas, Mexico.
Biotropica 16: 315-318.
12. Foster, M.S. 1977. Ecological and nutritional effects of food scarcity on
a tropical frugivorous bird and its fruit source. Ecology 58: 73-85.
13. Foster, M.S. and R.W. McDiarmid. 1983. Nutritional value of the aril of
Trichilia cuneata, a bird-dispersed fruit. Biotropica 15: 26-31.
14. French, K. 1991. Characteristics and abundance of vertebrate-dispersed fruits
in temperate wet sclerophyll forest in southeastern Australia. Australian Journal
of Ecology 16: 1-13.
15. Frost, P.G.H. 1980. Fruit-frugivore interactions in a South African coastal
dune forest. pp.: 1179-1184 in Editor. Acta XVII Cong. Int. Orn.
16. Godschalk, S.K.B. 1983. A biochemical analysis of the fruit of Tapinanthus
leendertziae. S. Afr. J. Bot. 2: 42-45.
17. Herrera, C.M. 1987. Vertebrate-dispersed plants of the iberian peninsula:
a study of fruit characteristics. Ecol. Monogr. 57: 305-331.
18. Hladik, A. and C.M. Hladik. 1969. Rapports trophiques entre végetation
et primates dans la fôret de Barro Colorado (Panama). Terre Vie 23: 25-117.
19. Howe, H.F. 1981. Dispersal of neotropical nutmeg (Virola sebifera) by birds.
Auk 98: 88-98.
20. Howe, H.F. and Kerckhove Vande G.A. 1981. Removal of wild nutmeg (Virola
surinamensis) crops by birds. Ecology 62: 1093-1106.
21. Izhaki, I. and U.N. Safriel. 1989. Why are there so few exclusively frugivorous
birds? Experiments on fruit digestibility. Oikos 54: 23-32.
22. Johnson, R.A., M.F. Willson, J.N. Thompson and R.I. Bertin. 1985. Nutritional
values of wild fruits and consumption by migrant frugivorous birds. Ecology
66: 819-827.
23. Jordano, P. 1983. Fig-seed predation and dispersal by birds. Biotropica
15: 38-41.
24. Keeler-Wolf, T. 1988. Fruit and consumer differences in three species of
trees shared by Trinidad and Tobago. Biotropica 20: 38-48.
25. Lambert, F. 1989. Fig-eating by birds in a Malaysian lowland rain forest.
J. Trop. Ecol. 5: 401-412.
26. Levey, D.J. and W.H. Karasov. 1989. Digestive responses of temperate birds
switched to fruit or insect diets. Auk 106: 675-686.
27. McDiarmid, R.W., R.E. Ricklefs and M.S. Foster. 1977. Dispersal of Stemmadennia
donnell-smithii (Apocyanaceae) by birds. Biotropica 9: 9-25.
28. McPherson, J.M. 1987. A field study of winter fruit preferences of Cedar
waxwings. Condor 89: 293-306.
29. Morrison, D.W. 1980. Efficiency of food utilization by fruit bats. Oecologia
(Berl.) 45: 270-273.
30. Nagy, K.A. and K. Milton. 1979. Aspects of dietary quality, nutrient assimilation
and water balance in wild howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata). Oecologia
(Berl.) 39: 249-258.
31. O'Dowd, D.J. and P.S. Lake. 1991. Red crabs in rain forest, Christmas Island:
removal and fate of fruits and seeds. J. Trop. Ecol. 7: 113-122.
32. Pannell, C.M. and M.J. Koziol. 1987. Ecological and phytochemical diversity
of arillate seeds in Aglaia (Meliaceae): a study of vertebrate dispersal
in tropical trees. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 316: 303-333.
33. Piper, J.K. 1986. Seasonality of fruit characters and seed removal by birds.
Oikos 46: 303-310.
34. Restrepo, C. 1987. Aspectos ecológicos de la diseminación
de cinco especies de muérdagos por aves. Humboldtia 1: 65-116.
35. Rogers, M.E., F. Maisels, E.A. Williamson, M. Fernández and C.E.G.
Tutin. 1990. Gorilla diet in the Lopé Reserve, Gabon: a nutritional analysis.
Oecologia (Berl.) 84: 326-339.
36. Sherburne, J.A. 1972. Effects of seasonal changes in the abundance and chemistry
of the fleshy fruits of northeastern woody shrubs on patterns of exploitation
by frugivorous birds. Ph. D. Thesis, Cornell Univ. 157 pp.
37. Snow, B.K. 1977. Territorial behavior and courtship of the male three-wattled
bellbird. Auk 94: 623-645.
38. Snow, B.K. 1979. The oilbirds of Los Tayos. Wilson Bull. 91: 457-461.
39. Snow, D.W. 1962. The natural history of the Oilbird, Steatornis caripensis,
in Trinidad, W.I. Part 2. Population, breeding ecology and food. Zoologica 47:
199-221.
40. Snow, D.W. 1981. Tropical frugivorous birds and their food plants: a world
survey. Biotropica 13: 1-14.
41. Sourd, C. and A. Gauthier-Hion. 1986. Fruit selection by a forest guenon.
J. Anim. Ecol. 55: 235-244.
42. Thomas, D.W. 1984. Fruit intake and energy budgets of frugivorous bats.
Physiol. Zool. 57: 457-467.
43. Viljoen, S. 1983. Feeding habits and comparative feeding rates of three
Southern African arboreal squirrels. S. Afr. J. Zool. 18: 378-387.
44. Walsberg, G.E. 1975. Digestive adaptations of Phainopepla nitens
associated with the eating of mistletoe berries. Condor 77: 169-174.
45. Wheelwright, N.T., W.A. Haber, K.G. Murray and C. Guindon. 1984. Tropical
fruit-eating birds and their food plants: a survey of a Costa Rican lower montane
forest. Biotropica 16: 173-192.
46. White, S.C. 1974. Ecological aspects of growth and nutrition in tropical
fruit-eating birds. Ph. D. Thesis, Univ. of Pennsylvania. 145 pp.
47. Williams, C.K. 1982. Nutritional properties of some fruits eaten by the
possum Trichosurus vulpecula in a new zealand broadleaf-podocarp forest.
New Zealand J. Ecol. 5: 16-20.
48. Worthington, A.H. 1989. Adaptations for avian frugivory: assimilation efficiency
and gut transit time of Manacus vitellinus and Pipra mentalis. Oecologia
(Berl.) 80: 381-389.
49. Herrera, C.M. and P. Jordano, unpublished data.
Contact me at:
Pedro Jordano
Departamento de Biología Evolutiva
Estación Biologica de Donana, CSIC
Pabellón del Peru, Avda. M. Luisa, S/N
41013 Sevilla, Spain
Phone: +34 5 4232340 ext 213 (voice)
+34 5 4621125 (fax)
+34 5 4270463 (home, voice)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This data base is the result of many hours of work compiling names and numbers
from a very sparse literature. I've benefited from the help of Myriam Márquez,
who aided carefully with data checking several times. Carlos M. Herrera helped
with unpublished data and by providing literature sources; his advice and comments
were always invaluable. F.H.J. Crome also provided his original data just at
the start of this project. Comments and advice from Paulo R. Guimarães Jr., Mauro Galetti, H. Martin Schaefer and Alfredo Valido were very helpful for the 2008 version. Computer time and facilities were kindly provided
by the Centro de Informatica Cientifica de Andalucia. Financial support was
from the Spanish Direccion General de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnica, projects
PB-87-0452 and PB-91-0114.
version 1.- 16 April 1983.
Only 219 species.
version 1.5 - 23 December 1991. Added many species with information on fruit
size only and completed the literature survey up to 1991.
version 1.9 - 4 May 1994. Prepared the first version of this package. Recoding
of the reference numbers to accomodate the inclusion of the appendix.
version 2.0 - 12 January 1995. Added the SUMMARY file and minor changes to this
file.
version 2.5 - 8 July 2001. First draft of the web page.
version 3.0 - A major update to the dataset, adding new variables such as fruit color, growth habit, etc. Major addition of species. Started revision 12 Feb 2003.
version 4.0 - A major update to the dataset, with revision of the taxonomic arrangement according to: Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 8, June 2007. http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/. This scheme follows: A.P.G. [= Angiosperm Phylogeny Group] II. 2003. An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II. Bot. J. Linnean Soc. 141: 399-436.
Revision completed 25 November 2007.
Best wishes, and happy computing!
pedro
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FRUBASE- The data file itself. Missing data are indicated by dots (.). The file is in .xls format, with a header line with variable names as in the list below. The file is sorted by FAMILY, GENUS, and SPECIES names, in ascending order. README- a
description of the variables and a listing of the literature sources
with the numeric codes. |
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