WASHINGTON, DC — Monkeys and apes play a crucial role in dispersing the seeds of fruit trees in tropical forests. But across the tropics, habitat loss and hunting are decimating local primate populations, and may be putting many tree species at risk.

How a plant spreads its seeds – and how far – are key to its survival. Some species rely on wind or water to disperse their seeds, but for trees in the tropics, animals often play a critical role. Primates in particular are one of the most important seed dispersers in tropical forests.

Kathryn Stoner is a research ecologist at the National University of Mexico. She has been studying how certain monkeys contribute to seed dispersal in a tropical forest in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas.

“They’ll eat a fruit,” says Stoner, “then they move. They can move up to kilometers sometimes, seven or eight hours later before they actually defecate the seed.” Wherever the seed falls, it will germinate and grow to an adult tree. (more…)