Data from: The insect-focused classification of fruit syndromes in tropical rainforests: an inter-continental comparison

We propose a new classification of rainforest plants into eight fruit syndromes, based on fruit morphology and other traits relevant to fruit-feeding insects. This classification is compared with other systems based on plant morphology or traits relevant to vertebrate fruit dispersers. Our syndromes are based on fruits sampled from 1,192 plant species at three Forest Global Earth Observatory plots: Barro Colorado Island (Panama), Khao Chong (Thailand) and Wanang (Papua New Guinea). The three plots differed widely in fruit syndrome composition. Plant species with fleshy, indehiscent fruits containing multiple seeds were important at all three sites. However, in Panama a high proportion of species had dry fruits, while in New Guinea and Thailand, species with fleshy drupes and thin mesocarps were dominant. Species with dry, winged seeds that do not develop as capsules were important in Thailand, reflecting the local importance of Dipterocarpaceae. These differences can also determine differences among frugivorous insect communities. Fruit syndromes and colours were phylogenetically flexible traits at the scale studied, as only three of the eight seed syndromes, and one of the 10 colours, showed significant phylogenetic clustering at either genus or family levels. Plant phylogeny was, however, the most important factor explaining differences in overall fruit syndrome composition among individual plant families or genera across the three study sites.

我们提出了一种新的雨林植物果实综合征（fruit syndrome）分类方案，将其划分为8类，该方案基于果实形态学及与食果昆虫相关的其他性状。本分类方案与其他基于植物形态学或与脊椎动物果实传播者相关性状的分类体系进行了对比。本综合征分类的果实样本采自3个森林全球地球观测站（Forest Global Earth Observatory）样地的1192种植物物种，这三个样地分别为巴拿马的巴罗科罗拉多岛、泰国的考冲站以及巴布亚新几内亚的瓦南样地。三个样地的果实综合征组成差异显著。在所有三个样地中，具肉质、不开裂且含多粒种子果实的植物物种均占重要地位。但巴拿马样地中高比例物种具干燥果实；而在新几内亚与泰国样地，具肉质核果（drupe）且中果皮（mesocarp）较薄的物种占据优势。泰国样地中，具非蒴果发育而来的干燥带翅种子的物种占据重要地位，这反映了当地龙脑香科（Dipterocarpaceae）植物的重要性。这些果实特征差异同样会导致食果昆虫群落间的组成差异。在所研究的尺度下，果实综合征与果实颜色均为系统发育可塑性性状：8种果实综合征中仅3种、10种果实颜色中仅1种在属或科水平上呈现显著的系统发育聚集。不过，植物系统发育仍是解释三个研究样地中不同植物科或属间整体果实综合征组成差异的最关键因素。