Eastern Himalaya

Plant-disperser mutualistic networks

This project aims to understand the relative importance of hornbills and other frugivores as seed dispersers for tree species across a gradient of seed sizes and fruit types using the network approach.

Great Hornbill. Picture by Malyasri Bhattacharya/Eastern Himalaya Program
Rufous-necked Hornbill with a Lauraceae fruit! Painting by Sartaj Ghuman
A sample of seeds that are dispersed by hornbills in Pakke
Arillate dehiscent capsular fruit of Chisocheton cumingianus whose seeds are dispersed widely by hornbills
Hornbills are often driven locally extinct by high hunting pressures for their meat and other body parts!
Our understanding of the impacts of hornbill loss on plants is limited! A freshly shot Rufous-necked Hornbill.
Great Hornbill regurgitating seed of Horsfieldia kingii
Small-seeded fruits of Ilex which are eaten by hornbills
Great Hornbill feeding on arillate fruit of Dysoxylum binectariferum. Picture by Aakanksha Rathore/Eastern Himalaya Program

Coming soon.

Also Read: Understanding impacts of hornbill loss on plants.

Also Read: Large frugivores matter: insights from network and seed dispersal effectiveness approaches