This ppt gives the glimpse of how the birds helps in afforestation.

1. BIRDS AND
PLANTS
REGENERATION
By
Laxmi D. Singh
M.Sc.Environmental
Science

2. AIM
To study the importance of
birds in plant regeneration.
To observe the mutualistic
interactions between birds
and the trees.

3. Land as a resource is limited. It can’t
be created nor be replaced.
Disturbance in the equilibrium of
ecosystems by cutting of trees has
resulted in the serious problem of
land degradation and
desertification.
This project draw attention to the role
the birds play in the natural process
of regeneration, and the contribution
they make towards the sustained
productivity of our diverse
ecosystem.
INTRODUCTION

4. SEED DISPERSAL MUTUALISMS
birds disperse seeds
via defecation.
birds benefit from
fruit
that surrounds seed.
Plants benefit by
having seeds moved to
favorable
germination sites.

5. The Bird-Plant Inter-
Relationship
Extinction Of Dodo Threatens Calvaria Tree

6. SEED DISPERSAL
Plants have evolved several different
mechanisms of seed dispersal to achieve
dispersal from the mother plant
including:
Anemochory (Wind-Dispersed),
Hydrochory (Water Dispersed)
Barochory (Gravity-Dispersed),
Autochory (Self-Dispersal By Explosion),
Zoochory (Animal-Dispersed).

7. Zoochory may be further divided
into two categories:
exozoochory where the seeds are
physically attached to the outside of the
animal’s body.
endozoochory where the seeds are
inside the animal’s body.

8. Birds mainly perform two
function:
Pollination
Seed
dispersion

9. POLLINATION
By Nectarinivores
While pollination their body parts comes in
contact with the pollen which they carry along
with them.
Type of dispersion called as exozoochory.

10. SEED DISPERSION
BY FRUGIVORES:
• the seed is passed through the entire
digestive tract and then voided with the
feaces
• some fruits are often regurgitated
• the feeding behaviour
BY INSECTIVORES: mimesis

11. (from left to right:
berries of mistletoe, The sticky seed of the
mistletoe on a branch, Mistletoe in an apple
tree)

12. THE SEED DISPERSAL CYCLE

13. BIRDS ADAPTATION FOR TREES
•specially adapted brushy tongues and in
many cases bills designed to fit co-adapted
flowers.
•The bills are basically modified according
to the food they eat.

14. TREES ADAPTATION FOR BIRD
• Plants adapt themselves to suit the natural
attraction for bright colours.
• Bird flowers’ are usually unscented .
Erythrina sp. Bahunia purpurea
Hence both the plants as well as birds have co-
evolved to adapt each other.

15. THE ROLE OF BIRDS IN ECOLOGICAL
SUCCESSION

16. EXPERIMENT
PERFORMED

17. DIFFERENT BIRDS LIKE WHITE EYE, INDIAN KOEL
COMMON MYNA, AND ROCK PIGEON SEEN FEEDING
AFTER 1 MONTH
THE TREE UNDER
OBSERVATION
THEIR DROPPINGS WERE
COLLECTED AND DRIED, AS TEST
FRUIT OF THE SAME
TREE COLLECTED, AS
CONTROL
AFTER 2 MONTH

18. OBSERVATION
Seed ingestion
generally increases
substantially
germinability and
germination rate.
Birds have
developed
physiological
adaptation to
speedup the digestive process and rapidly empty their gut load.
Seed size also influences gut effect. Larger seeds are more likely
to withstand the gut treatment than smaller seeds.

19. BIRDS IN ACTION

20. Syzygium cumini Samanea saman Ficus
religiosa
Azadirachta indica Ficus benghalensis Saraca asoca
TREES PROPAGATED BY BIRDS

21. Ficus racemosa Bombax malabaricum Moringa oleifera
Michelia champaka Delonix regia
.
Butea monosperma

22. Coppersmith Barbet Grey Hornbill Indian Koel Parakeet
Red -Vented Bulbul Common Myna Golden Oriole Sunbird
BIRDS AS AFFORESTATOR

23. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Birds are agents for afforestation. They
help in pollination as well as seed
dispersal.
Pollination help in development of new
variety of seeds by cross pollination.
Plants with small-seeded fleshy fruits are
dispersed by a very diverse assemblage of
birds.
Birds due to mobility prove to be good seed
dispersal and pollinator.
Habitat loss can directly impact birds.

24. THANK YOU