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The Brazil nut tree, Bertholletia excels (n = 17), is native to tropical rain forests of South America. It is a hardwood tree that can grow to over 50 meters tall, a source of high-quality lumber, and a favorite nesting site for harpy eagles. As the rainy season ends, tough-walled fruits, each containing 8-25 seeds (Brazil nuts), fall to the forest floor. Brazil nuts are composed primarily of endosperm. About $50 million worth of nuts are harvested each year. Scientists have discovered that the pale yellow flowers of Brazil nut trees cannot fertilize themselves and admit only female orchid bees as pollinators. The agouti (Dasyprocta spp.), a cat-sized rodent, is the only animal with teeth strong enough to crack the hard wall of Brazil nut fruits. It typically eats some of the seeds, buries others, and leaves still others inside the fruit, which moisture can then enter and allow the remaining seeds to germinate.
Predict the most likely outcome to the population of Brazil nut trees if a disease decimated the agouti population.

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The agouti is the primary disperser of Brazil nut seeds, and if its population were decimated, it would reduce the ability of the nut tree to reproduce. Although some seeds might still be dispersed through other means, such as water or other animals, the overall population of new seedlings would likely decrease over time, leading eventually to a decline in the overall population of mature trees.

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