**4.4 The relative abundance of Ficus species in Africa and the Neotropics**

In order for figs to be a more important source of protein for New World monkeys vis-à-vis catarrhines, it is necessary to demonstrate that figs are abundantly present in the neotropics relative to Old World forests. Fig abundance is especially salient given its asynchronous and unpredictable fruiting phenology (Janzen, 1979). We reviewed a worldwide database of plant species abundance maintained by the Center for Tropical Forest Science of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) as well as our own data and published species abundance data to test the prediction that *Ficus* is more abundant in the neotropics than in Africa. Using the online database maintained by STRI, we counted the number of *Ficus* species and the number of individuals of each species recorded during the most recent census of each forest plot in Africa and in the neotropics for which data are currently available (N=3 African plots and 5 neotropical plots). A search of tree abundance literature uncovered three additional datasets containing information on *Ficus* abundance: one from Budongo Forest Reserve in Uganda (Tweheyo & Babweteera, 2007), one from Agaltepec Island in Mexico (Serio-Silva et al., 2002), and one from Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica (Parr et al., In Press).

In all plots censused by STRI all *Ficus* individuals >10cm diameter at breast height (DBH) were recorded. In the Budongo Forest Reserve in Uganda all *Ficus* trees >4cm DBH were recorded, and as such abundance data are overestimated. In the Agaltepec Island plot all *Ficus* trees >30cm DBH were recorded, and as such abundance data may be an underestimate. Parr et al. (In Press) recorded all *Ficus* trees >10cm DBH encountered in a transect survey of Sector Santa Rosa, Costa Rica.

Fig species are both more diverse and abundant in the New World relative to the Old World (Table 1). In the African plots *Ficus* species diversity ranges from two to four species per plot (N=70 trees, 114 hectares, 4 plots), with a mean number of 0.73 *Ficus* trees per hectare (range = 0.06 – 2.45). In the neotropical plots *Ficus* species diversity ranges from three to 12 species per plot (N = 458 trees, 145.96 hectares, 7 plots), with a mean number of 3.89 *Ficus* trees per hectare (range = 0.5 – 11.56). While the sample size is inappropriate for a statistical analysis of *Ficus* abundance data, the pattern in the data is clear. Figs are both more speciose and abundant in the neotropical plots relative to the African plots. This pattern holds despite one of the four African plot values representing an abundance overestimate (Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda), and one of the six neotropical plot abundance values representing an underestimate (Agaltepec Island, Mexico). Removing the overestimated abundance data from Budongo Forest Reserve, the *Ficus* abundance in the remaining three African plots never meets or exceeds the abundance of the most *Ficus*-poor neotropical plot (Sherman, Panama, 0.5 individuals per hectare). This dataset supports the prediction of relatively high abundance of neotropical figs relative to African figs that has been noted elsewhere (Gautier-Hion & Michaloud, 1989; Shanahan et al., 2001).
