1
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González-Varo JP, Albrecht J, Arroyo JM, Bueno RS, Burgos T, Escribano-Ávila G, Farwig N, García D, Illera JC, Jordano P, Kurek P, Rösner S, Virgós E, Sutherland WJ. Frugivore-mediated seed dispersal in fragmented landscapes: Compositional and functional turnover from forest to matrix. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2302440120. [PMID: 37871198 PMCID: PMC10622928 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2302440120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal by frugivores is a fundamental function for plant community dynamics in fragmented landscapes, where forest remnants are typically embedded in a matrix of anthropogenic habitats. Frugivores can mediate both connectivity among forest remnants and plant colonization of the matrix. However, it remains poorly understood how frugivore communities change from forest to matrix due to the loss or replacement of species with traits that are less advantageous in open habitats and whether such changes ultimately influence the composition and traits of dispersed plants via species interactions. Here, we close this gap by using a unique dataset of seed-dispersal networks that were sampled in forest patches and adjacent matrix habitats of seven fragmented landscapes across Europe. We found a similar diversity of frugivores, plants, and interactions contributing to seed dispersal in forest and matrix, but a high turnover (replacement) in all these components. The turnover of dispersed seeds was smaller than that of frugivore communities because different frugivore species provided complementary seed dispersal in forest and matrix. Importantly, the turnover involved functional changes toward larger and more mobile frugivores in the matrix, which dispersed taller, larger-seeded plants with later fruiting periods. Our study provides a trait-based understanding of frugivore-mediated seed dispersal through fragmented landscapes, uncovering nonrandom shifts that can have cascading consequences for the composition of regenerating plant communities. Our findings also highlight the importance of forest remnants and frugivore faunas for ecosystem resilience, demonstrating a high potential for passive forest restoration of unmanaged lands in the matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan P. González-Varo
- Departamento de Biología, Instituto de Investigación Vitivinícola y Agroalimentaria, Universidad de Cádiz, Puerto Real11510, Spain
| | - Jörg Albrecht
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main60325, Germany
| | - Juan M. Arroyo
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla41092, Spain
| | - Rafael S. Bueno
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo90128, Italy
| | - Tamara Burgos
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid28933, Spain
| | - Gema Escribano-Ávila
- Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution Department, Complutense University Madrid, Madrid28040, Spain
| | - Nina Farwig
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg35032, Germany
| | - Daniel García
- Biodiversity Research Institute (University of Oviedo – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – Principado de Asturias), Mieres33600, Spain
| | - Juan C. Illera
- Biodiversity Research Institute (University of Oviedo – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – Principado de Asturias), Mieres33600, Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sevilla41092, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla41012, Spain
| | - Przemysław Kurek
- Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Protection, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań61-712, Poland
| | - Sascha Rösner
- Conservation Ecology, Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg35032, Germany
| | - Emilio Virgós
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Madrid28933, Spain
| | - William J. Sutherland
- Conservation Science Group, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3QZ, United Kingdom
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2
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Abundance and trait-matching both shape interaction frequencies between plants and birds in seed-dispersal networks. Basic Appl Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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3
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Wang G, Huang Y, Yao W, Huang Q, Huang Y, Wei L, Zhou Q. Structure and characteristics of the plant-frugivore bird network from the Guilin Botanical Garden. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15028. [PMID: 36945357 PMCID: PMC10024898 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The interaction between plants and frugivores is crucial to ecosystem function and community diversity. However, little is known about the interaction between plants and frugivorous bird species in urban green spaces. We observed interactions between plants and frugivorous birds in the Guilin Botanical Garden for one year and determined the structure and characteristics of the interaction network. We also analyzed the impact of species traits on their network roles. Interactions between 14 frugivorous birds and 13 fruit plant species were recorded in the study area. Autumn interactions comprised 38.79% of the overall network, and winter interactions comprised 33.15%. The modularity (Q, z-score) of the network was higher in autumn; the weighted nestedness (wNODF, z-score) and interaction evenness (E2 , z-score) of the network were higher in winter; the connectance (C, z-score) and interaction diversity (z-score) of the network were higher in spring; and the specialization (H2', z-score) of the network was higher in summer. The observed network showed lower C, lower interaction H2 , lower E2 , lower wNODF, higher H2' and higher Q when compared to the random networks. The bird species most important to network stability were Hemixos castanonotus, Parus venustulus, and Pycnonotus sinensis. The most important plant species were Alocasia macrorrhiza, Cinnamomum camphora, and Machilus nanmu. Of all the bird and plant traits included in this study, only plant color had a significant impact on species strength, with black fruit having a higher species strength. Our results suggest that interaction networks in urban green spaces can be temporally complex and variable and that a network approach can be an important monitoring tool for detecting the status of crucial ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohai Wang
- College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities, Chongzuo, Guangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Yang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Wei Yao
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Qiuchan Huang
- College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities, Chongzuo, Guangxi, China
| | - Yongping Huang
- College of Mathematics, Physics and Electronic Information Engineering, Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities, Chongzuo, Guangxi, China
| | - Lijuan Wei
- College of Mathematics, Physics and Electronic Information Engineering, Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities, Chongzuo, Guangxi, China
| | - Qihai Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
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4
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Differentiation and seasonality in suitable microsites of seed dispersal by an assemblage of omnivorous mammals. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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5
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Rehling F, Schlautmann J, Jaroszewicz B, Schabo DG, Farwig N. Forest degradation limits the complementarity and quality of animal seed dispersal. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220391. [PMID: 35611541 PMCID: PMC9130786 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Forest degradation changes the structural heterogeneity of forests and species communities, with potential consequences for ecosystem functions including seed dispersal by frugivorous animals. While the quantity of seed dispersal may be robust towards forest degradation, changes in the effectiveness of seed dispersal through qualitative changes are poorly understood. Here, we carried out extensive field sampling on the structure of forest microhabitats, seed deposition sites and plant recruitment along three characteristics of forest microhabitats (canopy cover, ground vegetation and deadwood) in Europe's last lowland primeval forest (Białowieża, Poland). We then applied niche modelling to study forest degradation effects on multi-dimensional seed deposition by frugivores and recruitment of fleshy-fruited plants. Forest degradation was shown to (i) reduce the niche volume of forest microhabitat characteristics by half, (ii) homogenize the spatial seed deposition within and among frugivore species, and (iii) limit the regeneration of plants via changes in seed deposition and recruitment. Our study shows that the loss of frugivores in degraded forests is accompanied by a reduction in the complementarity and quality of seed dispersal by remaining frugivores. By contrast, structure-rich habitats, such as old-growth forests, safeguard the diversity of species interactions, forming the basis for high-quality ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Finn Rehling
- Department of Biology, Conservation Ecology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Jan Schlautmann
- Department of Biology, Conservation Ecology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Bogdan Jaroszewicz
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Białowieża Geobotanical Station, PL-17-230 Białowieża, Poland
| | - Dana G. Schabo
- Department of Biology, Conservation Ecology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Nina Farwig
- Department of Biology, Conservation Ecology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
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6
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Da Silva AM, Pires LP, De Melo C. Forest dependent birds are the main frugivorous species in mutualistic networks from the Brazilian Cerrado. ECOSCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2021.1987653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Luís Paulo Pires
- Instituto De Biologia, Universidade Federal De Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Celine De Melo
- Instituto De Biologia, Universidade Federal De Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
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7
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Chmielewski MW, Eppley SM. Species-specific interactions in avian-bryophyte dispersal networks. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211230. [PMID: 35116150 PMCID: PMC8767201 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Studies from seed plants have shown that animal dispersal fundamentally alters the success of plant dispersal, shaping community composition through time. Our understanding of this phenomenon in spore plants is comparatively limited. Though little is known about species-specific dispersal relationships between passerine birds and bryophytes, birds are particularly attractive as a potential bryophyte dispersal vector given their highly vagile nature as well as their association with bryophytes when foraging and building nests. We captured birds in Gifford Pinchot National Forest to sample their legs and tails for bryophyte propagules. We found 24 bryophyte species across 34 bird species. We examined the level of interaction specificity: (i) within the overall network to assess community level patterns; and (ii) at the plant species level to determine the effect of bird behaviour on network structure. We found that avian-bryophyte associations are constrained within the network, with species-specific and foraging guild effects on the variety of bryophytes found on bird species. Our findings suggest that diffuse bird-bryophyte dispersal networks are likely to be common in habitats where birds readily encounter bryophytes and that further work aimed at understanding individual bird-bryophyte species relationships may prove valuable in determining nuance within this newly described dispersal mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W. Chmielewski
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC rm 246, Portland, OR 97201, USA
| | - Sarah M. Eppley
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC rm 246, Portland, OR 97201, USA
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8
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Rogers HS, Donoso I, Traveset A, Fricke EC. Cascading Impacts of Seed Disperser Loss on Plant Communities and Ecosystems. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012221-111742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Seed dispersal is key to the persistence and spread of plant populations. Because the majority of plant species rely on animals to disperse their seeds, global change drivers that directly affect animals can cause cascading impacts on plant communities. In this review, we synthesize studies assessing how disperser loss alters plant populations, community patterns, multitrophic interactions, and ecosystem functioning. We argue that the magnitude of risk to plants from disperser loss is shaped by the combination of a plant species’ inherent dependence on seed dispersal and the severity of the hazards faced by their dispersers. Because the factors determining a plant species’ risk of decline due to disperser loss can be related to traits of the plants and dispersers, our framework enables a trait-based understanding of change in plant community composition and ecosystem functioning. We discuss how interactions among plants, among dispersers, and across other trophic levels also mediate plant community responses, and we identify areas for future research to understand and mitigate the consequences of disperser loss on plants globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haldre S. Rogers
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Isabel Donoso
- Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anna Traveset
- Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Evan C. Fricke
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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9
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Camargo PHSA, Carlo TA, Brancalion PHS, Pizo MA. Frugivore diversity increases evenness in the seed rain on deforested tropical landscapes. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paulo H. S. A. Camargo
- Univ. Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Inst. de Biociências Rio Claro SP Brasil
- Biology Dept, 208 Mueller Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State Univ. State College Pennsylvania USA
| | - Tomás A. Carlo
- Biology Dept, 208 Mueller Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State Univ. State College Pennsylvania USA
| | - Pedro H. S. Brancalion
- Dept of Forest Sciences, ‘Luiz de Queiroz' College of Agriculture, Univ. of São Paulo Piracicaba SP Brazil
| | - Marco A. Pizo
- Univ. Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Inst. de Biociências Rio Claro SP Brasil
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10
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Menezes Pinto Í, Emer C, Cazetta E, Morante-Filho JC. Deforestation Simplifies Understory Bird Seed-Dispersal Networks in Human-Modified Landscapes. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.640210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Global biodiversity is threatened by land-use changes through human activities. This is mainly due to the conversion of continuous forests into forest fragments surrounded by anthropogenic matrices. In general, sensitive species are lost while species adapted to disturbances succeed in altered environments. However, whether the interactions performed by the persisting species are also modified, and how it scales up to the network level throughout the landscape are virtually unknown in most tropical hotspots of biodiversity. Here we evaluated how landscape predictors (forest cover, total core area, edge density, inter-patch isolation) and local characteristics (fruit availability, vegetation complexity) affected understory birds seed-dispersal networks in 19 forest fragments along the hyperdiverse but highly depauperate northeast distribution of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Also, our sampled sites were distributed in two regions with contrasting land cover changes. We used mist nets to obtain samples of understory bird food contents to identify the plant species consumed and dispersed by them. We estimated network complexity on the basis of the number of interactions, links per species, interaction evenness, and modularity. Our findings showed that the number of interactions increased with the amount of forest cover, and it was significantly lower in the more deforested region. None of the other evaluated parameters were affected by any other landscape or local predictors. We also observed a lack of significant network structure compared to null models, which we attribute to a pervasive impoverishment of bird and plant communities in these highly modified landscapes. Our results demonstrate the importance of forest cover not only to maintain species diversity but also their respective mutualistic relationships, which are the bases for ecosystem functionality, forest regeneration and the provision of ecological services.
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11
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Sorensen MC, Donoso I, Neuschulz EL, Schleuning M, Mueller T. Community‐wide seed dispersal distances peak at low levels of specialisation in size‐structured networks. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie C. Sorensen
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt Germany
- Dept of Integrative Biology, Univ. of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | - Isabel Donoso
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt Germany
| | | | | | - Thomas Mueller
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre Frankfurt Germany
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Goethe Univ. Frankfurt Frankfurt Germany
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12
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Rumeu B, Donoso I, Rodríguez-Pérez J, García D. Frugivore species maintain their structural role in the trophic and spatial networks of seed dispersal interactions. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2168-2180. [PMID: 32568426 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Trophic relationships have inherent spatial dimensions associated with the sites where species interactions, or their delayed effects, occur. Trophic networks among interacting species may thus be coupled with spatial networks linking species and habitats whereby animals connect patches across the landscape thanks to their high mobility. This trophic and spatial duality is especially inherent in processes like seed dispersal by animals, where frugivores consume fruit species and deposit seeds across habitats. We analysed the frugivore-plant interactions and seed deposition patterns of a diverse assemblage of frugivores in a heterogeneous landscape in order to determine whether the roles of frugivores in network topology are correlated across trophic and spatial networks of seed dispersal. We recorded fruit consumption and seed deposition by birds and mammals during 2 years in the Cantabrian Range (N Spain). We then constructed two networks of trophic (i.e. frugivore-plant) and spatial (i.e. frugivore-seed deposition habitat) interactions and estimated the contributions of each frugivore species to the network structure in terms of nestedness, modularity and complementary specialization. We tested whether the structural role of frugivore species was correlated across the trophic and spatial networks, and evaluated the influence of each frugivore abundance and body mass in that relationship. Both the trophic and the spatial networks were modular and specialized. Trophic modules matched medium-sized birds with fleshy-fruited trees, and small bird and mammals with small-fruit trees and shrubs. Spatial modules associated birds with woody canopies, and mammals with open habitats. Frugivore species maintained their structural role across the trophic and spatial networks of seed dispersal, even after accounting for frugivore abundance and body mass. The modularity found in our system points to complementarity between birds and mammals in the seed dispersal process, a fact that may trigger landscape-scale secondary succession. Our results open up the possibility of predicting the consumption pattern of a diverse frugivore community, and its ecological consequences, from the uneven distribution of fleshy-fruit resources in the landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Rumeu
- Depto. de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Isabel Donoso
- Depto. de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.,Senckenberg Biodiversity Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Javier Rodríguez-Pérez
- Depto. de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.,Department of Mathematics and its Applications, Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Pau, France
| | - Daniel García
- Depto. de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
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13
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Acevedo-Quintero JF, Zamora-Abrego JG, García D. From structure to function in mutualistic interaction networks: Topologically important frugivores have greater potential as seed dispersers. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2181-2191. [PMID: 32495479 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Networks of mutualistic interactions between animals and plants are considered a pivotal part of ecological communities. However, mutualistic networks are rarely studied from the perspective of species-specific roles, and it remains to be established whether those animal species more relevant for network structure also contribute more to the ecological functions derived from interactions. Here, we relate the contribution to seed dispersal of vertebrate species with their topological role in frugivore-plant interaction networks. For one year in two localities with remnant patches of Colombian tropical dry forest, we sampled abundance, morphology, behaviour and fruit consumption from fleshy-fruited plants of various frugivore species. We assessed the network topological role of each frugivore species by integrating their degree of generalization in interactions with plants with their contributions to network nestedness and modularity. We estimated the potential contribution of each frugivore species to community-wide seed dispersal, on the basis of a set of frugivore ecological, morphological and behavioural characteristics important for seed dispersal, together with frugivore abundance and frugivory degree. The various frugivore species showed strong differences in their network structural roles, with generalist species contributing the most to network modularity and nestedness. Frugivores also showed strong variability in terms of potential contribution to seed dispersal, depending on the specific combinations of frugivore abundance, frugivory degree and the different traits and behaviours. For both localities, the seed dispersal potential of a frugivore species responded positively to its contribution to network structure, evidencing that the most important frugivore species in the network topology were also those making the strongest contribution as seed dispersers. Contribution to network structure was correlated with frugivore abundance, diet and behavioural characteristics. This suggests that the species-level link between structure and function is due to the fact that the occurrence of frugivore-plant interactions depends largely on the characteristics of the frugivore involved, which also condition its ultimate role in seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Fernando Acevedo-Quintero
- Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Joan Gastón Zamora-Abrego
- Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Daniel García
- Departmento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (CSIC-Uo-PA), Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
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14
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Peña R, Schleuning M, Donoso I, Rodríguez‐Pérez J, Dalerum F, García D. Biodiversity components mediate the response to forest loss and the effect on ecological processes of plant–frugivore assemblages. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Peña
- Depto. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas Universidad de Oviedo, and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (CSIC‐Uo‐PA) Oviedo Spain
| | - Matthias Schleuning
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Senckenberganlage 25 Frankfurt (Main) Germany
| | - Isabel Donoso
- Depto. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas Universidad de Oviedo, and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (CSIC‐Uo‐PA) Oviedo Spain
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Senckenberganlage 25 Frankfurt (Main) Germany
| | - Javier Rodríguez‐Pérez
- Depto. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas Universidad de Oviedo, and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (CSIC‐Uo‐PA) Oviedo Spain
- Department of Mathematics and its Applications Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour Pau France
| | - Fredrik Dalerum
- Depto. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas Universidad de Oviedo, and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (CSIC‐Uo‐PA) Oviedo Spain
| | - Daniel García
- Depto. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas Universidad de Oviedo, and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (CSIC‐Uo‐PA) Oviedo Spain
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15
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Downsizing of animal communities triggers stronger functional than structural decay in seed-dispersal networks. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1582. [PMID: 32221279 PMCID: PMC7101352 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15438-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Downsizing of animal communities due to defaunation is prevalent in many ecosystems. Yet, we know little about its consequences for ecosystem functions such as seed dispersal. Here, we use eight seed-dispersal networks sampled across the Andes and simulate how downsizing of avian frugivores impacts structural network robustness and seed dispersal. We use a trait-based modeling framework to quantify the consequences of downsizing-relative to random extinctions-for the number of interactions and secondary plant extinctions (as measures of structural robustness) and for long-distance seed dispersal (as a measure of ecosystem function). We find that downsizing leads to stronger functional than structural losses. For instance, 10% size-structured loss of bird species results in almost 40% decline of long-distance seed dispersal, but in less than 10% of structural loss. Our simulations reveal that measures of the structural robustness of ecological networks underestimate the consequences of animal extinction and downsizing for ecosystem functioning.
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Arnell M, Cousins SAO, Eriksson O. Does historical land use affect the regional distribution of fleshy-fruited woody plants? PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225791. [PMID: 31805106 PMCID: PMC6894828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Species richness and composition of current vegetation may reflect historical land use. We develop and examine the hypothesis that regional distribution and richness of fleshy-fruited woody plants, a group sharing life-form and dispersal system, reflect historical land use in open or semi-open habitats. Historical land use was based on maps from around the year 1900 for two regions in Sweden, and field data was gathered from surveys made in these regions. Species richness was positively related to historical land use indicated as open habitat in 1900. In one of the regions, five out of nine examined species were positively related to historical land use (with historical effect R2 ranging between 0.03 and 0.22). In the other region, we found a weaker positive relationship with historical land use in two out of nine examined species (R2 0.01 and 0.02). We conclude that current occurrence and richness of fleshy-fruited woody species is partly a legacy of historical land use, and that regions may vary in this respect. Based on a comparison between the two regions examined here, we discuss some potential causes behind this variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilda Arnell
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Sara A. O. Cousins
- Biogeography and Geomatics, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ove Eriksson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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