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Wang Z, Tai W, Zhang X, Liu S, Niu Y, Chen W, Li N. Importance of plant and fruit traits on the structure of bird seed dispersal networks in different disturbed habitats. Integr Zool 2024; 19:753-762. [PMID: 38488176 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12822] [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] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Species functional traits can influence seed dispersal processes and consequently affect species' role in the mutualistic network. Although the effect of animal traits on the structure of the seed dispersal network is well explored, it remains poorly understood how plant and fruit traits contribute to the structure. We here studied the effects of plant and fruit traits on the structure of bird seed dispersal networks across different disturbed habitats in the Meihua Mountain National Nature Reserve, Southeastern China. During the study period, 16, 20, 13, and 15 bird species were recorded foraging on 10, 11, 12, and 8 plant species, resulting in 511, 312, 265, and 201 foraging events in the protected forest, natural forest, village, and bamboo forest, respectively. The composition of these seed dispersal networks is not primarily influenced by a specific group of bulbul species, but rather by the presence of an endangered plant species, Taxus chinensis. As we expected, the structure of the four networks was different among the four disturbed habitats. Furthermore, our results also showed tree height and canopy density were the most important plant traits for structuring the seed dispersal network, while sugar, amylase, dry matter, and alkaloids were identified as significant fruit traits. Overall, our findings highlight the value of integrating trait-based ecology into the framework of the seed dispersal network and provide new insights for mutualistic network conservation in disturbed habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Wang
- College of Life Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Tai
- College of Life Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shouguo Liu
- College of Life Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yixing Niu
- College of Life Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenwen Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Ning Li
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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2
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Zhu C, Dalsgaard B, Li W, Gonçalves F, Vollstädt MGR, Ren P, Zhang X, Shao J, Ding P, Si X. Generalist and topologically central avian frugivores promote plant invasion unequally across land-bridge islands. Ecology 2024; 105:e4216. [PMID: 38037487 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Seed dispersal by frugivorous birds facilitates plant invasions, but it is poorly known how invasive plants integrate into native communities in fragmented landscapes. We surveyed plant-frugivore interactions, including an invasive plant (Phytolacca americana), on 22 artificial land-bridge islands (fragmented forests) in the Thousand Island Lake, China. Focusing on frugivory interactions that may lead to seed dispersal, we built ecological networks of studied islands both at the local island (community) and at landscape (metacommunity) levels. On islands with P. americana, we found that P. americana impacted local avian frugivory networks more on islands with species-poor plant communities and on isolated islands. Moreover, as P. americana interacted mainly with local core birds (generalists), this indicates reduced seed dispersal of native plants on invaded islands. At the landscape level, P. americana had established strong interactions with generalist birds that largely maintain seed-dispersal functions across islands, as revealed by their topologically central roles both in the regional plant-bird trophic network and in the spatial metanetwork. This indicates that generalist frugivorous birds may have facilitated the dispersal of P. americana across islands, making P. americana well integrated into the plant-frugivore mutualistic metacommunity. Taken together, our study demonstrates that the impact of plant invasion is context-dependent and that generalist native frugivores with high dispersal potential may accelerate plant invasion in fragmented landscapes. These findings highlight the importance of taking the functional roles of animal mutualists and habitat fragmentation into account when managing plant invasions and their impact on native communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bo Dalsgaard
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Wande Li
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fernando Gonçalves
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maximilian G R Vollstädt
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peng Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Junjie Shao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ping Ding
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xingfeng Si
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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3
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Zhu C, Li W, Campos-Arceiz A, Dalsgaard B, Ren P, Wang D, Zhang X, Sun M, Si Q, Kang Y, Ding P, Si X. The reliability of regional ecological knowledge to build local interaction networks: a test using seed-dispersal networks across land-bridge islands. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231221. [PMID: 37464753 PMCID: PMC10354482 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Building ecological networks is the fundamental basis of depicting how species in communities interact, but sampling complex interaction networks is extremely labour intensive. Recently, indirect ecological information has been applied to build interaction networks. Here we propose to extend the source of indirect ecological information, and applied regional ecological knowledge to build local interaction networks. Using a high-resolution dataset consisting of 22 locally observed networks with 17 572 seed-dispersal events, we test the reliability of indirectly derived local networks based on regional ecological knowledge (REK) across islands. We found that species richness strongly influenced 'local interaction rewiring' (i.e. the proportion of locally observed interactions among regionally interacting species), and all network properties were biased using REK-based networks. Notably, species richness and local interaction rewiring strongly affected estimations of REK-based network structures. However, locally observed and REK-based networks detected the same trends of how network structure correlates to island area and isolation. These results suggest that we should use REK-based networks cautiously for reflecting actual interaction patterns of local networks, but highlight that REK-based networks have great potential for comparative studies across environmental gradients. The use of indirect regional ecological information may thus advance our understanding of biogeographical patterns of species interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Wande Li
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan 666303, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Dalsgaard
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peng Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Duorun Wang
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Minghao Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Si
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Kang
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Ding
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingfeng Si
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, People's Republic of China
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4
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Silva GG, Pizo MA, Green AJ, Sebastián‐González E, Bugoni L, Maltchik L. A waterfowl seed‐dispersal network from the Neotropical region is nested and modular. Biotropica 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Giliandro G. Silva
- Graduate Program in Biology of Continental Aquatic Environments Universidade Federal do Rio Grande – FURG Rio Grande Brazil
| | - Marco Aurélio Pizo
- Department of Biodiversity, Institute of Biosciences Universidade Estadual Paulista Rio Claro Brazil
| | - Andy J. Green
- Department of Wetland Ecology Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD‐CSIC) Sevilla Spain
| | | | - Leandro Bugoni
- Graduate Program in Biology of Continental Aquatic Environments Universidade Federal do Rio Grande – FURG Rio Grande Brazil
| | - Leonardo Maltchik
- Graduate Program in Biology of Continental Aquatic Environments Universidade Federal do Rio Grande – FURG Rio Grande Brazil
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5
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Phillips AB, Lambert TD, Adler GH. Influence of tree-fall gaps on directional seed dispersal by small mammals in Central Panama. NEOTROPICAL BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 2023. [DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.18.e97653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Small mammals, particularly rodents, are often important seed-dispersal agents in Neotropical forests. Directional seed dispersal into tree-fall gaps may enhance seedling survival of light-demanding species and thus influence forest regeneration. To examine this proposition, we tracked seeds of a light-demanding palm (Attalea butyracea), with a focus on spiny rats (Proechimys semispinosus), the most-likely seed-removal agents. We established seed-removal stations at three distances relative to 28 gaps (gap center, gap edge, and intact forest 10 m from a gap edge) in a lowland forest in Central Panama. We placed five fresh fruits (with their seed) in semi-permeable exclosures to exclude larger mammals at each station and tracked the directions in which seeds were moved and deposited intact. More seeds were moved toward or into gaps when removed from gap center or edge stations; however, seeds dispersed from intact forest stations showed no such directionality. Small mammals may have dispersed seeds into and within tree-fall gaps because they favored caching seeds in areas that offered increased cover, which is typical of gaps, and consequently protection from predation. The lack of directional dispersal from intact forest stations may have been because spiny rats were able to find sufficient cover in the young intact forest that was closer than the gaps. In older forest, the contrast between intact forest and gaps may be greater, resulting in directed dispersal into gaps.
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6
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Pereyra PER, Hallwass G, Begossi A, Giacomin LL, Silvano RAM. Fishers' Knowledge Reveals Ecological Interactions Between Fish and Plants in High Diverse Tropical Rivers. Ecosystems 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-023-00818-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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7
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Bonfim FCG, Dodonov P, Guimarães PR, Cazetta E. Habitat loss shapes the structure and species roles in tropical plant–frugivore networks. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09399] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando César Gonçalves Bonfim
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Univ. Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Brazil
| | - Pavel Dodonov
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Univ. Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Brazil
- Spatial Ecology Lab, Inst. of Biology, Federal Univ. of Bahia Salvador Brazil
| | - Paulo R. Guimarães
- Depto de Ecologia, Inst. de Biociências, Univ. de São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Eliana Cazetta
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation, Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Univ. Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Brazil
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8
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Scale of effect matters: Forest cover influences on tropical ant-plant ecological networks. FOOD WEBS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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9
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Plant-frugivore network simplification under habitat fragmentation leaves a small core of interacting generalists. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1214. [PMID: 36357489 PMCID: PMC9649668 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04198-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation impacts seed dispersal processes that are important in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, it is still unclear how habitat fragmentation affects frugivorous interactions due to the lack of high-quality data on plant-frugivore networks. Here we recorded 10,117 plant-frugivore interactions from 22 reservoir islands and six nearby mainland sites using the technology of arboreal camera trapping to assess the effects of island area and isolation on the diversity, structure, and stability of plant-frugivore networks. We found that network simplification under habitat fragmentation reduces the number of interactions involving specialized species and large-bodied frugivores. Small islands had more connected, less modular, and more nested networks that consisted mainly of small-bodied birds and abundant plants, as well as showed evidence of interaction release (i.e., dietary expansion of frugivores). Our results reveal the importance of preserving large forest remnants to support plant-frugivore interaction diversity and forest functionality. Smaller communities, such as those on islands, under ecological network simplification reduce interactions between specialist organisms.
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10
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Li N, Yang X, Ren Y, Wang Z. Importance of species traits on individual-based seed dispersal networks and dispersal distance for endangered trees in a fragmented forest. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1010352. [PMID: 36212316 PMCID: PMC9534520 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1010352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Although mutualistic network analyses have sparked a renewed interest in the patterns and drivers of network structures within communities, few studies have explored structural patterns within populations. In an endangered tree species population, plant individuals share their bird seed dispersers; however, the factors affecting individual interaction patterns are poorly understood. In this study, four individual-based networks were built for the endangered Chinese yew, Taxus chinensis, in a fragmented forest based on bird foraging type (swallowing and pecking networks) and habitat type (networks in a bamboo patch and an evergreen broad-leaved forest patch). Species-level network metrics (species degree and specialization, d') were used to evaluate the effects of species traits (bird and plant traits) on species-level networks and dispersal distance for T. chinensis. It was revealed that the interaction networks between T. chinensis individuals and their bird partners were influenced by foraging type and the habitat of plant distribution. Compared to the other two networks, bird swallowing and bird-fruit networks in the evergreen broad-leaved patch habitat had higher nestedness and connectance but lower modules and specialization. Bird (body weight and wing and bill lengths) and plant traits (height, crop size, and cover) significantly affected species-level network metrics such as degree and specialization. Furthermore, seed dispersal distance was influenced by species traits and the species-level metrics of fruit-bird interaction networks. These results provide new insights into individual-based seed dispersal mutualistic networks of endangered plant species under habitat fragmentation. Moreover, these findings have relevant implications for conserving and managing individual endangered trees in increasingly disturbed ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Li
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xifu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanhao Ren
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- College of Biology and Environmental Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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11
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Mota FMM, Heming NM, Morante‐Filho JC, Talora DC. Climate change is expected to restructure forest frugivorous bird communities in a biodiversity hot‐point within the Atlantic Forest. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Flávio Mariano Machado Mota
- Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Brazil
| | - Neander Marcel Heming
- Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Brazil
| | - José Carlos Morante‐Filho
- Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Brazil
| | - Daniela Custódio Talora
- Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Brazil
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12
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Mason DS, Baruzzi C, Lashley MA. Passive directed dispersal of plants by animals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1908-1929. [PMID: 35770842 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Conceptual gaps and imprecise terms and definitions may obscure the breadth of plant-animal dispersal relationships involved in directed dispersal. The term 'directed' indicates predictable delivery to favourable microsites. However, directed dispersal was initially considered uncommon in diffuse mutualisms (i.e. those involving many species), partly because plants rarely influence post-removal propagule fate without specialized adaptations. This rationale implies that donor plants play an active role in directed dispersal by manipulating vector behaviour after propagule removal. However, even in most classic examples of directed dispersal, participating plants do not influence animal behaviour after propagule removal. Instead, such plants may take advantage of vector attraction to favourable plant microsites, indicating a need to expand upon current interpretations of directed dispersal. We contend that directed dispersal can emerge whenever propagules are disproportionately delivered to favourable microsites as a result of predictably skewed vector behaviour. Thus, we propose distinguishing active and passive forms of directed dispersal. In active directed dispersal, the donor plant achieves disproportionate arrival to favourable microsites by influencing vector behaviour after propagule removal. By contrast, passive directed dispersal occurs when the donor plant takes advantage of vector behaviour to arrive at favourable microsites. Whereas predictable post-removal vector behaviour is dictated by characteristics of the donor plant in active directed dispersal, characteristics of the destination dictate predictable post-removal vector behaviour in passive directed dispersal. Importantly, this passive form of directed dispersal may emerge in more plant-animal dispersal relationships because specialized adaptations in donor plants that influence post-removal vector behaviour are not required. We explore the occurrence and consequences of passive directed dispersal using the unifying generalized gravity model of dispersal. This model successfully describes vectored dispersal by incorporating the influence of the environment (i.e. attractiveness of microsites) on vector movement. When applying gravity models to dispersal, the three components of Newton's gravity equation (i.e. gravitational force, object mass, and distance between centres of mass) become analogous to propagules moving towards a location based on characteristics of the donor plant, the destination, and relocation processes. The generalized gravity model predicts passive directed dispersal in plant-animal dispersal relationships when (i) animal vectors are predictably attracted to specific destinations, (ii) animal vectors disproportionately disperse propagules to those destinations, and (iii) those destinations are also favourable microsites for the dispersed plants. Our literature search produced evidence for these three conditions broadly, and we identified 13 distinct scenarios where passive directed dispersal likely occurs because vector behaviour is predictably skewed towards favourable microsites. We discuss the wide applicability of passive directed dispersal to plant-animal mutualisms and provide new insights into the vulnerability of those mutualisms to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Mason
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, PO Box 110430, 1745 McCarty Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0410, USA
| | - Carolina Baruzzi
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, PO Box 110410, 1745 McCarty Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0410, USA
| | - Marcus A Lashley
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, PO Box 110430, 1745 McCarty Drive, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0410, USA
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13
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Coutant O, Boissier O, Ducrettet M, Albert-Daviaud A, Bouiges A, Dracxler CM, Feer F, Mendoza I, Guilbert E, Forget PM. Roads Disrupt Frugivory and Seed Removal in Tropical Animal-Dispersed Plants in French Guiana. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.805376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological interactions are being affected at unprecedented rates by human activities in tropical forests. Yet, the continuity of ecological functions provided by animals, such as seed dispersal, is crucial for forest regeneration and species resilience to anthropogenic pressures. The construction of new roads in tropical forests is one of the main boosters of habitat destruction as it facilitates human access to previously isolated areas and increases defaunation and loss of ecological functions. It, therefore, becomes increasingly urgent to rapidly assess how recently opened roads and associated anthropogenic activities affect ecological processes in natural habitats, so that appropriate management measures to conserve diversity can be taken. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of anthropogenic pressures on the health status of a mature rainforest crossed by a newly opened road in French Guiana. For this, we combined different methods to conduct a rapid assessment of the forest’s health status. Firstly, we evaluated the activity of frugivores using camera traps deployed in four forest patches located near (<1 km) ecological corridors preserved as canopy bridges over the road during the fruiting periods of four animal-dispersed tree species. Secondly, we analyzed the fate of seeds enclosed in animal-dispersed tropical fruits by calculating the proportions of fruits consumed and seeds removed (either dispersed or predated) by frugivores. Results show that the proportion of fruits opened and consumed was lower in the forest areas located near the road than in the control forest, and this difference was more significant for plant species strictly dependent on large-bodied primates for seed dispersal than for species relying on both primates and birds. Camera traps showed the presence of small primates and kinkajous feeding on Virola fruits in the forest impacted by the road, where large primates were absent. It is thus likely that smaller frugivores exert a compensatory effect that maintains ecological functions near the road. Despite efforts made to preserve forest continuity through ecological corridors, anthropogenic pressures associated with road proximity are affecting wildlife and disrupting associated ecological functions crucial for plant regeneration, contributing to further forest degradation.
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14
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Ecological network complexity scales with area. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:307-314. [PMID: 35027724 PMCID: PMC7614050 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01644-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Larger geographical areas contain more species-an observation raised to a law in ecology. Less explored is whether biodiversity changes are accompanied by a modification of interaction networks. We use data from 32 spatial interaction networks from different ecosystems to analyse how network structure changes with area. We find that basic community structure descriptors (number of species, links and links per species) increase with area following a power law. Yet, the distribution of links per species varies little with area, indicating that the fundamental organization of interactions within networks is conserved. Our null model analyses suggest that the spatial scaling of network structure is determined by factors beyond species richness and the number of links. We demonstrate that biodiversity-area relationships can be extended from species counts to higher levels of network complexity. Therefore, the consequences of anthropogenic habitat destruction may extend from species loss to wider simplification of natural communities.
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15
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Fuzessy L, Sobral G, Carreira D, Rother DC, Barbosa G, Landis M, Galetti M, Dallas T, Cardoso Cláudio V, Culot L, Jordano P. Functional roles of frugivores and plants shape hyper‐diverse mutualistic interactions under two antagonistic conservation scenarios. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisieux Fuzessy
- São Paulo State University UNESP Rio Claro SP Brazil
- Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD‐CSIC Sevilla Spain
| | | | - Daiane Carreira
- University of São Paulo Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" Esalq USP Piracicaba SP Brazil
| | - Débora Cristina Rother
- University of São Paulo USP São Paulo SP Brazil
- University of São Paulo Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz" Esalq USP Piracicaba SP Brazil
| | | | | | - Mauro Galetti
- São Paulo State University UNESP Rio Claro SP Brazil
- Department of Biology University of Miami Coral Gables Florida USA
| | - Tad Dallas
- Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
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16
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Lewinsohn TM, Almeida Neto M, Almeida A, Prado PI, Jorge LR. From insect-plant interactions to ecological networks. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2022-1399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Since its inception, biodiversity has largely been understood as species diversity and assessed as such. Interactions among species or functional groups are gradually becoming part of an expanded concept of biodiversity. As a case study of the development of a research program in biodiversity, we summarize our multi-decade studies on interactions of Asteraceae and flowerhead-feeding insects in Brazil. Initially, host species were treated as independent replicates in order to assess the local and turnover components of their herbivore diversity. Research then expanded into sampling entire interactive communities of host plants and their associated herbivores in different localities and regions, enabling new research lines to be pursued. Interaction diversity could be assessed and factored into spatial and among-host components, suggesting a new field of interaction geography. Second, host specialization, a key component of interaction diversity, was reframed considering simultaneously relatedness and local availability of plant hosts. Third, with the influence of complex network theory, community-wide species interactions were probed for topological patterns. Having identified the modular structure of these plant-herbivore systems, later we demonstrated that they fit a compound hierarchical topology, in which interactions are nested within large-scale modules. In a brief survey of research funded by Fapesp, especially within the Biota-Fapesp program, we highlight several lines of internationally recognized research on interaction diversity, notably on plant-frugivore and plant-pollinator interactions, together with new theoretical models. The interplay of field studies with new theoretical and analytical approaches has established interaction diversity as an essential component for monitoring, conserving and restoring biodiversity in its broader sense.
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Cazetta E, Fahrig L. The effects of human‐altered habitat spatial pattern on frugivory and seed dispersal: a global meta‐analysis. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eliana Cazetta
- Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Univ. Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Bahia Brazil
| | - Lenore Fahrig
- Geomatics and Landscape Ecology Research Laboratory, Dept of Biology, Carleton Univ. Ottawa ON Canada
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Kiesewetter KN, Afkhami ME. Microbiome-mediated effects of habitat fragmentation on native plant performance. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:1823-1838. [PMID: 34213774 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation is a leading cause of biodiversity and ecosystem function loss in the Anthropocene. Despite the importance of plant-microbiome interactions to ecosystem productivity, we have limited knowledge of how fragmentation affects microbiomes and even less knowledge of its consequences for microbial interactions with plants. Combining field surveys, microbiome sequencing, manipulative experiments, and random forest models, we investigated fragmentation legacy effects on soil microbiomes in imperiled pine rocklands, tested how compositional shifts across 14 fragmentation-altered soil microbiomes affected performance and resource allocation of three native plant species, and identified fragmentation-responding microbial families underpinning plant performance. Legacies of habitat fragmentation were associated with significant changes in microbial diversity and composition (across three of four community axes). Experiments showed plants often strongly benefited from the microbiome's presence, but fragmentation-associated changes in microbiome composition also significantly affected plant performance and resource allocation across all seven metrics examined. Finally, random forest models identified ten fungal and six bacterial families important for plant performance that changed significantly with fragmentation. Our findings not only support the existence of significant fragmentation effects on natural microbiomes, but also demonstrate for the first time that fragmentation-associated changes in microbiomes can have meaningful consequences for native plant performance and investment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michelle E Afkhami
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
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19
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Villar N, Medici EP. Large wild herbivores slow down the rapid decline of plant diversity in a tropical forest biodiversity hotspot. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nacho Villar
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Emília Patrícia Medici
- Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative Institute for Ecological Research Campo Grande Brazil
- School of Environmental Conservation and Sustainability Nazaré Paulista Brazil
- International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival CommissionTapir Specialist Group Campo Grande Brazil
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20
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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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21
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Fiedler PMA, De Lapparent A, Razafitsalama J, Sanamo J, Steffens KJE, Ganzhorn JU. Secondary seed removal in a degraded forest habitat in Madagascar. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16823. [PMID: 34413376 PMCID: PMC8377146 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96306-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Forest restoration is a prime goal within the 2021-2030 UN "Decade of Ecosystem Resoration". As part of these activities, natural regeneration has to be promoted for biological as well as for economic reasons. For this, the processes of seed dispersal, seed predation and germination have to be understood in the original as well as in degraded vegetation formations. We used seed removal experiments to assess post-dispersal processes that influence recruitment along a gradient of forest degradation in Madagascar analyzing seeds of three animal dispersed tree species. The percentage of seeds consumed or dispersed, declined from forest (28.6%) to degraded forest (17.2%) to savanna (10.8%). Only three out of 1080 seeds were cached and remained intact during the 14-day experiment. All three seeds were cached in the forest habitat and none in the degraded forest and savanna. The low percentage of seeds removed may be due to the lack of endemic rodents caching seeds, as only introduced rats were recorded in the area. The species-poor fauna of potential secondary seed dispersers of the region and especially in the degraded areas might represent an obstacle for diverse regeneration in degraded regions of Madagascar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula M A Fiedler
- Institute of Zoology, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alice De Lapparent
- Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 75005, Paris, France.,Département de Biologie, M2 Agroécologie, Connaissances, Territoires et Sociétés (ACTES), Université de Paris-Saclay, Paris, France
| | | | - Justin Sanamo
- Département Sciences de la Nature et de l'Environnement, Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antsiranana, 201, Antsiranana, Madagascar
| | - Kim J E Steffens
- Institute of Zoology, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jörg U Ganzhorn
- Institute of Zoology, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
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22
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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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23
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Monteiro ECS, Pizo MA, Vancine MH, Ribeiro MC. Forest cover and connectivity have pervasive effects on the maintenance of evolutionary distinct interactions in seed dispersal networks. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erison C. S. Monteiro
- Depto de Biodiversidade, Inst. de Biociências, Univ. Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Rio Claro Brasil
| | - Marco A. Pizo
- Depto de Biodiversidade, Inst. de Biociências, Univ. Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Rio Claro Brasil
| | | | - Milton Cezar Ribeiro
- Depto de Biodiversidade, Inst. de Biociências, Univ. Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Rio Claro Brasil
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24
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Galiana N, Barros C, Braga J, Ficetola GF, Maiorano L, Thuiller W, Montoya JM, Lurgi M. The spatial scaling of food web structure across European biogeographical regions. ECOGRAPHY 2021; 44:653-664. [PMID: 36620425 PMCID: PMC7614028 DOI: 10.1111/ecog.05229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The species-area relationship (SAR) is one of the most well-established scaling patterns in ecology. Its implications for understanding how communities change across spatial gradients are numerous, including the effects of habitat loss on biodiversity. However, ecological communities are not mere collections of species. They are the result of interactions between these species forming complex networks that tie them together. Should we aim to grasp the spatial scaling of biodiversity as a whole, it is fundamental to understand the changes in the structure of interaction networks with area. In spite of a few empirical and theoretical studies that address this challenge, we still do not know much about how network structure changes with area, or what are the main environmental drivers of these changes. Here, using the meta-network of potential interactions between all terrestrial vertebrates in Europe (1140 species and 67 201 feeding interactions), we analysed network-area relationships (NARs) that summarize how network properties scale with area. We do this across ten biogeographical regions, which differ in environmental characteristics. We found that the spatial scaling of network complexity strongly varied across biogeographical regions. However, once the variation in SARs was accounted for, differences in the shape of NARs vanished. On the other hand, the proportion of species across trophic levels remained remarkably constant across biogeographical regions and spatial scales, despite the great variation in species richness. Spatial variation in mean annual temperature and habitat clustering were the main environmental determinants of the shape of both SARs and NARs across Europe. Our results suggest new avenues in the exploration of the effects of environmental factors on the spatial scaling of biodiversity. We argue that NARs can provide new insights to analyse and understand ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Núria Galiana
- Centre for Biodiversity Modelling and Theory, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS and Paul Sabatier Univ., Moulis, France
| | - Ceres Barros
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LECA (Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine), Grenoble, France; Dept of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry, Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - João Braga
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LECA (Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine), Grenoble, France
| | - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LECA (Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine), Grenoble, France; Dept of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Univ. degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria
| | - Luigi Maiorano
- Dept of Biology and Biotechnologies 'Charles Darwin', Univ. di Roma 'La Sapienza', Roma, Italia
| | - Wilfried Thuiller
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LECA (Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine), Grenoble, France
| | - José M Montoya
- Centre for Biodiversity Modelling and Theory, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS and Paul Sabatier Univ., Moulis, France
| | - Miguel Lurgi
- Centre for Biodiversity Modelling and Theory, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS and Paul Sabatier Univ., Moulis, France; Dept of Biosciences, Swansea Univ., Swansea, UK
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25
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Silva WR, Zaniratto CP, Ferreira JOV, Rigacci EDB, Oliveira JF, Morandi MEF, Killing JG, Nemes LG, Abreu LB. Inducing seed dispersal by generalist frugivores: A new technique to overcome dispersal limitation in restoration. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wesley R. Silva
- Departamento de Biologia Animal Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Brazil
| | - Cristiane P. Zaniratto
- Graduate Program in Ecology Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Brazil
| | - José O. V. Ferreira
- Graduate Program in Ecology Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Brazil
| | - Eduardo D. B. Rigacci
- Graduate Program in Ecology Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Brazil
| | - Jasmim F. Oliveira
- Graduate Program in Ecology Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Brazil
| | - Maria E. F. Morandi
- Undergraduate Course in Biology Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Brazil
| | - Jéssica G. Killing
- Undergraduate Course in Biology Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Brazil
| | - Larissa G. Nemes
- Undergraduate Course in Biology Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Brazil
| | - Laura B. Abreu
- Undergraduate Course in Biology Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Brazil
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