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Carlo TA, Messeder JVS, Espíndola WD, Vizzachero BS, Boyer BW, Hernández-Mejía J, Torres-Páucar EA, Fontanella A, Pizo MA, Amico G, Salinas L, Arana C, Morán-López T, Morales JM. Negative density dependence characterizes mutualistic interactions between birds and fruiting plants across latitudes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230128. [PMID: 38913067 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Negative density dependence (NDD) in biotic interactions of interference such as plant-plant competition, granivory and herbivory are well-documented mechanisms that promote species' coexistence in diverse plant communities worldwide. Here, we investigated the generality of a novel type of NDD mechanism that operates through the mutualistic interactions of frugivory and seed dispersal among fruit-eating birds and plants. By sampling community-wide frugivory interactions at high spatial and temporal resolution in Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Peru, Brazil and Argentina, we evaluated whether interaction frequencies between birds and fruit resources occurred more often (selection), as expected, or below expectations (under-utilization) set by the relative fruit abundance of the fruit resources of each plant species. Our models considered the influence of temporal scales of fruit availability and bird phylogeny and diets, revealing that NDD characterizes frugivory across communities. Irrespective of taxa or dietary guild, birds tended to select fruits of plant species that were proportionally rare in their communities, or that became rare following phenological fluctuations, while they mostly under-utilized abundant fruit resources. Our results demonstrate that negative density-dependence in frugivore-plant interactions provides a strong equalizing mechanism for the dispersal processes of fleshy-fruited plant species in temperate and tropical communities, likely contributing to building and sustaining plant diversity. This article is part of the theme issue 'Diversitydependence of dispersal: interspecific interactions determine spatial dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás A Carlo
- The Pennsylvania State University Biology Department & Ecology Program, University Park , State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - João Vitor S Messeder
- The Pennsylvania State University Biology Department & Ecology Program, University Park , State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Wálter D Espíndola
- The Pennsylvania State University Biology Department & Ecology Program, University Park , State College, PA 16802, USA
- Museo de Historia Natural y Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos , Lima, Peru
| | - Benjamin S Vizzachero
- The Pennsylvania State University Biology Department & Ecology Program, University Park , State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Brady W Boyer
- The Pennsylvania State University Biology Department & Ecology Program, University Park , State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Jacqueline Hernández-Mejía
- Museo de Historia Natural y Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos , Lima, Peru
| | - E Adrián Torres-Páucar
- Museo de Historia Natural y Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos , Lima, Peru
| | - Antonio Fontanella
- Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Instituto de Biociências de Rio Claro , São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marco A Pizo
- Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Instituto de Biociências de Rio Claro , São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Guillermo Amico
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue,Quintral 1250, San Carlos De Bariloche , Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Letty Salinas
- Museo de Historia Natural y Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos , Lima, Peru
| | - César Arana
- Museo de Historia Natural y Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos , Lima, Peru
| | - Teresa Morán-López
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue,Quintral 1250, San Carlos De Bariloche , Rio Negro, Argentina
- Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo and Instituto Mixto de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Universidad de Oviedo-CSIC-Principado de Asturias , Oviedo y Mieres, Asturias, España
| | - Juan M Morales
- Grupo de Ecología Cuantitativa, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue,Quintral 1250, San Carlos De Bariloche , Rio Negro, Argentina
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, University Avenue , Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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Chen Y, McConkey KR, Fan P. Sympatric primate seed dispersers and predators jointly contribute to plant diversity in a subtropical forest. Oecologia 2023; 202:715-727. [PMID: 37553533 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05430-w] [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: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Mutualistic and antagonistic plant-animal interactions differentially contribute to the maintenance of species diversity in ecological communities. Although both seed dispersal and predation by fruit-eating animals are recognized as important drivers of plant population dynamics, the mechanisms underlying how seed dispersers and predators jointly affect plant diversity remain largely unexplored. Based on mediating roles of seed size and species abundance, we investigated the effects of seed dispersal and predation by two sympatric primates (Nomascus concolor and Trachypithecus crepusculus) on local plant recruitment in a subtropical forest of China. Over a 26 month period, we confirmed that these primates were functionally distinct: gibbons were legitimate seed dispersers who dispersed seeds of 44 plant species, while langurs were primarily seed predators who destroyed seeds of 48 plant species. Gibbons dispersed medium-seeded species more effectively than small- and large-seeded species, and dispersed more seeds of rare species than common and dominant species. Langurs showed a similar predation rate across different sizes of seeds, but destroyed a large number of seeds from common species. Due to gut passage effects, gibbons significantly shortened the duration of seed germination for 58% of the dispersed species; however, for 54% of species, seed germination rates were reduced significantly. Our study underlined the contrasting contributions of two primate species to local plant recruitment processes. By dispersing rare species and destroying the seeds of common species, both primates might jointly maintain plant species diversity. To maintain healthy ecosystems, the conservation of mammals that play critical functional roles needs to receive further attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
- School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Kim R McConkey
- School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Pengfei Fan
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
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Carlo TA, Cazetta E, Traveset A, Guimarães PR, McConkey KR. Special issue: Fruits, animals and seed dispersal: timely advances on a key mutualism. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomás A. Carlo
- Biology Dept, The Pennsylvania State Univ. University Park PA USA
| | - Eliana Cazetta
- Applied Ecology and Conservation Lab, Univ. Estadual de Santa Cruz Ilhéus Bahia Brazil
| | - Anna Traveset
- Global Change Research Group, Mediterranean Inst. of Advanced Studies (CSIC‐UIB), Esporles Mallorca Balearic Islands Spain
| | - Paulo R. Guimarães
- Depto de Ecologia, Inst. de Biociências, Univ. de São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - Kim R. McConkey
- School of Geography, Univ. of Nottingham Malaysia Campus Semenyih Selangor Malaysia
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