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Dehaudt B, Bruce T, Deblauwe V, Ferraz A, Gardner B, Bibila TG'B, LeBreton M, Mempong G, Njabo K, Nkengbeza SN, Ordway EM, Pavan L, Russo NJ, Smith TB, Luskin MS. Divergent seed dispersal outcomes: Interactions between seed, disperser, and forest traits. Ecology 2024; 105:e4409. [PMID: 39192478 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4409] [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: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Animals disperse seeds in various ways that affect seed deposition sites and seed survival, ultimately shaping plant species distribution, community composition, and ecosystem structure. Some animal species can disperse seeds through multiple pathways (e.g., defecation, regurgitation, epizoochory), each likely producing distinct seed dispersal outcomes. We studied how seed traits (size and toughness) interact with disperser species to influence seed dispersal pathway and how this ultimately shapes the proportion of seeds deposited in various habitat types. We focused on three frugivorous species of duikers (African forest antelopes) in the Dja Faunal Reserve, a tropical rainforest in southern Cameroon. Duikers can both defecate and regurgitate seeds, the latter predominantly occurring during rumination at their bedding sites (or "nests"). We located duiker nests and dungs along 18 linear 1-km-transects to assess: (1) how seed traits affect the likelihood of dispersal via defecation versus regurgitation, (2) if defecated versus regurgitated seeds are deposited at different rates in different forest types (assessed by indigenous Baka), microhabitats, and forest structural attributes (measured by drone lidar), and (3) if these differ between three duiker species that vary in size and diel activity patterns. We found that duikers predominantly defecated small seeds (<3 mm length) and regurgitated larger and tougher seeds (>10 mm length), the latter including 25 different plant species. The three duiker species varied in their nesting habits, with nocturnal bay duikers (Cephalophus dorsalis) nesting in dense understory vegetation at proportions 3-4 times higher than Peter's and yellow-backed duikers (Cephalophus callipygus and Cephalophus silvicultor). As a result, bay duikers deposited larger regurgitated seeds at a higher rate in habitats with denser understory where lianas and palms predominate and near fallen trees. This directed regurgitation seed deposition likely plays an important and unique role in forest succession and structure. This study highlights the importance of ungulate seed dispersal by regurgitation, a vastly understudied process that could impact many ecosystems given the prevalence of ruminating ungulates worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Dehaudt
- School of the Environment, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tom Bruce
- School of the Environment, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Vincent Deblauwe
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Congo Basin Institute, Yaounde, Cameroon
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - António Ferraz
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Brett Gardner
- Zoos Victoria, Werribee Open Range Zoo, Werribee, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Matthew LeBreton
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Congo Basin Institute, Yaounde, Cameroon
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | | | - Kevin Njabo
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Elsa M Ordway
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Congo Basin Institute, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lucas Pavan
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Nicholas J Russo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Thomas B Smith
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Congo Basin Institute, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Matthew Scott Luskin
- School of the Environment, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Congo Basin Institute, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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2
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LaManna JA, Hartig F, Myers JA, Freckleton RP, Detto M, Surendra A, Doolittle CJ, Bachelot B, Bagchi R, Comita LS, DeFilippis DM, Huanca-Nunez N, Hülsmann L, Jevon FV, Johnson DJ, Krishnadas M, Magee LJ, Mangan SA, Milici VR, Murengera ALB, Schnitzer SA, Smith DJB, Stein C, Sullivan MK, Torres E, Umaña MN, Delavaux CS. Consequences of Local Conspecific Density Effects for Plant Diversity and Community Dynamics. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14506. [PMID: 39354892 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14506] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024]
Abstract
Conspecific density dependence (CDD) in plant populations is widespread, most likely caused by local-scale biotic interactions, and has potentially important implications for biodiversity, community composition, and ecosystem processes. However, progress in this important area of ecology has been hindered by differing viewpoints on CDD across subfields in ecology, lack of synthesis across CDD-related frameworks, and misunderstandings about how empirical measurements of local CDD fit within the context of broader ecological theories on community assembly and diversity maintenance. Here, we propose a conceptual synthesis of local-scale CDD and its causes, including species-specific antagonistic and mutualistic interactions. First, we compare and clarify different uses of CDD and related concepts across subfields within ecology. We suggest the use of local stabilizing/destabilizing CDD to refer to the scenario where local conspecific density effects are more negative/positive than heterospecific effects. Second, we discuss different mechanisms for local stabilizing and destabilizing CDD, how those mechanisms are interrelated, and how they cut across several fields of study within ecology. Third, we place local stabilizing/destabilizing CDD within the context of broader ecological theories and discuss implications and challenges related to scaling up the effects of local CDD on populations, communities, and metacommunities. The ultimate goal of this synthesis is to provide a conceptual roadmap for researchers studying local CDD and its implications for population and community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A LaManna
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Florian Hartig
- Theoretical Ecology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jonathan A Myers
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Robert P Freckleton
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Matteo Detto
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Akshay Surendra
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Cole J Doolittle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Bénédicte Bachelot
- Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Robert Bagchi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Liza S Comita
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - David M DeFilippis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Lisa Hülsmann
- Ecosystem Analysis and Simulation (EASI) Lab, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Fiona V Jevon
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Daniel J Johnson
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Meghna Krishnadas
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Lukas J Magee
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Scott A Mangan
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Valerie R Milici
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Stefan A Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Daniel J B Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Claudia Stein
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, Alabama, USA
| | - Megan K Sullivan
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Ethan Torres
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - María Natalia Umaña
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Camille S Delavaux
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland
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3
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Kuo HC, Schoneman T, Gao LM, Gruezo WS, Amoroso VB, Yang Y, Yang KC, Chien CT, Möller M, Wang CN. A leading-edge scenario in the phylogeography and evolutionary history of East Asian insular Taxus in Taiwan and the Philippines. Front Genet 2024; 15:1372309. [PMID: 38756448 PMCID: PMC11096487 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1372309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The cool temperate origin of gymnosperm Taxus species in East Asia is specifically diverse and widespread. Certain lineages have managed to extend their distribution further south to subtropical and tropical islands such as Taiwan and the Philippines. To address questions including whether these insular lineages, recently identified as T. phytonii, have become genetically distinct from each other and from their continental relatives, and when and how they colonized their residing islands, we sampled over 11 populations, covering 179 Taxus individuals from Taiwan and the Philippines. Using four cpDNA and one nuclear marker, we showed in population genetic and genealogical analyses that the two insular lineages were genetically distinct from each other and also from other continental Taxus and that they represented each other's closest relative. Estimated with the coalescent-based multi-type tree (MTT) analyses, we inferred an origin of Taiwanese T. phytonii more ancient than 2.49 Mya and that of Philippine T. phytonii more ancient than 1.08 Mya. In addition, the divergence demographic history revealed by both MTT and isolation with migration (IM) analyses indicated the presence of recent post-split migrations from a continental taxon, T. mairei, to Taiwanese T. phytonii, as well as from Taiwanese T. phytonii to Philippine T. phytonii. Overall, this study suggests Taiwan as a stepping stone through which the temperate-origin yew trees can extend their distributions to tropical regions such as the Philippines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Chih Kuo
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Travis Schoneman
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Lian-Ming Gao
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - William Sm. Gruezo
- Plant Biology Division, College of Arts and Sciences, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines at Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Victor B. Amoroso
- Center for Biodiversity Research and Extension in Mindanao (CEBREM), Central Mindanao University, Mindanao, Philippines
| | - Yang Yang
- Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Ministry of Agriculture, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Cheng Yang
- General Education Center, Providence University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Te Chien
- Botanical Garden Division, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Michael Möller
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Chun-Neng Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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4
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Leal LC, Koski MH. Linking pollen limitation and seed dispersal effectiveness. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14347. [PMID: 38073068 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14347] [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: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Seed production and dispersal are crucial ecological processes impacting plant demography, species distributions and community assembly. Plant-animal interactions commonly mediate both seed production and seed dispersal, but current research often examines pollination and seed dispersal separately, which hinders our understanding of how pollination services affect downstream dispersal services. To fill this gap, we propose a conceptual framework exploring how pollen limitation can impact the effectiveness of seed dispersal for endozoochorous and myrmecochorous plant species. We summarize the quantitative and qualitative effects of pollen limitation on plant reproduction and use Optimal Foraging Theory to predict its impact on the foraging behaviour of seed dispersers. In doing so, we offer a new framework that poses numerous hypotheses and empirical tests to investigate links between pollen limitation and seed dispersal effectiveness and, consequently, post-dispersal ecological processes occurring at different levels of biological organization. Finally, considering the importance of pollination and seed dispersal outcomes to plant eco-evolutionary dynamics, we discussed the implications of our framework for future studies exploring the demographic and evolutionary impacts of pollen limitation for animal-dispersed plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Leal
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Matthew H Koski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
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5
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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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6
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van Leeuwen CHA, Villar N, Mendoza Sagrera I, Green AJ, Bakker ES, Soons MB, Galetti M, Jansen PA, Nolet BA, Santamaría L. A seed dispersal effectiveness framework across the mutualism–antagonism continuum. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nacho Villar
- Dept of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Inst. of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen the Netherlands
- Inst. de Biociências, Depto de Biodiversidade, Univ. Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Rio Claro São Paulo Brazil
| | | | | | - Elisabeth S. Bakker
- Dept of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Inst. of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen the Netherlands
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen Univ. Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Merel B. Soons
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Inst. of Environmental Biology, Utrecht Univ. Utrecht the Netherlands
| | - Mauro Galetti
- Inst. de Biociências, Depto de Biodiversidade, Univ. Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Rio Claro São Paulo Brazil
- Dept of Biology, Univ. of Miami Coral Gables FL USA
| | - Patrick A. Jansen
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen Univ. Wageningen the Netherlands
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Inst. Panamá República de Panamá
| | - Bart A. Nolet
- Dept of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Inst. of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen the Netherlands
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Draper JP, Young JK, Schupp EW, Beckman NG, Atwood TB. Frugivory and Seed Dispersal by Carnivorans. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.864864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal is critical to the ecological performance of sexually reproducing plant species and the communities that they form. The Mammalian order Carnivora provide valuable and effective seed dispersal services but tend to be overlooked in much of the seed dispersal literature. Here we review the literature on the role of Carnivorans in seed dispersal, with a literature search in the Scopus reference database. Overall, we found that Carnivorans are prolific seed dispersers. Carnivorans’ diverse and plastic diets allow them to consume large volumes of over a hundred families of fruit and disperse large quantities of seeds across landscapes. Gut passage by these taxa generally has a neutral effect on seed viability. While the overall effect of Carnivorans on seed dispersal quality is complex, Carnivorans likely increase long-distance dispersal services that may aid the ability of some plant species to persist in the face of climate change.
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Schlautmann J, Rehling F, Albrecht J, Jaroszewicz B, Schabo DG, Farwig N. Observing frugivores or collecting scats: a method comparison to construct quantitative seed dispersal networks. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Schlautmann
- Conservation Ecology, Dept of Biology, Univ. of Marburg Germany
| | - Finn Rehling
- Conservation Ecology, Dept of Biology, Univ. of Marburg Germany
| | - Jörg Albrecht
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK‐F) Frankfurt/Main Germany
| | - Bogdan Jaroszewicz
- Białowieża Geobotanical Station, Faculty of Biology, Univ. of Warsaw Białowieża Poland
| | - Dana G. Schabo
- Conservation Ecology, Dept of Biology, Univ. of Marburg Germany
| | - Nina Farwig
- Conservation Ecology, Dept of Biology, Univ. of Marburg Germany
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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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Acosta-Rojas DC, Jiménez-Franco MV, Zapata-Pérez VM, De la Rúa P, Martínez-López V. An integrative approach to discern the seed dispersal role of frugivorous guilds in a Mediterranean semiarid priority habitat. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7609. [PMID: 31620312 PMCID: PMC6792472 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Seed dispersal is an essential process to maintain the viability of plant populations, and understanding this ecological process allows management strategies to be developed to conserve ecosystems. European Union priority habitat 5220* is defined as "Mediterranean arborescent shrubland with Ziziphus lotus" and it represents a favorable microclimate within the severe climatic conditions typical of the semiarid south-eastern region of the Iberian Peninsula. Therefore, the study of seed dispersal in this priority habitat by different frugivorous guilds, is a challenge for its conservation. In this study, we have characterized a mutualistic network of seed dispersal that is mediated by vertebrates (mammals and birds) in the protected habitat 5220*. The aims of this study were to: (i) identify the seed disperser community; (ii) analyze the relative role of key species in the dispersal process; and (iii) compare the functional ecology of the seed dispersal process between mammals and birds. As such, we collected animal faeces to determine seed dispersers taxonomy, identifying the mammals through the visual aspect of the faeces and the birds by DNA barcoding. In the case of birds, we also collected regurgitated seeds in which the disperser species was also identified through molecular techniques. This allowed us to build-up a mutualistic network and to identify the relative role of these animals in seed dispersal. Our results showed that mammals and birds fulfilled complementary roles in seed dispersal, with birds representing the main dispersers of key plants within the 5220* habitat, and mammals the main dispersers of human-cultivated plants. Herein, we provide a useful approach with relevant information that can be used to propose management policies that focus on restoring the threatened 5220* habitat, promoting the role of birds to disperse key species that structure plant communities of this priority habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Carolina Acosta-Rojas
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - María Victoria Jiménez-Franco
- Ecology Area, Department of Applied Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University Miguel Hernández, Elche, Spain
- Department of Ecological Modeling, UFZ–Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Pilar De la Rúa
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Vicente Martínez-López
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Department of Ecology and Hydrology, Faculty of Biology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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11
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Interspecific competition for frugivores: population-level seed dispersal in contrasting fruiting communities. Oecologia 2019; 190:605-617. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04434-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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12
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Gelmi-Candusso TA, Hämäläinen AM. Seeds and the City: The Interdependence of Zoochory and Ecosystem Dynamics in Urban Environments. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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García D, Donoso I, Rodríguez‐Pérez J. Frugivore biodiversity and complementarity in interaction networks enhance landscape‐scale seed dispersal function. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel García
- Depto. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas Universidad de Oviedo, and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (CSIC‐Uo‐PA) Oviedo Spain
| | - 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 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
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos Universidade de Évora Évora Portugal
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Chybicki IJ, Oleksa A. Seed and pollen gene dispersal in Taxus baccata, a dioecious conifer in the face of strong population fragmentation. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2018; 122:409-421. [PMID: 29873697 PMCID: PMC6311948 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcy081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Background and Aims Dispersal is crucial due to its direct impact on dynamics of a species' distribution as well as having a role in shaping adaptive potential through gene flow. In plants forming scarce and small populations, knowledge about the dispersal process is required to assess the potential for colonizing new habitats and connectivity of present and future populations. This study aimed to assess dispersal potential in Taxus baccata, a dioecious gymnosperm tree with a wide but highly fragmented distribution. Methods Seed and pollen dispersal kernels were estimated directly in the framework of the spatially explicit mating model, where genealogies of naturally established seedlings were reconstructed with the help of microsatellite markers. In this way, six differently shaped dispersal functions were compared. Key Results Seed dispersal followed a leptokurtic distribution, with the Exponential-Power, the Power-law and Weibull being almost equally best-fitting models. The pollen dispersal kernel appeared to be more fat-tailed than the seed dispersal kernel, and the Lognormal and the Exponential-Power function showed the best fit. The rate of seed immigration from the background sources was not significantly different from the rate of pollen immigration (13.1 % vs. 19.7 %) and immigration rates were in agreement with or below maximum predictions based on the estimated dispersal kernels. Based on the multimodel approach, 95 % of seeds travel <109 m, while 95 % of pollen travels <704 m from the source. Conclusions The results showed that, at a local spatial scale, yew seeds travel shorter distances than pollen, facilitating a rapid development of a kinship structure. At the landscape level, however, although yew exhibits some potential to colonize new habitats through seed dispersal, genetic connectivity between different yew remnants is strongly limited. Taking into account strong population fragmentation, the study suggests that gene dispersal may be a limiting factor of the adaptability of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor J Chybicki
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Experimental Biology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Andrzej Oleksa
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Experimental Biology, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
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García-Cervigón AI, Żywiec M, Delibes M, Suárez-Esteban A, Perea R, Fedriani JM. Microsites of seed arrival: spatio-temporal variations in complex seed-disperser networks. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana I. García-Cervigón
- Biology Dept; Univ. of Cádiz; Campus Río San Pedro s/n ES-11510 Puerto Real Spain
- Centre for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves”/InBio, Inst. Superior of Agronomy; Univ. of Lisbon; Portugal
| | - Magdalena Żywiec
- Centre for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves”/InBio, Inst. Superior of Agronomy; Univ. of Lisbon; Portugal
- W. Szafer Inst. of Botany; Polish Academy of Sciences; Krakow Poland
| | - Miguel Delibes
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD - C.S.I.C.); Seville Spain
| | - Alberto Suárez-Esteban
- Dept of Renewable Resources; Univ. of Alberta; Edmonton AB Canada
- Yukon College; Whitehorse YT Canada
| | - Ramón Perea
- Depto de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales; Univ. Politécnica de Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | - José M. Fedriani
- Centre for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves”/InBio, Inst. Superior of Agronomy; Univ. of Lisbon; Portugal
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD - C.S.I.C.); Seville Spain
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Donoso I, García D, Martínez D, Tylianakis JM, Stouffer DB. Complementary Effects of Species Abundances and Ecological Neighborhood on the Occurrence of Fruit-Frugivore Interactions. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Lavabre JE, Gilarranz LJ, Fortuna MA, Bascompte J. How does the functional diversity of frugivorous birds shape the spatial pattern of seed dispersal? A case study in a relict plant species. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0280. [PMID: 27114581 PMCID: PMC4843700 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic markers used in combination with network analysis can characterize the fine spatial pattern of seed dispersal and assess the differential contribution of dispersers. As a case study, we focus on the seed dispersal service provided by a small guild of frugivorous birds to the common yew, Taxus baccata L., in southern Spain. We build the spatial networks of seed dispersal events between trees and seed-plots within the studied population-local network-and the spatial network that includes all dispersal events-regional network. Such networks are structured in well-defined modules, i.e. groups of tightly connected mother trees and seed-plots. Neither geographical distance, nor microhabitat type explained this modular structure, but when long-distance dispersal events are incorporated in the network it shows a relative increase in overall modularity. Independent field observations suggested the co-occurrence of two complementary groups, short- and long-distance dispersers, mostly contributing to the local and regional seed rain, respectively. The main long-distance disperser at our site, Turdus viscivorus, preferentially visits the most productive trees, thus shaping the seed rain at the landscape scale and affecting the local modular organization. We end by discussing how DNA barcoding could serve to better quantify the role of functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Lavabre
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio s/n, Sevilla 41092, Spain
| | - Luis J Gilarranz
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, (EBD-CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio s/n, Sevilla 41092, Spain Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Miguel A Fortuna
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Jordi Bascompte
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
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Irregular Shelterwood Cuttings Promote Viability of European Yew Population Growing in a Managed Forest: A Case Study from the Starohorské Mountains, Slovakia. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8080289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The increasing probability of Taxus baccata (L.) decline given climate change brings forth many uncertainties for conservation management decisions. In this article, the authors present the effects of applying regeneration cuttings since the year 2000 on the viability of the understory yew population. By collecting data from a stand located at the centre of the largest population of European yew in Slovakia, containing approximately 160,000 individuals, and analysing tree-ring records from 38 sampled trees, the improved performance of yews, including stem growth, seed production, and number of regenerated individuals, was revealed. Thinning the canopy by removing 15% of the growing stock volume per decade, combined with the subsequent irregular shelterwood cuttings, was assessed as a useful strategy. Moreover, lower radial growth of females compared to males, but simultaneously their similar response to climate, suggests a possible trade-off between reproduction and growth. Release cuttings of up to 30% of the standing volume in the vicinity of the female trees, executed in the rainy summers following warmer winters, and consistent elimination of deer browsing, can further enhance the positive effects of applied cuts on yew viability. Overall, the suggested active measures could be considered as an effective option to preserve the unique biodiversity of calcareous beech-dominated forests in Central Europe.
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Rodríguez‐Pérez J, García D, Martínez D, Morales JM. Seed dispersal by changing frugivore assemblages: a mechanistic test of global change effects. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Rodríguez‐Pérez
- Depto Biología de Organismos y Sistemas Univ. de Oviedo, and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB, CSIC‐Uo‐PA) ES‐33071 Oviedo Spain
- Aranzadi Sciences Society Zorroagagaina 11 ES‐20014 Donostia‐San Sebastián Spain
| | - Daniel García
- Depto Biología de Organismos y Sistemas Univ. de Oviedo, and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB, CSIC‐Uo‐PA) ES‐33071 Oviedo Spain
| | - Daniel Martínez
- Depto Biología de Organismos y Sistemas Univ. de Oviedo, and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB, CSIC‐Uo‐PA) ES‐33071 Oviedo Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Morales
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA‐CONICET Univ. Nacional del Comahue Bariloche Argentina
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Martínez D, García D. Role of Avian Seed Dispersers in Tree Recruitment in Woodland Pastures. Ecosystems 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-016-0043-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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21
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Differential effect of landscape structure on the large-scale dispersal of co-occurring bird-dispersed trees. Basic Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2016.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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PAN Y, BAI B, XIONG T, SHI P, LU C. Seed handling by primary frugivores differentially influence post-dispersal seed removal of Chinese yew by ground-dwelling animals. Integr Zool 2016; 11:191-8. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yang PAN
- Laboratory of Plant-Animal Interactions; Nanjing Forestry University; Nanjing China
| | - Bing BAI
- Laboratory of Plant-Animal Interactions; Nanjing Forestry University; Nanjing China
- Yunnan Forestry Technological College; Kunming China
| | - Tianshi XIONG
- Laboratory of Plant-Animal Interactions; Nanjing Forestry University; Nanjing China
| | - Peijian SHI
- Bamboo Research Institute; Nanjing Forestry University; Nanjing China
| | - Changhu LU
- Laboratory of Plant-Animal Interactions; Nanjing Forestry University; Nanjing China
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23
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Temporal variations in seed dispersal patterns of a bird-dispersed tree, Swida controversa (Cornaceae), in a temperate forest. Ecol Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-015-1324-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Dias DFC, Ribeiro MC, Felber YT, Cintra ALP, de Souza NS, Hasui É. Beauty before age: landscape factors influence bird functional diversity in naturally regenerating fragments, but regeneration age does not. Restor Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Davi F. C. Dias
- Laboratory of Forest Fragment Ecology; Institute of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas - UNIFAL-MG; Rua Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 700, Centro CEP 37130-000 Alfenas MG Brazil
| | - Milton C. Ribeiro
- Spatial Ecology and Conservation Lab (LEEC); Institute of Biosciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita; Rio Claro 13506-900 Brazil
| | - Yan T. Felber
- Laboratory of Forest Fragment Ecology; Institute of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas - UNIFAL-MG; Rua Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 700, Centro CEP 37130-000 Alfenas MG Brazil
| | - Ana L. P. Cintra
- Laboratory of Forest Fragment Ecology; Institute of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas - UNIFAL-MG; Rua Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 700, Centro CEP 37130-000 Alfenas MG Brazil
| | - Natália S. de Souza
- Laboratory of Forest Fragment Ecology; Institute of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas - UNIFAL-MG; Rua Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 700, Centro CEP 37130-000 Alfenas MG Brazil
| | - Érica Hasui
- Laboratory of Forest Fragment Ecology; Institute of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas - UNIFAL-MG; Rua Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 700, Centro CEP 37130-000 Alfenas MG Brazil
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Martínez D, García D. Disentangling habitat use by frugivorous birds: Constant interactive effects of forest cover and fruit availability. Basic Appl Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2015.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Sakamoto Y, Takatsuki S. Seeds Recovered from the Droppings at Latrines of the Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus): The Possibility of Seed Dispersal. Zoolog Sci 2015; 32:157-62. [PMID: 25826064 DOI: 10.2108/zs140107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Medium-sized carnivorous mammals are important seed dispersers of fleshy fruits. The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus) often feeds on fleshy fruits and forms latrines. This behavior may potentially lead to seed dispersal. To determine if this is the case, we studied 1) seed recovery in the droppings of raccoon dogs, and 2) the transportation of seeds between habitats using plastic markers in a western suburb of Tokyo, Japan. In total, 32,473 seeds of 50 plant taxa were recovered from 120 raccoon dog droppings during a year, and 95.7% of the seeds were found to be those of fleshy fruits. The species most frequently recovered were the eurya (Eurya japonica, 52.6%), the brambles (Rubus spp., 17.4%), and the black night shade (Solanum nigrum, 16.0%). A total of 7,412 plastic markers were embedded in baits at 14 bait plots and were recovered in the feces of the raccoon dogs at 22 latrines. The "transportation rates" were calculated in 50-m distance classes and found that most seeds (43.5%) were deposited within 50 m from the bait point, suggesting very short seed dispersal distances. Inter-habitat transportation was observed: 64.9% of the retrieved markers deposited in the forest were transported to other places within the forest. In contrast, almost all of the markers (99.4%) deposited in the open site were transported within the same habitat. These findings suggest that the seeds of forest plants bearing berries can be dispersed out of the forest to open areas by raccoon dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Sakamoto
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-859, Japan
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Fujita T, Mizuno K. Role of nurse rocks on woody plant establishment in a South African grassland. TROPICS 2015. [DOI: 10.3759/tropics.24.57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Fujita
- Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University
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Lavabre JE, Stouffer DB, Sanz R, Bascompte J. Seed dispersal in heterogeneous landscapes: linking field observations with spatially explicit models. OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E. Lavabre
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana; CSIC C/Américo Vespucio s/n ES-41092 Sevilla Spain
| | - Daniel B. Stouffer
- School of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Canterbury; Private Bag 4800 Christchurch 8140 New Zealand
| | - Rúben Sanz
- Forest Research Group, School of Forestry, Univ. of Extremadura; Av. Virgen del Puerto 2 ES-10600 Plasencia Spain
| | - Jordi Bascompte
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana; CSIC C/Américo Vespucio s/n ES-41092 Sevilla Spain
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Stokes DL, Church ED, Cronkright DM, Lopez S. Pictures of an Invasion: English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) in a Semi-Natural Pacific Northwest Forest. NORTHWEST SCIENCE 2014. [DOI: 10.3955/046.088.0204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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30
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Rodríguez-Pérez J, García D, Martínez D. Spatial networks of fleshy-fruited trees drive the flow of avian seed dispersal through a landscape. Funct Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Rodríguez-Pérez
- Depto. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas; Universidad de Oviedo and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB, CSIC-Uo-PA); Oviedo E-33071 Spain
| | - Daniel García
- Depto. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas; Universidad de Oviedo and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB, CSIC-Uo-PA); Oviedo E-33071 Spain
| | - Daniel Martínez
- Depto. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas; Universidad de Oviedo and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB, CSIC-Uo-PA); Oviedo E-33071 Spain
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Martínez D, García D, Herrera JM. Consistency and reciprocity of indirect interactions between tree species mediated by frugivorous birds. OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2013.00558.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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32
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Mammalian seed dispersal in Cantabrian woodland pastures: Network structure and response to forest loss. Basic Appl Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2013.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Carlo TA, García D, Martínez D, Gleditsch JM, Morales JM. Where do seeds go when they go far? Distance and directionality of avian seed dispersal in heterogeneous landscapes. Ecology 2013; 94:301-7. [PMID: 23691649 DOI: 10.1890/12-0913.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Seed dispersal at large scales strongly influences plant population dynamics. Still, ecologists have rarely measured seed dispersal at relevant scales, and the role of habitat types in affecting seed dispersal at long distances remains unexplored. We studied seed dispersal of Ilex aquifolium and Crataegus monogyna in northern Spain, hypothesizing that seeds would be recovered at higher rates and at longer distances (LDD) at habitats with fleshy-fruited trees, compared to habitats with other tree types or at open habitats. We tracked seeds in eight landscapes by enriching trees with 15N isotopes at the center of landscapes, and then detected 15N-marked seeds by sampling at distances of up to 700 m. We found that seeds arrive in greater densities and at longer distances in habitats with trees, particularly fleshy-fruited types, producing different LDD probabilities for each habitat. Results also show a disproportional arrival of seeds in habitats similar to those of mother plants, which should affect seed establishment and the genetic diversity of plant neighborhoods. Findings reveal the strong dependence of seed dispersal on the existing templates that guide the movements of avian dispersers in heterogeneous landscapes and also suggest that LDD above tree lines and beyond hard habitat edges can be difficult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás A Carlo
- Department of Biology and Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
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Morales JM, García D, Martínez D, Rodriguez-Pérez J, Herrera JM. Frugivore behavioural details matter for seed dispersal: a multi-species model for cantabrian thrushes and trees. PLoS One 2013; 8:e65216. [PMID: 23776452 PMCID: PMC3679117 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2012] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal movement and behaviour is fundamental for ecosystem functioning. The process of seed dispersal by frugivorous animals is a showcase for this paradigm since their behaviour shapes the spatial patterns of the earliest stage of plant regeneration. However, we still lack a general understanding of how intrinsic (frugivore and plant species traits) and extrinsic (landscape features) factors interact to determine how seeds of a given species are more likely to be deposited in some places more than in others. We develop a multi-species mechanistic model of seed dispersal based on frugivore behavioural responses to landscape heterogeneity. The model was fitted to data from three-years of spatially-explicit field observations on the behaviour of six frugivorous thrushes and the fruiting patterns of three fleshy-fruited trees in a secondary forest of the Cantabrian range (N Spain). With such model we explore how seed rain patterns arise from the interaction between animal behaviour and landscape heterogeneity. We show that different species of thrushes respond differently to landscape heterogeneity even though they belong to the same genus, and that provide complementary seed dispersal functions. Simulated seed rain patterns are only realistic when at least some landscape heterogeneity (forest cover and fruit abundance) is taken into account. The common and simple approach of re-sampling movement data to quantify seed dispersal produces biases in both the distance and the habitat at which seeds arrive. Movement behaviour not only affects dispersal distance and seed rain patterns but also can affect frugivore diet composition even if there is no built-in preference for fruiting species. In summary, the fate of seeds produced by a given plant species is strongly affected by both the composition of the frugivore assemblage and the landscape-scale context of the plant location, including the presence of fruits from other plants (from the same or different species).
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Manuel Morales
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Black River, Argentina.
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Rost J, Pons P, Bas JM. Seed dispersal by carnivorous mammals into burnt forests: An opportunity for non-indigenous and cultivated plant species. Basic Appl Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2012.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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García D, Martínez D. Species richness matters for the quality of ecosystem services: a test using seed dispersal by frugivorous birds. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:3106-13. [PMID: 22456879 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The positive link between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is a current paradigm in ecological science. However, little is known of how different attributes of species assemblages condition the quality of many services in real ecosystems affected by human impact. We explore the links between the attributes of a frugivore assemblage and the quantitative and qualitative components of its derived ecosystem service, seed dispersal, along a landscape-scale gradient of anthropogenic forest loss. Both the number and the richness of seeds being dispersed were positively related to frugivore abundance and richness. Seed dispersal quality, determined by the fine-scale spatial patterns of seed deposition, mostly depended on frugivore richness. In fact, richness was the only attribute of the frugivore assemblage affecting the probability of seed dispersal into deforested areas of the landscape. The positive relationships between frugivore richness per se (i.e. independent of frugivore abundance and composition) and all components of seed dispersal suggest the existence of functional complementarity and/or facilitation between frugivores. These links also point to the whole assemblage of frugivores as a conservation target, if we aim to preserve a complete seed dispersal service and, hence, the potential for vegetation regeneration and recovery, in human-impacted landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel García
- Departamento Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, and Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB, CSIC-UO-PA), 33071 Oviedo, Spain.
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Obeso JR, Martínez I, García D. Seed size is heterogeneously distributed among destination habitats in animal dispersed plants. Basic Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2011.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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The role of rodents in the seed fate of a thorny shrub in an ancient wood pasture. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2011.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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García D, Zamora R, Amico GC. The spatial scale of plant–animal interactions: effects of resource availability and habitat structure. ECOL MONOGR 2011. [DOI: 10.1890/10-0470.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Frugivory and spatial patterns of seed deposition by carnivorous mammals in anthropogenic landscapes: a multi-scale approach. PLoS One 2011; 6:e14569. [PMID: 21297861 PMCID: PMC3024974 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2010] [Accepted: 11/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge about how frugivory and seed deposition are spatially distributed is valuable to understand the role of dispersers on the structure and dynamics of plant populations. This may be particularly important within anthropogenic areas, where either the patchy distribution of wild plants or the presence of cultivated fleshy-fruits may influence plant-disperser interactions. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We investigated frugivory and spatial patterns of seed deposition by carnivorous mammals in anthropogenic landscapes considering two spatial scales: 'landscape' (∼10 km(2)) and 'habitat type' (∼1-2 km(2)). We sampled carnivore faeces and plant abundance at three contrasting habitats (chestnut woods, mosaics and scrublands), each replicated within three different landscapes. Sixty-five percent of faeces collected (n = 1077) contained seeds, among which wild and cultivated seeds appeared in similar proportions (58% and 53%) despite that cultivated fruiting plants were much less abundant. Seed deposition was spatially structured among both spatial scales being different between fruit types. Whereas the most important source of spatial variation in deposition of wild seeds was the landscape scale, it was the habitat scale for cultivated seeds. At the habitat scale, seeds of wild species were mostly deposited within mosaics while seeds of cultivated species were within chestnut woods and scrublands. Spatial concordance between seed deposition and plant abundance was found only for wild species. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Spatial patterns of seed deposition by carnivores differed between fruit types and seemed to be modulated by the fleshy-fruited plant assemblages and the behaviour of dispersers. Our results suggest that a strong preference for cultivated fruits by carnivores may influence their spatial foraging behaviour and lower their dispersal services to wild species. However, the high amount of seeds removed within and between habitats suggests that carnivores must play an important role--often overlooked--as 'restorers' and 'habitat shapers' in anthropogenic areas.
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Borchert M, Tyler CM. Desiccation Sensitivity and Heat Tolerance ofPrunus ilicifoliaSeeds Dispersed by American Black Bears (Ursus americanus). WEST N AM NATURALIST 2011. [DOI: 10.3398/064.070.0405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Schupp EW, Jordano P, Gómez JM. Seed dispersal effectiveness revisited: a conceptual review. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2010; 188:333-53. [PMID: 20673283 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03402.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 518] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Growth in seed dispersal studies has been fast-paced since the seed disperser effectiveness (SDE) framework was developed 17 yr ago. Thus, the time is ripe to revisit the framework in light of accumulated new insight. Here, we first present an overview of the framework, how it has been applied, and what we know and do not know. We then introduce the SDE landscape as the two-dimensional representation of the possible combinations of the quantity and the quality of dispersal and with elevational contours representing isoclines of SDE. We discuss the structure of disperser assemblages on such landscapes. Following this we discuss recent advances and ideas in seed dispersal in the context of their impacts on SDE. Finally, we highlight a number of emerging issues that provide insight into SDE. Overall, the SDE framework successfully captures the complexities of seed dispersal. We advocate an expanded use of the term dispersal encompassing the multiple recruitment stages from fruit to adult. While this entails difficulties in estimating SDE, it is a necessary expansion if we are to understand the central relevance of seed dispersal in plant ecology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene W Schupp
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230, USA.
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Garcia D, Zamora R, Amico GC. Birds as suppliers of seed dispersal in temperate ecosystems: conservation guidelines from real-world landscapes. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2010; 24:1070-1079. [PMID: 20136873 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01440.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Seed dispersal by animals is considered a pivotal ecosystem function that drives plant-community dynamics in natural habitats and vegetation recovery in human-altered landscapes. Nevertheless, there is a lack of suitable ecological knowledge to develop basic conservation and management guidelines for this ecosystem service. Essential questions, such as how well the abundance of frugivorous animals predicts seeding function in different ecosystems and how anthropogenic landscape heterogeneity conditions the role of dispersers, remain poorly answered. In three temperate ecosystems, we studied seed dispersal by frugivorous birds in landscape mosaics shaped by human disturbance. By applying a standardized design across systems, we related the frequency of occurrence of bird-dispersed seeds throughout the landscape to the abundance of birds, the habitat features, and the abundance of fleshy fruits. Abundance of frugivorous birds in itself predicted the occurrence of dispersed seeds throughout the landscape in all ecosystems studied. Even those landscape patches impoverished due to anthropogenic disturbance received some dispersed seeds when visited intensively by birds. Nonetheless, human-caused landscape degradation largely affected seed-deposition patterns by decreasing cover of woody vegetation or availability of fruit resources that attracted birds and promoted seed dispersal. The relative role of woody cover and fruit availability in seed dispersal by birds differed among ecosystems. Our results suggest that to manage seed dispersal for temperate ecosystem preservation or restoration one should consider abundance of frugivorous birds as a surrogate of landscape-scale seed dispersal and an indicator of patch quality for the dispersal function; woody cover and fruit resource availability as key landscape features that drive seedfall patterns; and birds as mobile links that connect landscape patches of different degrees of degradation and habitat quality via seed deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Garcia
- Depto. Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, and Instituto Cantábrico de Biodiversidad (CSIC-UO-PA), C/Rodrigo Uría s/n, Oviedo 33071, Asturias, Spain.
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Herrera JM, García D. Effects of forest fragmentation on seed dispersal and seedling establishment in ornithochorous trees. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2010; 24:1089-1098. [PMID: 20184646 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01459.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation increases seed dispersal limitation across the landscape and may also affect subsequent demographic stages such as seedling establishment. Thus, the development of adequate plans for forest restoration requires an understanding of mechanisms by which fragmentation hampers seed delivery to deforested areas and knowledge of how fragmentation affects the relationship between seed-deposition patterns and seedling establishment. We evaluated the dispersal and recruitment of two bird-dispersed, fleshy-fruited tree species (Crataegus monogyna and Ilex aquifolium) in fragmented secondary forests of northern Spain. Forest fragmentation reduced the probability of seed deposition for both trees because of decreased availability of woody perches and fruit-rich neighborhoods for seed dispersers, rather than because of reductions in tree cover by itself. The effects of fragmentation went beyond effects on the dispersal stage in Crataegus because seedling establishment was proportional to the quantities of bird-dispersed seeds arriving at microsites. In contrast, postdispersal mortality in Ilex was so high that it obscured the seed-to-seedling transition. These results suggest that the effects of fragmentation are not necessarily consistent across stages of recruitment across species. Habitat management seeking to overcome barriers to forest recovery must include the preservation, and even the planting, of fleshy-fruited trees in the unforested matrix as a measure to encourage frugivorous birds to enter into open and degraded areas. An integrative management strategy should also explicitly consider seed-survival expectancies at microhabitats to preserve plant-population dynamics and community structure in fragmented landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Manuel Herrera
- Ecology Unit, Department BOS, University of Oviedo, and Instituto Cantábrico de Biodiversidad (CSIC-UO-PA), E-33071, Oviedo, Spain.
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Nakashima Y, Inoue E, Inoue-Murayama M, Abd Sukor JR. Functional uniqueness of a small carnivore as seed dispersal agents: a case study of the common palm civets in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia. Oecologia 2010; 164:721-30. [PMID: 20602116 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1714-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2009] [Accepted: 06/23/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Many carnivorous mammals consume fruits and disperse the intact seeds to specific sites. Few studies have attempted to quantify this seed dispersal or evaluate its effectiveness, despite its potential importance and functional uniqueness. In the study reported here, we found that a frugivorous carnivore, the common palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), generated seed shadows that are distinct from those of the sympatric frugivore, the pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina), and played a unique and important role in the regeneration of Leea aculeata (Leeaceae). We found that macaques dispersed the seeds randomly, while civets dispersed them non-randomly to sites such as the banks of small rivers, rain-flow paths, abandoned trails, and treefall gaps, which are characterized by low stem density and canopy cover. Seeds of L. aculeata that were dispersed by civets to the banks of rivers and gaps had significantly higher survival and growth rates than those dispersed to rain-flow paths or abandoned trails. Seeds dispersed by macaques or to random locations also had low survival. Although the effects of the civets on seed fate were not straightforward, compared with macaques and random dispersal, civets significantly enhanced the survival and growth of L. aculeata seeds after 1 year. These results indicate that non-random dispersal by civets is important for the persistence of L. aculeata. Civets may disperse other plant species and thus could have profound effects on forest dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Nakashima
- Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto, Japan.
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Castro J, Moreno-Rueda G, Hódar JA. Experimental test of postfire management in pine forests: impact of salvage logging versus partial cutting and nonintervention on bird-species assemblages. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2010; 24:810-819. [PMID: 20015262 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01382.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
There is an intense debate about the effects of postfire salvage logging versus nonintervention policies on regeneration of forest communities, but scant information from experimental studies is available. We manipulated a burned forest area on a Mediterranean mountain to experimentally analyze the effect of salvage logging on bird-species abundance, diversity, and assemblage composition. We used a randomized block design with three plots of approximately 25 ha each, established along an elevational gradient in a recently burned area in Sierra Nevada Natural and National Park (southeastern Spain). Three replicates of three treatments differing in postfire burned wood management were established per plot: salvage logging, nonintervention, and an intermediate degree of intervention (felling and lopping most of the trees but leaving all the biomass). Starting 1 year after the fire, we used point sampling to monitor bird abundance in each treatment for 2 consecutive years during the breeding and winter seasons (720 censuses total). Postfire burned-wood management altered species assemblages. Salvage logged areas had species typical of open- and early-successional habitats. Bird species that inhabit forests were still present in the unsalvaged treatments even though trees were burned, but were almost absent in salvage-logged areas. Indeed, the main dispersers of mid- and late-successional shrubs and trees, such as thrushes (Turdus spp.) and the European Jay (Garrulus glandarius) were almost restricted to unsalvaged treatments. Salvage logging might thus hamper the natural regeneration of the forest through its impact on assemblages of bird species. Moreover, salvage logging reduced species abundance by 50% and richness by 40%, approximately. The highest diversity at the landscape level (gamma diversity) resulted from a combination of all treatments. Salvage logging may be positive for bird conservation if combined in a mosaic with other, less-aggressive postfire management, but stand-wide management with harvest operations has undesirable conservation effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Castro
- Grupo de Ecología Terrestre. Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.
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Seed dispersal patterns in a temperate forest during a mast event: performance of alternative dispersal kernels. Oecologia 2008; 159:389-400. [PMID: 19018573 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-008-1218-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2007] [Accepted: 10/20/2008] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Seed dispersal patterns were studied in a north-western Spain temperate forest community to assess the performances of alternative dispersal kernels during two years with ecologically contrasting scenarios; a non-mast year, and a mast year of the dominant canopy species, beech Fagus sylvatica. Dispersal kernels were fitted under a Bayesian modeling framework. Both simple and mixture kernels were considered for the five more abundant tree species (Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, F. sylvatica, Ilex aquifolium and Taxus baccata). Mixture kernels provided a better fit for almost all species, and the log-normal performed best for T. baccata. No relationship between dispersal syndromes and the best dispersal kernel function emerged. However, we found temporal changes in the shape of the dispersal kernels that seemed to be related to variation in relative fruit production among species and the resulting changes in the responses of dispersal vectors. This reveals a potential role for disperser-mediated indirect effects in terms of introducing temporal variation in species spread. In this sense, our results highlight the need to consider single species seed dispersal as a community process.
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