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opencc-zeroDec 2021View details →

Forbidden fruits? Ecosystem services from seed dispersal by fruit bats in the context of latent zoonotic risk

Old world fruit bats are important seed dispersers of forest plants as well as of commercial fruit crops. Bats scatter seeds across landscapes and also aggregate (clump) seeds under feeding and roosting trees. In agroforestry landscapes, bat frugivory and seed dispersal can result in simultaneous accrual of socio-economic benefits and costs to humans, which may be further affected by human health risks from zoonotic spillover through human-bat interactions. In our study, we used an integrated approach to assess socio-economic benefits (from seed dispersal) and costs (from frugivory) from bats, in relation to latent zoonotic risk. We carried out the study in five agroforestry landscapes along India's Western Ghats, for selected commercial fruit crops (cashew, areca, banana, and other pulpy/fleshy fruits). Specifically, we hypothesized that people's perceptions of benefits from fruit bats would be correlated with measured extents of clumped seed dispersal in fruit plantations. We conducted ecological studies to investigate the effects of fruit crop type and plantation attributes on clump-dispersal, and in turn, on perceived "net benefits" assessed from interviews with plantation-associated people. We then explored associations between perceived socio-economic net benefits and spatial data on disease risk factors for fruit-bat-linked henipavirus transmission. We found that the extent of bat-mediated clump-dispersal was highest for cashew, especially in isolated plantations. People's perceptions of benefits from fruit bats matched the measured extents of clump-dispersal of cashew and areca. These benefits came with some costs from scatter-dispersal and damage to other fleshy fruits from frugivory by bats. Interestingly, we did not detect tradeoffs between perceived net benefits from bats and disease risk, which is of significance for bat conservation and its implications for human well-being. Overall, our results highlight that bat-mediated seed dispersal needs to be sustained as an important ecosystem service, despite some latent zoonotic risk, in the Anthropocene.

opencc-by-4.0Jan 2022View details →

Mammal-mediated seed dispersal in Vanilla: its rewards and clues to the evolution of fleshy fruits in orchids

Data on frequency of visits by Vanilla bahiana dispersers and data on acid scarification of seeds.

opencc-by-4.0Jan 2022View details →

Inducing seed dispersal by ants of valuable plant species for restoration

Database that supports the manuscript (not yet published) entitled: "Inducing seed dispersal by ants of valuable plant species for restoration".

opencc-zeroJan 2022View details →

Climate change reshapes the eco-evolutionary dynamics of a Neotropical seed dispersal system

Aim: Global changes will redistribute biodiversity, reshaping ecological interactions and ecosystem processes. The distribution decoupling of plants and their mutualistic seed dispersers, for instance, may have overlooked eco-evolutionary effects. How animal-dispersed plants will respond to changes in the distribution of their seed dispersers is, however, an open question. Here, we forecast the consequences of climate change and frugivory interactions for the spatial distribution and seed size evolution of a Neotropical palm. Location: Atlantic forests of South America Time period: Present day, end of 21st Century Major taxa studied: Thirty-two species of frugivorous birds, and a palm (Euterpe edulis). Methods: Future patterns of animal-plant co-occurrence were derived from ecological niche models, climate forecasts, projections of future forest loss, and seed dispersal simulations. We further explored the evolutionary effect of the spatial reorganization of interactions by modelling palm seed sizes as function of changes in the distribution of frugivore traits. Results: Our models indicate that future climate change and deforestation may reduce the palm's suitable distribution by 20-50%. However, our simulations suggest that 66% of all remaining future suitable distribution (76.200 km²) would still be inaccessible to the palm without the active dispersal of seeds by frugivores. In addition, novel frugivore communities are projected to have smaller body mass and gape size (-23% and -10%, respectively), due to the loss of large frugivores, which may translate into a 6–17% reduction of seed sizes across the palm's remaining distribution. Main conclusion: Our projections indicate that frugivore seed dispersal may be critical to allow occupancy of future habitat by the studied plant. However, loss of large frugivores may affect trait selection regimes, creating hotspots of plant evolution towards smaller seeds. We argue that such complex dynamics from species-specific responses to global change may drive the distribution and evolution of several interacting partners worldwide.

opencc-zeroJan 2022View details →

Common palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) are positively associated with humans and forest degradation with implications for seed dispersal and zoonotic diseases

Habitat loss and degradation can undermine wildlife communities and ecosystem functioning. However, certain generalist wildlife species like mesopredators and omnivores can exploit these disturbed habitats, sometimes leading to population increases (e.g., "mesopredator release" in degraded areas). Although mesopredator release may cause negative effects on food webs and zoonotic disease management, some disturbance-tolerant species may help perpetuate important ecological interactions, such as seed dispersal. We evaluated the habitat associations of common palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), which are widespread generalist mesopredators in Southeast Asia. Common palm civets are also high-quality seed dispersers, and potential zoonotic disease hosts. We used published and new camera trapping data to map their probability of presence across Southeast Asia and evaluate regional-scale associations between capture rates and habitat variables such as elevation, ecoregion intactness, and Human Footprint Index, among others. We also assessed the influence of habitat variables on their relative abundance at the local scale. At the regional scale, we found that common palm civets showed significant positive associations with landscapes characterized by lower ecoregion intactness, higher Human Footprint Index, and lower elevations. At the local scale, their relative abundance showed a significant positive association with higher Human Footprint Index, but only to a certain point, after which it started decreasing. They also favored lower elevations at the local scale. These multi-scale results indicate that common palm civets' abundance can increase under certain levels of human disturbances, consistent with the "mesopredator release" hypothesis. This suggests they may be crucial seed dispersers in degraded forest landscapes, especially where more sensitive seed dispersers have disappeared. Our results are also consistent with previous studies reporting that habitat degradation increases populations of potential zoonotic disease hosts, and thus risks of transmission to humans.

opencc-zeroDec 2022View details →

Seed traits matter—Endozoochoric dispersal through a pervasive mobile linker

Although many plants are dispersed by wind and seeds can travel long distances across unsuitable matrix areas, a large proportion relies on co-evolved zoochorous seed dispersal to connect populations in isolated habitat islands. Particularly in agricultural landscapes, where remaining habitat patches are often very small and highly isolated, mobile linkers as zoochorous seed dispersers are critical for the population dynamics of numerous plant species. However, knowledge about the quali- or quantification of such mobile link processes, especially in agricultural landscapes, is still limited. In a controlled feeding experiment, we recorded the seed intake and germination success after complete digestion by the European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) and explored its mobile link potential as an endozoochoric seed disperser. Utilizing a suite of common, rare, and potentially invasive plant species, we disentangled the effects of seed morphological traits on germination success while controlling for phylogenetic relatedness. Further, we measured the landscape connectivity via hares in two contrasting agricultural landscapes (simple: few natural and semi-natural structures, large fields; complex: high amount of natural and semi-natural structures, small fields) using GPS-based movement data. With 34,710 seeds of 44 plant species fed, one of 200 seeds (0.51%) with seedlings of 33 species germinated from feces. Germination after complete digestion was positively related to denser seeds with comparatively small surface area and a relatively slender and elongated shape, suggesting that, for hares, the most critical seed characteristics for successful endozoochorous seed dispersal minimize exposure of the seed to the stomach and the associated digestive system. Furthermore, we could show that a hare's retention time is long enough to interconnect different habitats, especially grasslands and fields. Thus, besides other seed dispersal mechanisms, this most likely allows hares to act as effective mobile linkers contributing to ecosystem stability in times of agricultural intensification, not only in complex but also in simple landscapes.

opencc-zeroJan 2022View details →

Ecology of fear and its effect on seed dispersal by a neotropical rodent by Dumas Gálvez and Marisol Hernández

Predators exert negative effects on prey, besides the act of killing, generating behavioral and physiological costs, a concept known as the ecology of fear. Studies in scatterhoarding rodents in temperate zones suggests that prey use habitat structure to perceive predation risk. Less is known about how tropical forest rodents perceive predation risk. Here, we investigated whether the Central American agouti perceive predation risk by ocelots through olfactory cues and whether it influences the foraging behavior for Attalea butyracea seeds, one of its main food sources. By monitoring tagged seeds, we found that seed dispersal and pilferage was lower in sites with high density of ocelots, in line with the predictions of ecology of fear proposing that scared animals eat less. We also found that pilferage rates in high ocelot density sites seem to be lower during the rainy - transition period but not during dry season when food availability is generally low. However, we did not find evidence that agoutis adjust their cache spacing behavior in response to ocelot density. In an additional experiment to corroborate that agoutis' responses were caused by ocelots' cues, we found lower dispersal rates for seeds placed next to samples of urine and feces of ocelots as compared to controls, during the first seven days. Moreover, agoutis spent less time handling the seeds with ocelots' cues. Here, we discuss potential cascading effects linked to the behavior of agoutis towards predation risk.

opencc-zeroFeb 2022View details →

Oak galls exhibit ant-dispersal convergent with myrmecochorous seeds

Ants disperse oak galls of some cynipid wasp species similarly to how they disperse seeds with elaiosomes. We conducted choice assays in field and lab settings, with ant-dispersed seeds and wasp-induced galls found in ant nests and found that seed-dispersing ants retrieve these galls as they do myrmecochorous seeds. We also conducted manipulative experiments in which we removed the putative ant-attracting appendages ("kapéllos") from galls and found ants are specifically attracted to kapéllos. Finally, we compared chemical composition and the histology of ant-attracting appendages on seeds and galls, and they both had similar fatty-acid compositions as well as morphology. We also observed seed-dispersing ants retrieve oak galls to their nests, and rodents and birds consuming oak galls that were not retrieved by ants. These results suggest convergence in ant-mediated dispersal between myrmecochorous seeds and oak galls. Based on our observations, a protective advantage for galls retrieved to ant nests seems a more likely benefit than dispersal distance, as also has been suggested for myrmecochorous seeds. These results require reconsideration of established ant-plant research assumptions as ant-mediated seed and gall dispersal appear strongly convergent and galls may be far more abundant in eastern North American deciduous forests than myrmecochorous seeds.

opencc-zeroFeb 2022View details →

Chimpanzees as ecosystem service providers: Seed dispersal of an economically important plant resource

Vertebrate-mediated seed dispersal is vital to the maintenance of diversity in tropical ecosystems, and seed-dispersing animals are increasingly thought to provide ecosystem services by dispersing the seeds of plant species utilized by people. However, few studies have demonstrated a link between vertebrate frugivores and plants used by people, thus limiting the generalizability of the seed-disperser-as-ecosystem-service-provider concept. We examined the effectiveness of western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) as seed dispersers (i.e., their influence on seedling recruitment) of an economically important fruit resource, Saba senegalensis, at the site of Fongoli, a savanna-woodland environment in southeastern Senegal. The fruit from the Saba vine is commonly harvested from the wild by local people and is also an important food item for chimpanzees. We conducted germination experiments on gut-passed seeds alongside non-gut-passed seeds and analyzed the germination success of chimpanzee-dispersed seeds in situ. We also analyzed the effect of habitat type and canopy cover at each seed dispersal site to determine which sites are most suitable for Saba germination. Germination trials showed that chimpanzee gut passage and manual pulp removal increased the likelihood of germination over seeds left intact. Nearly a quarter of chimpanzee-dispersed seeds germinated in situ and Saba seeds were distributed non-randomly throughout Fongoli, with more dispersed seeds found in habitats most suitable for Saba germination. These results suggest that chimpanzees aid in the early stages of Saba recruitment and thus provide an ecosystem service via seed dispersal that may contribute to the well-being of local people.

opencc-zeroApr 2022View details →

Supporting data: Speciation and population divergence in a mutualistic seed dispersing bird

Bird-mediated seed dispersal is crucial for the regeneration and viability of ecosystems, often resulting in complex mutualistic species networks. Yet, how this mutualism drives the evolution of seed dispersing birds is still poorly understood. In the present study we combine whole genome re-sequencing analyses and morphometric data to assess the evolutionary processes that shaped the diversification of the Eurasian nutcracker (Nucifraga), a seed disperser known for its mutualism with pines (Pinus). Our results show that the divergence and phylogeographic patterns of nutcrackers resemble those of other non-mutualistic passerine birds and suggests that their early diversification was shaped by similar biogeographic and climatic processes. The limited variation in foraging traits indicates that local adaptation to pines likely played a minor role. Our study shows that close mutualistic relationships between bird and plant species might not necessarily act as a primary driver of evolution and diversification in resource-specialized birds. The supporting data include VCF-files for the different population genetic analyses, the morphometric data set, as well as the data set related to the phylogenetic analyses.

opencc-by-4.0May 2024View details →

Seed dispersal by the cosmopolitan house sparrow widen the spectrum of unexpected endozoochory by granivore birds

Presence of seeds from different plant species found in the droppings of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and their viability determined by the tetrazolium test.

Fig. 5 in Comparative Analysis of the Ecological Functions of Dung Removal and Seed Dispersal among Two Telecoprid and Two Paracoprid Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Fig. 5. Box plots of the median, first, and third quartile, and lower and upper limits of dung removal by standardized 1-g biomass of Canthon rutilans cyanescens, Deltochilum multicolor, Dichotomius sericeus, and Phanaeus splendidulus exposed to dog feces for two and seven days. Plots with the same letter are not significantly different (Tukey test, P> 0.05).

Fig. 4 in Comparative Analysis of the Ecological Functions of Dung Removal and Seed Dispersal among Two Telecoprid and Two Paracoprid Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Fig. 4. Comparative analysis of dung removal and secondary dispersal of small and large seeds by single male/ female pair of Canthon rutilans cyanescens (Cr), Deltochilum multicolor (Dm), Dichotomius sericeus (Ds), and Phanaeus splendidulus (Ps) exposed to dog feces for two and seven days. Squares with the same letter and color are not significantly different (Tukey test, P> 0.05).

Fig. 3 in Comparative Analysis of the Ecological Functions of Dung Removal and Seed Dispersal among Two Telecoprid and Two Paracoprid Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Fig. 3. Box plots of the median, first, and third quartile, and lower and upper limits of dung removal and secondary seed dispersal by two paracoprid dung beetles as single male/female pair and three male/female pairs exposed to dog feces for two, seven, and 21 days. A) Dung removal capacity, B) Small seed dispersal, and C) Large seed dispersal by Dichotomius sericeus. D) Dung removal capacity, E) Small seed dispersal, and F) Large seed dispersal by Phanaeus splendidulus. Plots with the same letter are not significantly different (Tukey test, P> 0.05).

Fig. 1 in Comparative Analysis of the Ecological Functions of Dung Removal and Seed Dispersal among Two Telecoprid and Two Paracoprid Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Fig. 1. Arenas for the study of dung removal and secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles. A) Arena for telecoprids with 30 g of dyed feces divided into three portions of 10 g each with a variable number of artificial seeds, B) Closed arena covered with veil-type fabric, C) Arena protected from rain. D, E, and F show the same sequence for the arenas for paracoprids.

Fig. 2 in Comparative Analysis of the Ecological Functions of Dung Removal and Seed Dispersal among Two Telecoprid and Two Paracoprid Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Fig. 2. Box plots of the median, first, and third quartile, and lower and upper limits of dung removal and secondary seed dispersal by two telecoprid dung beetles as single male/female pair and three male/female pairs exposed to dog feces for two, seven, and 21 days. A) Dung removal capacity, B) Small seed dispersal, and C) Large seed dispersal by Canthon rutilans cyanescens. D) Dung removal capacity, E) Small seed dispersal, and F) Large seed dispersal by Deltochilum multicolor. Plots with the same letter are not significantly different (Tukey test, P> 0.05).

opennotspecifiedMay 2024View details →

Figure 1 in Potential seed dispersal of cumbaru (Dipteryx alata) by fruit-eating bats (Artibeus sp.) in a Brazilian urban context

Figure 1: Location of the bat roost (yellow point) monitored, in the urban area (blue circle) of the municipality of Cáceres, Central-Southern region of Mato Grosso state, Brazil.

opennotspecifiedMay 2024View details →

Figure 2 in Potential seed dispersal of cumbaru (Dipteryx alata) by fruit-eating bats (Artibeus sp.) in a Brazilian urban context

Figure 2: Potential seed dispersal of Dipteryx alata by Artibeus sp. (A) Cerrado riparian forest located in an urban area of the municipality of Cáceres,Mato Grosso (Brazil) where potentially cumbaru tree (D. alata) is present, (B) roosting site used by two individuals of Artibeus sp. monitored for 21 consecutive days to quantify cumbaru frugivory and seed dispersal (C and D).

opennotspecifiedJul 2016View details →

Fig. 3 in Seed dispersal effectiveness: A comparison of four bird species feeding on seeds of invasive Acacia cyclops in South Africa

Fig. 3. Geographic distribution (i.e. green colour) of the studied bird species in Southern Africa, namely, the frugivorous (a) Knysna turaco Tauraco corythaix, and (b) the red-winged starling Onychognathus morio, (c) the granivorous red-eyed dove Streptopelia semitorquata, and (d) the laughing dove S.senegalensis (SABAP 2 http://www.adu.org.za/ accessed 23 June 2015).