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51 results for “Frugivory”
Frugivoria: A trait database for birds and mammals exhibiting frugivory across contiguous Neotropical moist forests
Biodiversity in many areas is rapidly shifting and declining as a consequence of global change. As such, there is an urgent need for new tools and strategies to help identify, monitor, and conserve biodiversity hotspots. One way to identify these areas is by quantifying functional diversity, which measures the unique roles of species within a community and is valuable for conservation because of its relationship with ecosystem functioning. Unfortunately, the trait information required to evaluate functional diversity is often lacking and is difficult to harmonize across disparate data sources. Biodiversity hotspots are particularly lacking in this information. To address this knowledge gap, we compiled Frugivoria, a trait database containing dietary, life-history, morphological, and geographic traits, for mammals and birds exhibiting frugivory, which are important for seed dispersal, an essential ecosystem service. Accompanying Frugivoria is an open workflow that harmonizes trait and taxonomic data from disparate sources and enables users to analyze traits in space. This version of Frugivoria contains mammal and bird species found in contiguous moist montane forests and adjacent moist lowland forests of Central and South America– the latter specifically focusing on the Andean states. In total, Frugivoria includes 45,216 unique trait values, including new values and harmonized values from existing databases. Frugivoria adds 23,707 new trait values (8,709 for mammals and 14,999 for birds) for a total of 1,733 bird and mammal species. These traits include diet breadth, habitat breadth, habitat specialization, body size, sexual dimorphism, and range-based geographic traits including range size, average annual mean temperature and precipitation, and metrics of human impact calculated over the range. Frugivoria fills gaps in trait categories from other databases such as diet category, home range size, generation time, and longevity, and extends certain traits, once only a
Frugivoria: an open trait database of birds and mammals exhibiting frugivory in moist montane Neotropical forest
Biodiversity in many areas is rapidly shifting and declining as a consequence of global change. As such, there is an urgent need for new tools and strategies to help identify, monitor, and conserve biodiversity hotspots. One way to identify these areas is by quantifying functional diversity, which measures the unique roles of species within a community and is valuable for conservation because of its relationship with ecosystem functioning. Unfortunately, the functional trait information required to evaluate functional diversity is often lacking and is difficult to harmonize across disparate data sources. Biodiversity hotspots are particularly lacking in this information. To address this knowledge gap, we compiled Frugivoria, a trait database containing dietary, life-history, and morphological traits as well as IUCN conservation status, for mammals and birds exhibiting frugivory, which are important for seed dispersal, an essential ecosystem service. Accompanying Frugivoria is an open workflow that harmonizes trait and taxonomic data from disparate sources and enables users to analyze traits in space. This version of Frugivoria encompasses species in moist montane forests of Central and South America. Compared with existing trait databases, Frugivoria adds 25 species (reclassifying 199 to align with the most recent taxonomic changes), adds new traits such as observed and inferred range size, habitat specialization, and body size, and also fills gaps in trait categories from other databases such as diet category, home range size, generation time, and longevity. Overall, Frugivoria adds 2,045 new trait values for mammals and 4,022 for birds, and includes a total of 17,454 trait entries with minimums and maximums reported for certain traits. Frugivoria and its workflow enables researchers to quantify relationships between traits and the environment, as well as spatial trends in functional diversity, contributing to basic knowledge and applied conservation of frugivores
Data from: Frugivory-mediated trophic cascades: How apex predators can shape the recruitment of a fleshy-fruited tree
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Forest cover and fruit crop size differentially influence frugivory of select rainforest tree species in Western Ghats, India (Part II)
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Forest fragmentation and habitat loss are major disruptors of plant–frugivore interactions, affecting seed dispersal and altering recruitment patterns of tree species dependent on vertebrate dispersers. In a heterogeneous production landscape (primarily tea and coffee plantations) in the southern Western Ghats, India, we <span><span>examined effects of surrounding forest cover and fruit crop size on frugivory of four rainforest bird-dispersed tree species</span></span> (<i>N</i> = 131 trees, ≥ 30 trees per species, observed for 623 h). Frugivore composition differed among the four tree species with the large-seeded <i>Canarium strictum </i>and<i> Myristica dactyloides</i> exclusively dependent on large-bodied avian frugivores, whereas, medium-seeded <i>Persea macrantha</i> and <i>Heynea trijuga </i>were predominantlyvisited by small-bodied and large-bodied avian frugivores, respectively. Using the seed-dispersal-effectiveness framework, we identified effective frugivores and examined their response to forest cover and fruit crop size. Results were idiosyncratic and governed by plant and frugivore traits. Visitations to medium-seeded <i>Persea </i>had a positive relationship with forest cover but the relationship was negative for the large-seeded <i>Myristica</i>. In addition, two of the three effective frugivores for <i>Persea </i>responded to the interactive effect of forest cover and fruit crop size<i>. </i>Frugivore visitations to <i>Hyenea</i> were not related to forest cover or fruit crop and<i> </i>there were too few visitations to <i>Canarium </i>to discern any trends<i>. </i>These results highlight the context-specific response of plant-frugivore interactions to forest cover and fruit crop size influenced by the plant and frugivore traits.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Forest cover and fruit crop size differentially influence frugivory of select rainforest tree species in Western Ghats, India (Part I)
<p>Forest fragmentation and habitat loss are major disruptors of plant–frugivore interactions, affecting seed dispersal and altering recruitment patterns of tree species dependent on vertebrate dispersers. In a heterogeneous production landscape (primarily tea and coffee plantations) in the southern Western Ghats, India, we <span>examined effects of surrounding forest cover and fruit crop size on frugivory of four rainforest bird-dispersed tree species</span> (<i>N</i> = 131 trees, ≥ 30 trees per species, observed for 623 h). Frugivore composition differed among the four tree species with the large-seeded <i>Canarium strictum </i>and<i> Myristica dactyloides</i> exclusively dependent on large-bodied avian frugivores, whereas, medium-seeded <i>Persea macrantha</i> and <i>Heynea trijuga </i>were predominantly visited by small-bodied and large-bodied avian frugivores, respectively. Using the seed-dispersal-effectiveness framework, we identified effective frugivores and examined their response to forest cover and fruit crop size. Results were idiosyncratic and governed by plant and frugivore traits. Visitations to medium-seeded <i>Persea </i>had a positive relationship with forest cover but the relationship was negativefor the large-seeded <i>Myristica</i>. In addition, two of the three effective frugivores for <i>Persea </i>responded to the interactive effect of forest cover and fruit crop size<i>. </i>Frugivore visitations to <i>Hyenea</i> were not related to forest cover or fruit crop and<i> </i>there were too few visitations to <i>Canarium </i>to discern any trends<i>. </i>These results highlight the context-specific response of plant-frugivore interactions to forest cover and fruit crop size influenced by the plant and frugivore traits.</p>
Data from: The functional roles of species in metacommunities, as revealed by metanetwork analyses of bird-plant frugivory networks
<p>Understanding how biodiversity and interaction networks change across environmental gradients is a major challenge in ecology. We integrated metacommunity and metanetwork perspectives to test species' functional roles in bird-plant frugivory interactions in a fragmented forest landscape in Southwest China, with consequences for seed dispersal. Availability of fruit resources both on and under trees created vertical feeding stratification for frugivorous birds. Bird-plant interactions involving birds feeding only on the tree or both on and under the tree (shared) had a higher centrality and contributed more to metanetwork organization than interactions involving birds feeding only under the tree. Moreover, bird-plant interactions associated with large-seeded plants disproportionately contributed to metanetwork organization and centrality. Consequently, on-the-tree and shared birds contributed more to metanetwork organization whereas under-the-tree birds were more involved in local processes. We would expect that species' roles in the metanetwork will translate into different conservation values for maintaining functioning of seed-dispersal networks.</p>
Frugivory underpins the nitrogen cycle
<p>1. Tropical rainforests are populated by large frugivores that feed upon fruit-producing woody species, yet their role in regulating the cycle of globally important biogeochemical elements such as nitrogen is still unknown. This is particularly relevant because tropical forests play a prominent role in the nitrogen cycle and are becoming rapidly defaunated. Furthermore, frugivory is not considered in current plant-large herbivore-nutrient cycling frameworks exclusively focused on grazers and browsers.</p> <p>2. Here we used a long-term replicated paired control-exclusion experiment in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, where peccaries and tapirs are the largest native frugivores, to examine the impact of large ground-dwelling frugivores on modulating soil nitrogen cycling, considering their effects across a gradient of abundance of a hyper-dominant palm.</p> <p>3. We found that both large frugivores and dominant palms play a substantial role in modulating ammonium availability and nitrification rates. Large frugivores increased ammonium by 95%, which also increased additively with palm abundance. Nitrification rates increased with palm abundance in the presence of large frugivores, but not on exclosure plots. Large frugivores also stimulated the regulation of the functions of soil nitrifying microorganisms, and modulated the landscape-scale variance in nitrogen availability. Such joint effects of large frugivores and palms are consistent with the notion of "fruiting lawns".</p> <p>4. Our study indicates that frugivory plays a pivotal role in zoogeochemistry in tropical forests by regulating and structuring the nitrogen cycle, urging to accommodate frugivory in plant-large herbivore-nutrient cycling frameworks. It also indicates that defaunation, deforestation and illegal palm and timber harvesting seriously affect nitrogen cycling in tropical forests, that play a prominent role in the global cycle of this nutrient.</p>
Frugivory and seed predation of fishtail palm (Caryota mitis Lour.) on the remote oceanic island of Narcondam, India
<p>Oceanic islands, due to their evolutionary history and isolation, play a dual role of having high endemicity and being vulnerable to extinctions, with most known extinctions occurring on islands. Plant–animal interactions are particularly important on islands, as island systems generally have low redundancy and are more vulnerable to disruption either via extinction or by invasive species. Here, we examined the fruit removal and seed predation of a keystone palm, <em>Caryota mitis</em>, on Narcondam, a remote oceanic island. The island endemic Narcondam Hornbill (<em>Rhyticeros narcondami</em>) was the sole seed disperser of the palm (90 hours; <em>N</em> = 15 trees), with mean (± SE) visitation rate being 0.23 (± 0.06) individuals per hour and fruit removal rates of 3.5 (± 1.5; range: 0–16) fruits per visit, indicating a lack of redundancy in seed dispersal of the palm on this island. Whereas the invasive rodent, <em>Rattus</em> cf. <em>tiomanicus</em>, was the sole predator of palm seeds (<em>N</em> = 15 individual fruiting palms, 416 trap nights). Overall, 17.1% of the seeds placed (<em>N</em> = 375 seeds) were removed. Seeds placed under and away from the canopy, and at different densities (2 plots with 10 seeds each; 1 plot with 5 seeds, respectively), showed similar removal rates. This indicates density-independent seed predation and the lack of safe regeneration sites for <em>Caryota mitis</em>, with potential deleterious effects on subsequent stages of the 'seed dispersal cycle'. Here, from a data-deficient site, we provide baseline information on the plant–frugivore interaction of a keystone palm and the potential impacts of an invasive rodent.</p>
Data from: The effects of human-altered habitat spatial pattern on frugivory and seed dispersal: a global meta-analysis
<p>Seed dispersal by frugivorous animals is important for plant mobility, regeneration, and persistence. Human-caused landscape change is thought to disrupt seed dispersal, but evidence is scarce. We performed a comprehensive meta-analysis on the effects of habitat spatial pattern on frugivory and seed dispersal. We found 233 effects from 71 studies. At a patch or local scale, altered habitat spatial pattern was measured as declining patch size, increasing patch isolation, or habitat edge (vs. interior). At a landscape scale it was measured as declining amount of habitat, increasing mean patch isolation, increasing number of patches, or increasing habitat edge in the landscape.</p> <p>We found overall negative effects of altered habitat spatial pattern on: (i) the quantity of frugivory or seed dispersal, (ii) the number of species involved in a plant-frugivore interaction, and (iii) seed dispersal distance. Moderator variable analysis was only possible for the first of these. It revealed negative responses of the quantity of frugivory or seed dispersal to habitat loss at both the local scale (declining patch size), and the landscape scale (declining habitat amount), but little evidence for a response to habitat edge at either scale. In addition, altered habitat spatial pattern reduced the quantity of frugivory or seed dispersal more strongly in temperate than tropical areas. Finally, the few-recorded effects of landscape-scale fragmentation per se (increasing patch density or edge density) on the quantity of frugivory or seed dispersal were mixed and weak. Our meta-analysis reinforces the notion that habitat loss is a major threat to frugivory and seed dispersal by animals, and reveals an insufficiency of studies of the effects of habitat fragmentation per se. Thus, based on the current literature, we conclude that maintaining and increasing habitat amount is vital for maintaining seed dispersal by frugivorous animals.</p>
The frugivory network between birds and plants in a Neotropical periurban park
<p>Frugivory networks exhibit a set of properties characterized by a number of network-theory derived metrics. Their structure often form deterministic patterns that can be explained by the functional roles of interacting species. Although we know lots about how these networks are organized when ecosystems are in a complete, functional condition, we know much less about how incomplete and simplified networks (such as those found in urban and periurban parks) are organized, which features are maintained, which ones are not, and why. In this paper, we examine the properties of a network between frugivorous birds and plants in a small Neotropical periurban park. We found a frugivory network composed of 29 species of birds and 23 of plants. The main roles in this network are played by four species of generalist birds (three resident, one migratory: Myiozetetes similis, Turdus grayi, Chlorospingus flavopectus, and Dumetella carolinensis) and three species of plants (one exotic, two early successional: Phoenix canariensis, Phoradendron sp., and Witheringia stramoniifolia). When compared to reference data from other locations in the Neotropics, species richness is low, one important network-level metric is maintained (modularity) whereas another one is not (nestedness). Nestedness, a metric associated with network specialists, is a feature this network lacks. Species-level metrics such as degree, species strength, and module roles, are not maintained. Our work supports modularity as the most pervasive network-level metric of altered habitats. From a successional point of view, our results suggest that properties revealed by species-level indices may be developed at a later time, lagging the acquisition of structural elements.</p>
Data from: Trophic strategies of two sympatric endemic pigeons in insular ecosystems: a framework for understanding spatiotemporal frugivory interactions
<p><span><span><span><span>Pigeons are considered to play key ecological roles in frugivory and seed dispersal. They have colonised numerous oceanic islands and diversified into several species in sympatry. How these species coexist in similar niches is </span></span><span>poorly understood, although dietary separation is among the mechanisms suggested to avoid trophic </span><span><span>overlap. </span></span><span>We investigated the trophic ecology of the two endemic </span><i><span>Columba </span></i><span>species co-occurring in the laurel forest and thermosclerophyllous relicts of two of the Canary Islands. This study includes diet description in spatiotemporal terms, its relationship with fruit availability, and seed treatment in ten study areas established on La Palma and La Gomera. We used non-invasive DNA analysis to identify the faeces of the two congeneric species and microhistological methods to examine their diets. The degree of trophic overlap was evaluated by niche similarity and breadth indices. Molecular faecal sampling determined the spatiotemporal distribution of both pigeons to identify their areas of coexistence. These frugivorous pigeons' diets did not differ concerning the main plant species, but they diverged quantitatively in the proportions and parts of plants consumed. Lauraceae fruits were their staple foods, although Rhamnaceae and some Fabaceae and Solanaceae were also important. Both pigeons showed selective preferences for some fruits. Significant spatiotemporal variations in their diets were observed along with a general tendency to increase fruit intake at its ripening times. Our results suggest that different trophic strategies facilitate the coexistence of these frugivorous columbids. These pigeons act as seed dispersers and/or predators depending on seed features (size and hardness), and this may have valuable implications for their conservation.</span></span></span></p>
Data and code: Global and regional ecological boundaries explain abrupt spatial discontinuities in avian frugivory interactions
<p>Species interactions can propagate disturbances across space via direct and indirect effects, potentially connecting species at a global scale. However, ecological and biogeographic boundaries may mitigate this spread by demarcating the limits of ecological networks. We tested whether large-scale ecological boundaries (ecoregions and biomes) and human disturbance gradients increase dissimilarity among plant-frugivore networks, while accounting for background spatial and elevational gradients and differences in network sampling. We assessed network dissimilarity patterns over a broad spatial scale, using 196 quantitative avian frugivory networks (encompassing 1,496 plant and 1,004 bird species) distributed across 67 ecoregions, 11 biomes, and 6 continents. We show that dissimilarities in species and interaction composition, but not network structure, are greater across ecoregion and biome boundaries and along different levels of human disturbance. Our findings indicate that biogeographic boundaries delineate the world's biodiversity of interactions and likely contribute to mitigating the propagation of disturbances at large spatial scales.</p>
The frugivory network between birds and plants in a Neotropical periurban park
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Data from: frugivory by carnivores: black-backed jackals are key dispersers of seeds of the scented !nara melon in the Namib desert
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Frugivory and seed predation of fishtail palm (Caryota mitis Lour.) on the remote oceanic island of Narcondam, India
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Forest cover and fruit crop size differentially influence frugivory of select rainforest tree species in Western Ghats, India (Part I)
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Data from: The functional roles of species in metacommunities, as revealed by metanetwork analyses of bird-plant frugivory networks
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Frugivory underpins the nitrogen cycle
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The macroevolutionary consequences of the association between frugivory and carotenoid-dependent plumage coloration in passerine birds
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Anthropogenic disturbances simplify frugivory interactions in Amazonia
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