Functional traits can determine pairwise species interactions, such as those between plants and pollinators. However, the effects of biogeography and evolutionary history on trait‐matching and trait‐mediated resource specialization remain poorly understood. We compiled a database of 93 mutualistic hummingbird–plant networks (including 181 hummingbird and 1,256 plant species), complemented by morphological measures of hummingbird bill and floral corolla length. We divided the hummingbirds into their principal clades and used knowledge on hummingbird biogeography to divide the networks into four biogeographical regions: Lowland South America, Andes, North & Central America, and the Caribbean islands. We then tested: (a) whether hummingbird clades and biogeographical regions differ in hummingbird bill length, corolla length of visited flowers and resource specialization, and (b) whether hummingbirds' bill length correlates with the corolla length of their food plants and with their level of resource specialization. Hummingbird clades dominated by long‐billed species generally visited longer flowers and were the most exclusive in their resource use. Bill and corolla length and the degree of resource specialization were similar across mainland regions, but the Caribbean islands had shorter flowers and hummingbirds with more generalized interaction niches. Bill and corolla length correlated in all regions and most clades, that is, trait‐matching was a recurrent phenomenon in hummingbird–plant associations. In contrast, bill length did not generally mediate resource specialization, as bill length was only weakly correlated with resource specialization within one hummingbird clade (Brilliants) and in the regions of Lowland South America and the Andes in which plants and hummingbirds have a long co‐evolutionary history. Supplementary analyses including bill curvature confirmed that bill morphology (length and curvature) does not in general predict resource specialization. These results demonstrate how biogeographical and evolutionary histories can modulate the effects of functional traits on species interactions, and that traits better predict functional groups of interaction partners (i.e. trait‐matching) than resource specialization. These findings reveal that functional traits have great potential, but also key limitations, as a tool for developing more mechanistic approaches in community ecology. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
BackgroundSeveral ethnobiology studies evaluate the cultural significance (CS) of plants and mushrooms. However, this is not the case for mammals. It is important to make studies of CS allowing the comparison of cultural groups because the value given to groups of organisms may be based on different criteria. Such information would be valuable for wildlife preservation plans. In this study, the most culturally significant species of mammals from the Lacandon Rainforest (Chiapas, Mexico) for people from two Mayan-Lacandon and mestizo communities were identified. The reasons behind the CS of the studied species were explored and the existence of differences among the cultural groups was evaluated.MethodsOne hundred ninety-eight semi-structured and structured interviews were applied to compile socio-demographic information, qualitative data on CS categories, and free listings. Frequency of mention was a relative indicator to evaluate the CS of each species of mammal. Comparison of responses between communities was carried out through multivariate analyses. The non-parametric Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the number of mentioned species by Lacandons and mestizos as well as different responses in the qualitative categories. A χ2 test was used to compare frequency of categories.Results38 wild mammal species were identified. The classification and Principal Components Analyses show an apparent separation between Lacandon and mestizo sites based on the relative importance of species. All four communities mentioned the lowland paca the most, followed by peccary, white-tailed deer, armadillo, and jaguar. No significant difference was found in the number of mentioned species between the two groups. Eight CS categories were identified. The most important category was “harmful mammals”, which included 28 species. Other relevant categories were edible, medicinal, and appearing in narratives.ConclusionsThe data obtained in this study demonstrates the existence of differential cultural patterns in the relationships that Lacandon and mestizo groups establish with mammals. Species are deemed important either because they are eaten of because of the harm they cause. We suggest the incorporation of local conceptions about wild animals in conservation frameworks for the fauna in the Lacandon Rainforest.
En 15 aguadas agrupadas en 3 microrregiones (norte, centro y sur) y sus alrededores se evaluaron las características ambientales que podrían determinar la presencia y abundancia del tapir (Tapirus bairdii) en la Reserva de la Biosfera Calakmul (RBC), Campeche. Entre los años 2008-2010, se registró la presencia del tapir en 14 aguadas con un esfuerzo de muestreo de 3 470 días-trampa, la abundancia fue de 37.57 individuos /1 000 trampas-noche. Los tapires mostraron un patrón de actividad nocturno, la estructura de edad fue dominada por adultos y la proporción de sexos de los individuos fotografiados fue de 1 a 1. La microrregión sur y la aguada 6 (de la microrregión centro) tuvieron mayor abundancia. La abundancia, disponibilidad de alimento y agua presentaron variaciones a escala espacial y temporal. La presencia del agua en las aguadas fue determinante para la presencia de tapir, pero las variables ambientales que más influyeron en la abundancia fueron el porcentaje de agua en las aguadas y la dominancia vegetal de acahual arbóreo y selva alta. En la región de Calakmul, las aguadas deben ser una de las prioridades en su conservación.
Tropical landscape connectivity and matrix quality near large stands of primary forest are important factors that dictate biodiversity trends in communities. Suitable matrix management surrounding primary forest may help conserve biodiversity, but areas with poor matrix management need attention to determine their long-term viability to support native levels of biodiversity. We examined variations in species and functional diversity and community composition using point-count surveys placed in preserved (PRES), transition (TRA), and disturbed (DIS) areas according to percent land cover of forest and cattle pasture along a human disturbance gradient in the northern Neotropics during an 8 month period from 2019–2020. We expected the gradient of human disturbance to drive species diversity loss of forest specialists from PRES to DIS, resulting in changes to functional diversity and community composition. We detected 228 species overall, with 163 in PRES (40 unique species), 159 in TRA (9 unique species), and 152 in DIS (20 unique species). TRA supported an avian community with shared aspects of PRES and DIS, leading to the highest functional, Shannon (85.8 estimated species), and Simpson (57.9 estimated species) diversity. Higher diversity of open-area specialists in TRA and DIS has led to shifts in functional traits and different species and functional community compositions relative to PRES. Land management in Neotropical human-modified landscapes must focus on increasing habitat quality in remnant forest fragments in the vicinity of large stands of primary forest to prevent species and ecosystem service loss from preserved areas and the distancing of local community compositions.
Para entender la variación espacial y temporal de la diversidad de aves de sotobosque, evaluamos la diversidad de especies en cuatro sitios (Las Grutas, Yalmutz, Vivero y Yalhuech) con diferentes tipos de vegetación y manejo dentro del Parque Nacional Lagos de Montebello, Chiapas, de julio de 1997 a junio de1998. Identificamos 71 especies de aves: 50 fueron residentes y 21 migratorias. Las familias mejor representadas fueron Parulidae (15), Tyrannidae (9) y Turdidae (8). La mayor proporción de especies registradas fueron exclusivas para un solo sitio (63.4%) y tan solo 9.8% se distribuyó en los cuatro sitios. Las mayores frecuencias relativas de captura total fueron para Chlorospingus ophtalmicus (0.197), Catharus ustulatus (0.110), Lampornis viridipallens (0.083) y Myioborus miniatus (0.072). El número de capturas varió entre los cuatro sitios estudiados, donde el bosque mixto de coníferas y latifoliadas (Vivero) presentó los valores máximos y el bosque mesófilo (Las Grutas) los mínimos. Yalmutz tuvo la mayor riqueza de especies (36), y Las Grutas la menor (24). La mayor diversidad derivada del reciproco de Simpson (16.41) y uniformidad (0.68), se registraron en Las Grutas, que fue el sitio menos perturbado y con los últimos remanentes de bosque mesófilo de montaña. Sin embargo, Yalmutz presentó los valores más altos en diversidad de Shannon (4.37), así como el mayor número tanto de especies exclusivas (14) como raras (21). Yalmutz presentó una mezcla de elementos de coníferas y latifoliadas, y fue el segundo sitio con un menor grado de perturbación por actividades antropogénicas. La mayor riqueza de especies y abundancia de individuos se presentó durante la temporada seca. El Parque Nacional Lagos de Montebello presenta una importante diversidad de especies de aves por la variación en ambientes y grados de perturbación que presenta. Sin embargo, la persistencia de las poblaciones de aves y su conservación en la región dependerá tanto de la permanencia de ambientes no perturbados y de la calidad de los ambientes secundarios y manejados
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