Cascading effects of forested area and isolation on seed dispersal effectiveness of rodents on subtropical islands

Zeng, Di; Swihart, Robert K.; Zhao, Yongqiang; Si, Xingfeng; Ding, Ping

doi:10.1111/1365-2745.13122

Cited by 28 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…Q. serrata is a common Fagaceae species on all study islands (Zeng et al . 2019). Its flowering period is from April to May with nut‐ripening periods from September to October (Huang et al .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2017; Zeng et al . 2019). Rodents consume seeds, but also provide seed dispersal by scatter hoarding seeds under soil and leaves (Vander Wall 1990; Zhang 2003; Xiao et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2017; Zeng et al . 2019) and only one research conducted by Xiao et al . (2013) compared differences in predictability on seed fates between rodent abundance or seed availability and rodent abundance per seed or per capita seed availability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our previous study revealed a nonlinear response of seed dispersal effectiveness to rodent competition for acorns (Zeng et al . 2019), suggesting that the relative abundance of seeds and rodents may cause transition of relative mutualism and predation. We predicted that the germination rate of released seeds would have a dome‐shaped relationship with rodent abundance per seed as shown in Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rodent abundance triggered switch between the relative mutualism and predation in a rodent–seed system of the subtropical island forest

et al. 2020

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Density‐dependent non‐monotonic species interactions are important in maintaining ecosystem stability and function, but empirical evidences are still rare. Rodents, as both seed dispersers and seed predators, have dual effects on plant regeneration and may result in non‐monotonic rodent‐plant interactions. According to the non‐monotonic models, the relative positive or negative effects of rodents on seedling establishment can be measured based on the positive or negative association of seedling recruitment rate and rodent abundance. In this study, we investigated the fates of acorns of Quercus serrata by tracking tagged seeds on 21 fragmented subtropical islands in the Thousand Island Lake, China. We found that the proportion of germinated seeds of all released seeds showed a dome‐shaped association with rodent abundance per seed. The proportion of removed seeds and cached seeds showed a saturated‐ and a weak dome‐shaped association with rodent abundance per seed, respectively. Our results demonstrated a clear empirical evidence that rodent abundance per seed triggered a switch between the relative mutualism and predation in a rodent–seed system. Our study implied that the observed non‐monotonic interactions between plants and animals may play a significant role in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem function. We appeal for more investigations of the complex non‐monotonic interactions in various ecosystems.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2017; Zeng et al . 2019). Rodents consume seeds, but also provide seed dispersal by scatter hoarding seeds under soil and leaves (Vander Wall 1990; Zhang 2003; Xiao et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rodent abundance triggered switch between the relative mutualism and predation in a rodent–seed system of the subtropical island forest

et al. 2020

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“…Sugiyama, Comita, Masaki, Condit, & Hubbell, 2018), animal densities (e.g. Zeng, Swihart, Zhao, Si, & Ding, 2019), interannual variation in seed densities (e.g. Bell & Clark, 2016), seed competitor densities (e.g.…”

Section: The S Tr Ategy Of Model Bu Ild Ing To Under S Tand the Ecomentioning

confidence: 99%

On mutualism, models, and masting: The effects of seed‐dispersing animals on the plants they disperse

Moore

Dittel

2020

Journal of Ecology

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Species interactions are context dependent, in that their direction and magnitude can vary across ecological conditions. For seed dispersal interactions—especially interactions between plants and seed‐caching animals—the direction of the interactions is often obscured because of seed mortality inherent in seed handling and the delayed effects of fitness benefits received by plants. It is, therefore, an open question in ecology to understand the ecological contexts under which seed dispersal interactions are facilitative, antagonistic or null. We review the fitness benefits of animal‐mediated seed dispersal, extend a recently published model to include negative density‐dependent effects, and review the feedback between seed production (with a focus on masting) and seed‐caching animal populations. Negative density‐dependent effects are pervasive and strongly affect the direction of plant‐seed‐disperser interactions, and including them into models will give a more accurate understanding of the direction of the interaction. Including negative density‐dependent effects also makes the interpretation of interaction more mutualistic since seed dispersers decrease seed densities. Additionally, there is substantial interannual variability in seed production in most nut‐producing plant species, and the lags between seed production and seed‐disperser population sizes complicate and limit inferences made about the direction of interactions in any given short‐term study. Synthesis. If we wish to know the direction of species interactions in real ecological communities, we need models that contain a minimum level of biological realism. For complex and long‐term phenomena such as context‐dependent species interactions we should embrace a multifaceted approach of short‐term field research, long‐term field research, simple models, and complex models to form a more robust understanding of the ecological problem of context dependency.

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Generalist and topologically central avian frugivores promote plant invasion unequally across land‐bridge islands

Zhu,

Dalsgaard,

et al. 2023

Ecology

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Seed dispersal by frugivorous birds facilitates plant invasions, but it is poorly known how invasive plants integrate into native communities in fragmented landscapes. We surveyed plant–frugivore interactions, including an invasive plant (Phytolacca americana), on 22 artificial land‐bridge islands (fragmented forests) in the Thousand Island Lake, China. Focusing on frugivory interactions that may lead to seed dispersal, we built ecological networks of studied islands both at the local island (community) and at landscape (metacommunity) levels. On islands with P. americana, we found that P. americana impacted local avian frugivory networks more on islands with species‐poor plant communities and on isolated islands. Moreover, as P. americana interacted mainly with local core birds (generalists), this indicates reduced seed dispersal of native plants on invaded islands. At the landscape level, P. americana had established strong interactions with generalist birds that largely maintain seed‐dispersal functions across islands, as revealed by their topologically central roles both in the regional plant–bird trophic network and in the spatial metanetwork. This indicates that generalist frugivorous birds may have facilitated the dispersal of P. americana across islands, making P. americana well integrated into the plant–frugivore mutualistic metacommunity. Taken together, our study demonstrates that the impact of plant invasion is context‐dependent and that generalist native frugivores with high dispersal potential may accelerate plant invasion in fragmented landscapes. These findings highlight the importance of taking the functional roles of animal mutualists and habitat fragmentation into account when managing plant invasions and their impact on native communities.

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Cascading effects of forested area and isolation on seed dispersal effectiveness of rodents on subtropical islands

Cited by 28 publications

References 81 publications

Rodent abundance triggered switch between the relative mutualism and predation in a rodent–seed system of the subtropical island forest

Rodent abundance triggered switch between the relative mutualism and predation in a rodent–seed system of the subtropical island forest

On mutualism, models, and masting: The effects of seed‐dispersing animals on the plants they disperse

Generalist and topologically central avian frugivores promote plant invasion unequally across land‐bridge islands

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