Plant height and spatial context influence individual connectivity and specialization on seed dispersers in a tree population

Vissoto, Maiara; Vizentin‐Bugoni, Jeferson; Sendoya, Sebastián F.; Gomes, Gustavo Crizel; Dias, Rafael Antunes

doi:10.1007/s00442-022-05142-7

Cited by 4 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Our results showed that the seed dispersal distance was positively associated with crop size, cover, and degree but was negatively associated with the plant specialization value. This indicated that trees with high fruit density and cover could acquire a longer dispersal distance than others, enhancing their persistence in the fragmented forest, congruent with contributions of the degree value of plant species in a previous study ( Vissoto et al., 2022 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…In recent years, the topological structure of ecological networks has been well-developed at the community and species levels ( Bluthgen et al., 2006 ; Thebault and Fontaine, 2010 ; Montesinos-Navarro et al., 2017 ; Yang et al., 2018 ). However, studies on these network structures have largely ignored potential intrapopulation variation ( Vissoto et al., 2022 ), because data on the interactions of multiple individuals in a population were mostly gathered to describe the interactions among species. In addition, studying individual variations in interaction with seed dispersers promotes the quantification of intraspecific variation in individual specialization and degree, which may provide insights into the ecological consequences of the relationship between individual variations and network metrics ( Guerra et al., 2017 ; Carreira et al., 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, species traits are characterized as indicators for measuring the vital role of species in seed dispersal networks and plant recruitment in fragmented forests. Although several studies have reported a trait approach for understanding the role of species traits in the structure of seed dispersal networks at the community level ( Guerra et al., 2017 ; Miguel et al., 2018 ; Crestani et al., 2019 ), the effects of species traits on network metrics within populations at the individual scale is poorly understood (but see: [ Vissoto et al., 2022 ] from plant traits).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Large-bodied bird species play an important role in subsequent plant species recruitment because they provide plants with a longer dispersal distance than small-bodied species ( Sasal and Morales, 2013 ; Rehm et al., 2019 ). Plant size also plays an important role in dispersal distance ( Li et al., 2019b ; Vissoto et al., 2022 ). Large, high trees provide a safe shelter for birds ( Cody, 1985 ); thus, birds have a higher visiting frequency and a longer dispersal distance with large trees than with small trees ( Schleuning et al., 2011 ; Vissoto et al., 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Plant size also plays an important role in dispersal distance ( Li et al., 2019b ; Vissoto et al., 2022 ). Large, high trees provide a safe shelter for birds ( Cody, 1985 ); thus, birds have a higher visiting frequency and a longer dispersal distance with large trees than with small trees ( Schleuning et al., 2011 ; Vissoto et al., 2022 ). However, the effects of other species’ traits on the seed dispersal distance mediated by birds remain poorly elucidated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Importance of species traits on individual-based seed dispersal networks and dispersal distance for endangered trees in a fragmented forest

Yang

Ren

et al. 2022

Front. Plant Sci.

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Although mutualistic network analyses have sparked a renewed interest in the patterns and drivers of network structures within communities, few studies have explored structural patterns within populations. In an endangered tree species population, plant individuals share their bird seed dispersers; however, the factors affecting individual interaction patterns are poorly understood. In this study, four individual-based networks were built for the endangered Chinese yew, Taxus chinensis, in a fragmented forest based on bird foraging type (swallowing and pecking networks) and habitat type (networks in a bamboo patch and an evergreen broad-leaved forest patch). Species-level network metrics (species degree and specialization, d’) were used to evaluate the effects of species traits (bird and plant traits) on species-level networks and dispersal distance for T. chinensis. It was revealed that the interaction networks between T. chinensis individuals and their bird partners were influenced by foraging type and the habitat of plant distribution. Compared to the other two networks, bird swallowing and bird–fruit networks in the evergreen broad-leaved patch habitat had higher nestedness and connectance but lower modules and specialization. Bird (body weight and wing and bill lengths) and plant traits (height, crop size, and cover) significantly affected species-level network metrics such as degree and specialization. Furthermore, seed dispersal distance was influenced by species traits and the species-level metrics of fruit–bird interaction networks. These results provide new insights into individual-based seed dispersal mutualistic networks of endangered plant species under habitat fragmentation. Moreover, these findings have relevant implications for conserving and managing individual endangered trees in increasingly disturbed ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Importance of species traits on individual-based seed dispersal networks and dispersal distance for endangered trees in a fragmented forest

Yang

Ren

et al. 2022

Front. Plant Sci.

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The turnover of plant–frugivore interactions along plant range expansion: consequences for natural colonization processes

2023

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Plant–animal mutualisms such as seed dispersal are key interactions for sustaining plant range shifts. It remains elusive whether the organization of interactions with seed dispersers is reconfigured along the expansion landscape template and, if so, whether its effects accelerate or slow colonization. Here we analyse plant–frugivore interactions in a scenario of rapid population expansion of a Mediterranean juniper. We combined network analyses with field surveys, sampling interactions between individual plants and frugivores by DNA-barcoding and phototrapping over two seasons. We assess the role of intrinsic and extrinsic intraspecific variability in shaping interactions and we estimate the individual plant contributions to the seed rain. The whole interaction network was highly structured, with a distinct set of modules including individual plants and frugivore species arranged concordantly along the expansion gradient. The modular configuration was partially shaped by individual neighbourhood context (density and fecundity) and phenotypic traits (cone size). Interaction reconfiguration resulted in a higher and more uneven propagule contribution, with most effective dispersers having a prominent role at the colonization front stand, where a distinct subset of early arriving plants dominated the seed rain. Our study offers new insights into the key role of mutualistic interactions in colonization scenarios by promoting fast plant expansion processes.

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Downscaling mutualistic networks from species to individuals reveals consistent interaction niches and roles within plant populations

Quintero,

Arroyo-Correa,

Isla

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The study of mutualistic interactions among species has received considerable attention over the past 30 years. However, less is known about the structure of individual interaction configurations within species. Recently, individual-based networks have begun to garner more attention, as they represent the fundamental scale at which ecological interactions are assembled.We compiled 44 empirical individual-based networks on plant-animal seed dispersal mutualism, encompassing 995 plant individuals across 28 species from various regions. We compare the structure of individual-based networks to that of species-based networks and by extending the niche concept to interaction assemblages, we explore levels of individual plant specialization. We examine how individual variation influences network structure and how plant individuals “explore” the interaction niche of the population.Both individual-based and species-based networks exhibited high variability in network properties, leading to a lack of marked structural and topological differences between them. Our results reveal low to medium specialization, with European populations exhibiting higher generality compared to American and Asian populations. Within populations, frugivores’ interaction allocation among plant individuals was highly heterogeneous, with one to three frugivore species dominating interactions in most populations.Regardless of plant species or geographical region, plant individuals displayed similar interaction profiles across populations, with only a few individuals playing a central role and exhibiting high diversity in the interaction assemblage.Our results emphasize the importance of downscaling from species-based to individual-based networks to understand the structuring of any given ecological community and provide an empirical basis for the extension of niche theory to complex interaction networks.Significance StatementEcological interactions in nature occur between individual partners rather than species, and their outcomes determine fitness variation. By examining among-individual variation in interaction niches, we can bridge evolutionary and ecological perspectives to understand interaction biodiversity. This study investigates individual plant variation in frugivore assemblages worldwide, exploring how individual plants “build” their interaction profiles with animal frugivores. Surprisingly, the structure of networks composed of individuals was indistinguishable from networks composed of species. Independently of species or region, interaction frequencies among frugivore partners was highly skewed, with a small subset of species providing most interactions. Additionally, within populations, only a few plants played a key role in attracting a high diversity of frugivores, making them central to the overall network structure.

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Plant height and spatial context influence individual connectivity and specialization on seed dispersers in a tree population

Cited by 4 publications

References 60 publications

Importance of species traits on individual-based seed dispersal networks and dispersal distance for endangered trees in a fragmented forest

Importance of species traits on individual-based seed dispersal networks and dispersal distance for endangered trees in a fragmented forest

The turnover of plant–frugivore interactions along plant range expansion: consequences for natural colonization processes

Downscaling mutualistic networks from species to individuals reveals consistent interaction niches and roles within plant populations

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