Stability and generalization in seed dispersal networks: a case study of frugivorous fish in Neotropical wetlands

Correa, Sandra Bibiana; Arujo, Joisiane K.; Penha, Jerry; Cunha, Cátia Nunes da; Bobier, Karen E.; Anderson, Jill T.

doi:10.1098/rspb.2016.1267

Cited by 36 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 55 publications

(118 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…3e). This pattern is shaped by (i) the functional redundancy of dispersers, and (ii) the lower susceptibility of the functionally most important dispersers (Schwartz et al 2000;Schleuning, Fr€ und & Garc ıa 2015; but see Correa et al 2016). This finding corroborates the predictions of Larsen, Williams & Kremen (2005) that density compensation in response to local species extinctions can, to a certain degree, buffer against functional loss.…”

Section: T H E I M P O R T a N C E O F E X T I N C T I O N O R D E Rsupporting

confidence: 74%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Predicting the consequences of disperser extinction: richness matters the most when abundance is low

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary The ongoing biodiversity crisis entails the concomitant loss of species and the ecological services they provide. Global defaunation, and particularly the loss of frugivores, may negatively affect the seed dispersal of fleshy‐fruited plant species, with predictable stronger impacts in simplified communities such as those on oceanic islands. However, logistical difficulties have hindered the experimental and theoretical need to disentangle the roles of species identity, richness (i.e. number of species) and abundance. Consequently, studies to date have focused exclusively on the loss of species richness leaving us largely ignorant regarding how species identity and abundance affect the loss of ecosystem functions. Here, we applied a network approach to disentangle the effects of disperser abundance, richness and identity on the seed dispersal service provided by frugivores to the Galapagos plant community. We found that both abundance and richness of the dispersers significantly affect the function of seed dispersal and that richness becomes increasingly important as disperser abundance declines. Extinction simulations revealed that the order of species loss has profound implications to the plant community. On the one hand, abundant generalist dispersers like the Galapagos lizards, can mitigate the loss of specialized dispersers. On the other hand, specific threats affecting key dispersers can lead to the rapid collapse of the community‐level dispersal services. Our results suggest that the identity of the disperser species lost can have a large effect on the number of plant species dispersed, and generalist species are essential to the persistence of the community dispersal service. Both abundance and species richness of seed dispersers are key and synergistic drivers of the number of plant species dispersed. Consequently, the coupled negative effect of population declines and species extinctions in frugivore assemblages may lead to an accelerated loss of the seed dispersal function. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.12897/suppinfo is available for this article.

show abstract

Section: T H E I M P O R T a N C E O F E X T I N C T I O N O R D E Rsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…; Schleuning, Fründ & García ; but see Correa et al . ). This finding corroborates the predictions of Larsen, Williams & Kremen () that density compensation in response to local species extinctions can, to a certain degree, buffer against functional loss.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Predicting the consequences of disperser extinction: richness matters the most when abundance is low

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…At the interspecific scale, the disproportional importance of larger fish species in seed dispersal networks compared to small ones was recently demonstrated (Correa et al . ). Here, we added a new level of complexity to this pattern, showing that intraspecific size variations also affect quantitative and qualitative aspects of seed dispersal by fish.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Fishing‐down within populations harms seed dispersal mutualism

Costa‐Pereira

Correa²,

Galetti

2017

Biotropica

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Large fish are often the most effective seed dispersers, but they are also the preferred target for fisheries. We recently started to comprehend the detrimental impacts of the extirpation of large frugivorous fish species on natural forest regeneration, but we lack a general understanding of how intraspecific size‐selective harvest affects fish–fruit mutualism. Our literature review demonstrated that large individuals within populations positively affect diverse aspects of seed dispersal, from consuming a higher diversity of seeds to enhancing germination. Furthermore, we filled a research gap by studying how individual size variations within two small frugivorous fish species (<16 cm) affect seed dispersal in flooded savannas. Even within small‐bodied species, large individuals swallow a higher number of intact seeds, but not necessarily a higher proportion. Overall, our results demonstrate the disproportional role of large‐bodied individuals as key seed dispersers in flooded habitats. Consequently, fishing‐down within both large‐ and small‐bodied species can negatively affect seed dispersal and natural regeneration in overfished wetlands.

show abstract

“…Fruits of these species are the most frequently consumed and dispersed by fish in the Pantanal wetland (Correa et al . ). We sampled fruits from multiple individuals (1–10 fruits per plant) and seeds from multiple fruits (1–10 seeds per fruit) to account for intraspecific variation in fruit traits.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…FLOODING EXPERIMENTS.-We collected mature samples of fleshy fruits from nine species that are abundant in both riparian and monodominant flooded forests in the Pantanal (Table S1). Fruits of these species are the most frequently consumed and dispersed by fish in the Pantanal wetland (Correa et al 2016). We sampled fruits from multiple individuals (1-10 fruits per plant) and seeds from multiple fruits (1-10 seeds per fruit) to account for intraspecific variation in fruit traits.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water and fish select for fleshy fruits in tropical wetland forests

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Adjacent floodplain and upland tropical forests experience the same temperature and precipitation regimes, but differ substantially in plant species composition and biotic interactions because of extensive flooding. We hypothesize that flooded forests filter fruiting traits linked to seed dispersal by water and fishes, such that selection by water and fish led to (1) trees that synchronize the timing of fruiting with annual floods, and (2) the evolution of fleshy tissues on fruits to improve buoyancy and increase fruit consumption rates by fish. To test this hypothesis, we compared plant communities in seasonally flooded forests and adjacent upland forest in terms of fruiting phenology, the frequency of trees bearing fleshy fruit, and the role of fleshy tissues in buoyancy and seed viability. Beta‐diversity in this system is high, with significant differences in species composition across habitats. As predicted, the production of ripe fleshy fruits was significantly greater in flooded than upland forests during the flood season. Furthermore, we found that trees with fleshy fruit were significantly more abundant in flooded forests even though species richness of fleshy fruit‐bearing trees was proportionally similar in flooded and upland forests. Additionally, fleshy pulp increased buoyancy. Likewise, time afloat decreased for denser fruit and those with high seed to pulp ratios. In concert, these results suggest that fleshy fruits in Neotropical floodplain forests facilitated hydrochory and ichthyochory. Once established, water and fish became important agents of selection on fruiting traits.

show abstract

Stability and generalization in seed dispersal networks: a case study of frugivorous fish in Neotropical wetlands

Cited by 36 publications

References 55 publications

Predicting the consequences of disperser extinction: richness matters the most when abundance is low

Predicting the consequences of disperser extinction: richness matters the most when abundance is low

Fishing‐down within populations harms seed dispersal mutualism

Water and fish select for fleshy fruits in tropical wetland forests

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About