Review
Plant Sciences
Jonathan O. O. Hernandez, Muhammad Naeem, Wajid Zaman
Summary: The ability of plants to find tolerable climatic ranges through seed dispersal varies greatly depending on their life-history traits and habitat characteristics. A systematic review on seed dispersal mechanisms was conducted to understand plant seed movements in changing environments. The review found that the majority of studies were conducted in Spain, Brazil, and the USA, while there was limited data from megadiverse countries and Africa. The effects of land use changes, habitat degradation/disturbances, climate, and extreme weather conditions had the most significant impact on seed dispersal mechanisms and agents.
Article
Biology
Therese Lamperty, Berry J. Brosi
Summary: This study used simulations to investigate the consequences of the extinction of endangered frugivores on seed dispersal in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The results showed that the extinction of endangered frugivores led to a rapid and disproportionate loss of tree species with dispersal partners. The study highlights the importance of protecting endangered frugivores for maintaining tropical forest seed dispersal and the maintenance of tropical plant diversity.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Damie Pak, Varun Swamy, Patricia Alvarez-Loayza, Fernando Cornejo-Valverde, Simon A. Queenborough, Margaret R. Metz, John Terborgh, Renato Valencia, S. Joseph Wright, Nancy C. Garwood, Jesse R. Lasky
Summary: The study found that seed fall phenology in tropical plant communities exhibits significant synchrony and is influenced by shared environmental responses and positive interactions among species. Within species groups, both compensatory and synchronous phenology were observed. Wind-dispersed species showed significant synchrony at a scale of approximately 6 months, suggesting shared phenological niches to match seasonal wind patterns.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joisiane Mendes Araujo, Sandra Bibiana Correa, Jerry Penha, Jill Anderson, Anna Traveset
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of reductions in abundance and species richness of large frugivorous fishes on their interactions with plants in a Neotropical floodplain, predicting potential cascading effects on plant diversity and ecosystem-level changes. The functional extinctions of fish mutualists can lead to secondary extinctions of plants and their biotic associates. The networks showed reduced robustness to extinction of large frugivorous fish, highlighting the importance of sustainable management in protecting interactions and maintaining biodiversity in wetland forests.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jack H. Hatfield, Cristina Banks-Leite, Jos Barlow, Alexander C. Lees, Joseph A. Tobias
Summary: Seed dispersal is crucial for tropical forest resilience, but the extent of defaunation and its impact on restoring degraded areas remain poorly understood. Using field survey data from Brazil, we found that current bird assemblages have lower functional diversity compared to predictions, indicating the potential loss of seed-dispersing birds in tropical forest landscapes.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Amanda N. D. Freeman, Kylie Freebody, Michael Montenero, Catherine Moran, Luke P. Shoo, Carla P. Catterall
Summary: Frugivorous birds play an important role in seed dispersal, but are seldom seen in pastures. In an experimental project aimed at promoting rainforest regeneration, the installation of semi-natural perches and water basins attracted seed-dispersing birds, leading to an increase in seed deposition. However, despite a diverse avian community in the adjacent forest, only a few species visited the plots, with water basins collecting a significantly higher number of native tree seeds compared to mesh seed traps.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Review
Ecology
John P. Draper, Julie K. Young, Eugene W. Schupp, Noelle G. Beckman, Trisha B. Atwood
Summary: Seed dispersal is crucial for the ecological performance of plant species and communities, and carnivorous mammals play an important role in this process. They have diverse diets and can consume fruits from various plant families, dispersing a large quantity of seeds across landscapes. The passage through their digestive system generally does not affect seed viability, and they may assist some plant species in long-distance dispersal, contributing to their ability to persist in the face of climate change.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Sharlene E. Santana, Zofia A. Kaliszewska, Leith B. Leiser-Miller, M. Elise Lauterbur, Jessica H. Arbour, Liliana M. Davalos, Jeffrey A. Riffell
Summary: The study investigates the mutualistic relationship between neotropical bats and plants, finding that bats prefer certain scent compounds which may have evolved as unique features of certain plants. These findings provide evidence of the impact of bat frugivory on plant chemical diversity.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Carolina da Silva Carvalho, Cristina Garcia, Marilia Souza Lucas, Pedro Jordano, Marina Correa Cortes
Summary: The decline of large frugivores due to deforestation and poaching may impact the composition of maternal trees contributing to seed rain, leading to changes in spatial distribution and genetic structure of animal-dispersed plant populations.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Luisa Genes, Rodolfo Dirzo
Summary: The review of 127 articles regarding habitat restoration and trophic rewilding showed that seed dispersal and pollination are the most studied interactions, with higher frequency in restored sites. Mammals were the most studied group, and both habitat restoration and trophic rewilding were found to effectively improve seed dispersal and pollination compared to degraded areas.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Jorge Isla, Miguel Jacome-Flores, Juan M. Arroyo, Pedro Jordano
Summary: This study investigates the plant-frugivore interactions in the rapid population expansion of a Mediterranean juniper. The researchers found that these interactions are reconfigured to adapt to the expansion landscape template, and this reconfiguration accelerates plant colonization.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Laura Godo, Orsolya Valko, Sandor Borza, Balazs Deak
Summary: Zoochory, the dispersion of seeds by animals, plays a crucial role in ecological and evolutionary processes. The decline of large seed-dispersing herbivores threatens this mechanism, increasing the importance of small rodents and lagomorphs in seed dispersal. These animals disperse seeds through various mechanisms such as epi- and endozoochory. While their actions generally occur at a small scale, they contribute to local population persistence and can occasionally facilitate long-distance dispersal events. Additionally, rodents and lagomorphs support plant establishment and provide safe sites for seeds. However, studies on seed dispersal by these animals have geographical and scope biases, with a focus on specific countries and habitat types.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Carolina da Silva Carvalho, Marilia Souza Lucas, Marina Correa Cortes
Summary: Anthropogenic activities influence phenotypic variation of plants and animals, and it is crucial to rescue intraspecific variability and ecological functions to reduce the risk of extinction of affected populations. By studying a bird-dispersed palm species with reduced seed size, it was found that restoring large-seed dispersal processes by reintroducing large-bodied frugivores can rescue and sustain phenotypic variation.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Luisa Genes, Gianalberto Losapio, Camila I. Donatti, Paulo R. Guimaraes Jr, Rodolfo Dirzo
Summary: This study analyzed a seed dispersal network in the Brazilian Pantanal and found that population biomass, rather than animal density, was the most important predictor of interaction patterns. Larger frugivores dispersed more plant species, had more unique interactions, and had a stronger influence on other species in the network. The study suggests that the increased abundance of small-sized frugivores resulting from the loss of large vertebrates cannot compensate for the disruption of seed dispersal networks.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Sebastian Cordero, Francisca Galvez, Francisco E. Fonturbel
Summary: Exotic species are a major threat to biodiversity, affecting the structure and functioning of natural ecosystems. They can disrupt mutualistic interactions between plants and dispersers by altering dispersal behavior, predation, and transmission of pathogens. However, they can also have positive impacts on native plants and forest regeneration through increased visitation rates, facilitating colonization, enhancing seedling survival, and promoting seed rain and recruitment. Different studies show both similar and opposite results, highlighting the complex nature of native-exotic species interactions. Overall, exotic species management requires a comprehensive understanding of their ecological roles.
Article
Ecology
Isabel Donoso, Daniel Garcia, Javier Rodriguez-Perez, Daniel Martinez
Article
Ecology
Isabel Donoso, Constanti Stefanescu, Alejandro Martinez-Abrain, Anna Traveset
Article
Biology
Isabel Donoso, Matthias Schleuning, Daniel Garcia, Jochen Fruend
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2017)
Article
Ecology
Daniel Garcia, Isabel Donoso, Javier Rodriguez-Perez
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Ecology
Rocio Pena, Matthias Schleuning, Isabel Donoso, Javier Rodriguez-Perez, Fredrik Dalerum, Daniel Garcia
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Isabel Donoso, Marjorie C. Sorensen, Pedro G. Blendinger, W. Daniel Kissling, Eike Lena Neuschulz, Thomas Mueller, Matthias Schleuning
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Beatriz Rumeu, Isabel Donoso, Javier Rodriguez-Perez, Daniel Garcia
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Marjorie C. Sorensen, Isabel Donoso, Eike Lena Neuschulz, Matthias Schleuning, Thomas Mueller
Article
Ecology
Camille Coux, Isabel Donoso, Jason M. Tylianakis, Daniel Garcia, Daniel Martinez, D. Matthias Dehling, Daniel B. Stouffer
Summary: The study found that interactions involving native plants more strongly deviate from neutral predictions compared to interactions involving exotic plants. However, the proportion and composition of exotic species did not systematically alter the neutral predictions for entire networks, as only a subset of interactions were realized in different sites. This indicates that neutral and niche processes underlying individual interactions may not scale up to entire networks.
Review
Ecology
Isabel Donoso, Evan C. Fricke, Sandra Hervias-Parejo, Haldre S. Rogers, Anna Traveset
Summary: Seed dispersal, as the main way for plants to move, has significant impacts on the biodiversity and functioning of plant communities. However, global change drivers may disrupt seed dispersal processes and affect plant communities and ecosystem functions. This study provides a systematic review of the causes and research biases related to seed dispersal disruption, highlighting the need for increased research investment in understudied systems to better predict the threats to plant biodiversity and ecosystem functions in the Anthropocene.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Larissa Nowak, Matthias Schleuning, Irene M. A. Bender, Katrin Boehning-Gaese, D. Matthias Dehling, Susanne A. Fritz, W. Daniel Kissling, Thomas Mueller, Eike Lena Neuschulz, Alex L. Pigot, Marjorie C. Sorensen, Isabel Donoso
Summary: Our study showed that the ability of bird-dispersed plants to track future temperature changes varied, with large-fruited and canopy plants demonstrating higher climate-tracking ability. The biodiversity of tropical mountain ecosystems is highly vulnerable to future warming, and understanding the functional traits of plants and animals can help inform predictive models under climate change.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Isabel Donoso, Daniel Garcia, Daniel Martinez, Jason M. Tylianakis, Daniel B. Stouffer
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2017)