Food resource richness increases seed disperser visitations and seed rain richness
Abstract Within the context of global change, seed dispersal research often focuses on changes in disperser communities (i.e., seed dispersers, such as birds, in an area) resulting from habitat fragmentation. This approach may not be completely illustrative due to certain seed disperser communities...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11093 |
| _version_ | 1827308922413776896 |
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| author | James P. Holdgrafer David S. Mason Tyler Steven Coleman Marcus A. Lashley |
| author_facet | James P. Holdgrafer David S. Mason Tyler Steven Coleman Marcus A. Lashley |
| author_sort | James P. Holdgrafer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Within the context of global change, seed dispersal research often focuses on changes in disperser communities (i.e., seed dispersers, such as birds, in an area) resulting from habitat fragmentation. This approach may not be completely illustrative due to certain seed disperser communities being more robust to fragmentation. Additionally, this top‐down approach overlooks how changing food resources on landscapes impacts resource tracking and, subsequently, seed dispersal. We hypothesized resource tracking may promote diffuse plant–animal dispersal mutualisms if resource richness is positively linked to disperser and seed rain richness. We predicted increasing food resource richness attracts more visits and species of avian dispersers, resulting in higher counts and greater species richness of seeds deposited at sites (i.e., seed rain). We tested this mechanism in two replicated field experiments using a model system with bird feeders positioned above seed traps. In the first experiment, we demonstrated resource presence skews seed rain. In the second experiment, we explored how species richness of food resources (0, 4, 8, or 12 species) affected the species richness and visitation of avian seed dispersers at feeders and in subsequent seed rain. Collectively, we observed a positive relationship between available food resources and seed rain, likely mediated by resource tracking behavior of avian dispersers. Our findings underscore a potential key mechanism that may facilitate ecological diversity, whereby accumulating species richness in the plant community attracts a more diverse seed disperser community and indirectly promotes more species in seed rain. Importantly, the resource tracking mechanism driving this potential positive feedback loop may also result in negative ecosystem effects if global change diminishes resource availability through homogenization processes, such as invasive species colonization. Future research should explore the bottom‐up effects of global change on food resources and seed disperser behavior to complement the literature on changing disperser communities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:19:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-edbc407628664b569bc45d9311e4ae98 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T19:19:08Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-edbc407628664b569bc45d9311e4ae982024-03-26T04:26:57ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-03-01143n/an/a10.1002/ece3.11093Food resource richness increases seed disperser visitations and seed rain richnessJames P. Holdgrafer0David S. Mason1Tyler Steven Coleman2Marcus A. Lashley3Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville Florida USADepartment of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville Florida USAFlorida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville Florida USADepartment of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation University of Florida Gainesville Florida USAAbstract Within the context of global change, seed dispersal research often focuses on changes in disperser communities (i.e., seed dispersers, such as birds, in an area) resulting from habitat fragmentation. This approach may not be completely illustrative due to certain seed disperser communities being more robust to fragmentation. Additionally, this top‐down approach overlooks how changing food resources on landscapes impacts resource tracking and, subsequently, seed dispersal. We hypothesized resource tracking may promote diffuse plant–animal dispersal mutualisms if resource richness is positively linked to disperser and seed rain richness. We predicted increasing food resource richness attracts more visits and species of avian dispersers, resulting in higher counts and greater species richness of seeds deposited at sites (i.e., seed rain). We tested this mechanism in two replicated field experiments using a model system with bird feeders positioned above seed traps. In the first experiment, we demonstrated resource presence skews seed rain. In the second experiment, we explored how species richness of food resources (0, 4, 8, or 12 species) affected the species richness and visitation of avian seed dispersers at feeders and in subsequent seed rain. Collectively, we observed a positive relationship between available food resources and seed rain, likely mediated by resource tracking behavior of avian dispersers. Our findings underscore a potential key mechanism that may facilitate ecological diversity, whereby accumulating species richness in the plant community attracts a more diverse seed disperser community and indirectly promotes more species in seed rain. Importantly, the resource tracking mechanism driving this potential positive feedback loop may also result in negative ecosystem effects if global change diminishes resource availability through homogenization processes, such as invasive species colonization. Future research should explore the bottom‐up effects of global change on food resources and seed disperser behavior to complement the literature on changing disperser communities.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11093avian seed dispersaldiversity‐maintenance mechanismmutualismresource‐trackingzoochory |
| spellingShingle | James P. Holdgrafer David S. Mason Tyler Steven Coleman Marcus A. Lashley Food resource richness increases seed disperser visitations and seed rain richness Ecology and Evolution avian seed dispersal diversity‐maintenance mechanism mutualism resource‐tracking zoochory |
| title | Food resource richness increases seed disperser visitations and seed rain richness |
| title_full | Food resource richness increases seed disperser visitations and seed rain richness |
| title_fullStr | Food resource richness increases seed disperser visitations and seed rain richness |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food resource richness increases seed disperser visitations and seed rain richness |
| title_short | Food resource richness increases seed disperser visitations and seed rain richness |
| title_sort | food resource richness increases seed disperser visitations and seed rain richness |
| topic | avian seed dispersal diversity‐maintenance mechanism mutualism resource‐tracking zoochory |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11093 |
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