Seed predation is an important ecological process that affects the abundance, diversity and distribution of plant species, and it is known to be influenced by defaunation and forest fragmentation. Most studies on seed predation in human‐modified landscapes do not take into account the different spatial scales in which this process operates. In this study, we evaluated how variables at three distinct spatial scales affected the seed predation of a palm that provides a keystone resource to the frugivore community, the queen palm Syagrus romanzoffiana. Thirteen landscapes that vary in forest cover, number of fragments and patch sizes were sampled in the Brazilian Atlantic forest. We also evaluated the contribution of the three main groups of seed predators: squirrels, terrestrial rodents and invertebrates. Our results indicate that seed predation is more affected by fragment and local variables than by landscape influences. In addition, the size of the fragment, its shape and the distance from the nearest forest edge were the main predictors of the proportion of predated seeds. Moreover, the two main seed predators (squirrels and invertebrates) responded to the same fragment and local variables. Because most of the Atlantic forest consists of small fragments, we expect that the seed predation of this keystone palm should be high in most of its distribution, with potential consequences for the frugivore community.

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Rodents are known to perform post‐dispersal seed predation in tropical rain forest, but there is little information on the identity of these seed predators and how they select their seeds. Using cafeteria experiments, we found that seed mass, rodent body mass, and the ratio of seed/rodent mass were determinants of seed consumption.

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Habitat loss and degradation can undermine wildlife communities and ecosystem functioning. However, certain generalist wildlife species like mesopredators and omnivores can exploit these disturbed habitats, sometimes leading to population increases (e.g. ‘mesopredator release’ in degraded areas). Although mesopredator release may cause negative effects on food webs and zoonotic disease management, some disturbance‐tolerant species may help perpetuate important ecological interactions, such as seed dispersal. We evaluated the habitat associations of common palm civets Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, which are widespread generalist mesopredators in Southeast Asia. Common palm civets are also high‐quality seed dispersers, and potential zoonotic disease hosts. We used published and new camera trapping data to map their probability of presence across Southeast Asia and evaluate regional‐scale associations between capture rates and habitat variables such as elevation, ecoregion intactness and Human Footprint Index, among others. We also assessed the influence of habitat variables on their relative abundance at the local scale. At the regional scale, we found that common palm civets showed significant positive associations with landscapes characterized by lower ecoregion intactness, higher Human Footprint Index and lower elevations. At the local scale, their relative abundance showed a significant positive association with higher Human Footprint Index, but only to a certain point, after which it started decreasing. They also favoured lower elevations at the local scale. These multi‐scale results indicate that common palm civets' abundance can increase under certain levels of human disturbances, consistent with the ‘mesopredator release’ hypothesis. This suggests they may be crucial seed dispersers in degraded forest landscapes, especially where more sensitive seed dispersers have disappeared. Our results are also consistent with previous studies reporting that habitat degradation increases populations of potential zoonotic disease hosts, and thus risks of transmission to humans.