Frugivores and seed dispersal (1985–2010); the ‘seeds’ dispersed, established and matured

Forget, Pierre‐Michel; Jordano, Pedro; Lambert, Joanna E.; Böhning‐Gaese, Katrin; Traveset, Anna; Wright, S. Joseph

doi:10.1016/j.actao.2011.09.008

Cited by 28 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Seed dispersal is possibly the most important ecosystem service provided by birds (Sekercioglu, ; Green & Elmberg, ). In recent decades, a great deal of research has focussed on the dispersal of plants with a fleshy fruit by frugivorous birds, via the transport of seeds within their guts (endozoochory) (Forget et al ., ). In contrast, much less attention has been paid to dispersal of other plants by waterbirds, despite the diversity of plants likely to be affected (Brochet et al ., ) and the early interest of Darwin () in this topic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Internal transport of alien and native plants by geese and ducks: an experimental study

et al. 2015

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SUMMARY1. Alien plant species are rapidly spreading in aquatic ecosystems around the world, causing major ecological effects. They are typically introduced by humans, after which natural vectors facilitate their further spread. Migratory waterbirds have long been recognised as important dispersal vectors for native and aquatic plants, yet little is known about their role in the spread of alien species. 2. We determined experimentally the potential for long-distance dispersal of native and alien wetland plants in Europe by two abundant waterfowl: mallards Anas platyrhynchos and greylag geese Anser anser. We fed seeds from two plants alien to Europe and two native plants to 10 individuals of each bird species, testing for the effects of bird and plant species on the potential for dispersal. 3. Intact seeds were retrieved from faeces for up to 4 days after ingestion. The proportion of seeds retrieved intact varied significantly between plant, but not bird, species. Retrieval was highest for the invasive water primrose Ludwigia grandiflora (>35% of ingested seeds), lowest for the invasive cordgrass Spartina densiflora (<3%) and intermediate for the native glasswort Arthrocnemum macrostachyum and seablite Suaeda vera (5-10%). 4. Seed retrieval patterns over time varied between both plant and bird species. Contrary to expectations, seeds were retained in the gut for longer in the smaller mallards. No Spartina seeds germinated after retention for over 8 h, whereas some seeds of the other species germinated even after retention for 72 h. Germinability was reduced by gut passage for Ludwigia and Arthrocnemum seeds. Ludwigia seeds recovered from geese were more likely to germinate than those recovered from mallards. Time to germination was reduced by gut passage for Spartina and Ludwigia, but increased with retention time. 5. Ducks and geese evidently have the potential for long-distance transport of alien and native plant seeds, with maximal dispersal distances of well over 1000 km. The much greater potential of Ludwigia than Spartina for dispersal by waterfowl is consistent with its faster expansion across Europe. Maximum retention times of wetland seeds have been underestimated in previous experimental studies that lasted only 1-2 days. Contrary to previous studies, wetland plants with large seeds, such as Ludwigia, can still show high potential for long-distance dispersal. More attention should be paid to the role of waterbirds as vectors of alien plants and to the role of migratory geese as vectors of plants in general.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Internal transport of alien and native plants by geese and ducks: an experimental study

et al. 2015

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“…Seed dispersal by frugivorous animals is critical for ecosystem functioning, especially in the tropics as most tropical and many subtropical trees depend on seed dispersal by frugivorous animals, often birds (Howe & Smallwood 1982;Herrera 2002;Levey, Silva & Galetti 2002;Forget et al 2011). Since tropical forests become increasingly fragmented into small patches (Foley et al 2005;Mayaux et al 2005), frugivores play an even more important role as they have the potential to facilitate seed dispersal among forest fragments (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large frugivorous birds facilitate functional connectivity of fragmented landscapes

Mueller

Lenz

Caprano

et al. 2014

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary1. Quantifying ecosystem functions in spatially explicit ways is important for management decisions in increasingly fragmented landscapes. Between-patch dispersal of seeds by frugivores constitutes a key ecosystem function to ensure connectivity for fleshy-fruited plants. However, to date, methodological hurdles have limited our understanding of dispersal pathways on the landscape scale. 2. We made use of newly available tracking devices and combined movement data of 30 trumpeter hornbills Bycanistes bucinator with gut passage times and high-resolution habitat data in a fragmented forest landscape in South Africa. We identified each potential seed dispersal path and distinguished whether potential seed transport happened to a different forest patch (between-patch dispersal), within the same patch (within-patch dispersal) or into the habitat matrix (failed dispersal). To quantify functional landscape connectivity, we identified all possible between-patch connections and used graph networks to estimate landscape connectivity provided by hornbills. 3. Although potential between-patch dispersal events were rare (on average 7% compared to 20% failed dispersal and 73% within-patch dispersal), hornbills could cover distances of up to 15 km. Hornbills visited over 100 forest patches and connected a habitat network with an extent of about 50 km, which increased the potential functional connectivity of the landscape more than twofold. 4. We identified habitat patches that were critical stepping stones for seed dispersal pathways. Without these stepping stones, the network would likely disintegrate into separated components and lead to isolation of forest fragments. 5. Synthesis and applications. We showed that large frugivorous birds can greatly improve functional connectivity for fleshy-fruited plants across broad scales, linking habitat patches in fragmented forest landscapes. Combining high-resolution movement and landscape data in graph networks allows identifying seed dispersal pathways and critical stepping stones in fragmented landscapes. This approach addresses the general challenge of spatially explicit mapping of ecosystem services and can be widely incorporated in reserve design and landscape-level conservation planning.

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“…Frugivorous rodents fulfill a role as seed dispersers, contributing to the spatial dynamics of plants populations during a key-stage of their life cycle (Nyiramana et al, 2011;Choo et al, 2012;López-Barrera, Newton & Manson, 2005;Forget et al, 2011). At the same time, plants provide rodents with the energy needed to complete their own life cycles (Stephens et al, 2013;Johnstone, Lill & Reina, 2014).…”

Section: Assessing Five Species Of Cloud Forest Rodents Of Mexicomentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison between risk assessments methods: assessing five species of cloud forest rodents in Mexico

Ramirez

Quintero

2015

Preprint

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Background. Red Lists have been traditionally used as the instruments to guide conservation strategies to avoid extinctions. There is little objection to the idea that categorizing species according to their risk of extinction is a good way to prioritize and implement conservation actions; however, there is little consensus in the best way to do this categorization, and different countries have developed different methods according to their specific needs. The scope of this paper is to contrast the Mexican Risk of Extinction Assessment Method (MER) and the one used by the IUCN Red List, and test how simple, objective and transparent are them. Methods. In order to compare the we performed a search within IUCN´s data base to find species ranked as critically endangered which have not been assessed by the MER. We picked 5 species from the rodent genus Habromys and performed a literature review to assess them through the MER guidelines; we then compared the outcomes with UICN Red List. Results. The five assessed species of cloud forest rodents yield equivalent results through both the MER and IUCN assessments; however, the information asked for by the MER was scant for all the species, and we argue that the results of the assessments are thus not entirely objectives. Moreover, we found that the MER is not a simple method to use due to ambiguities of the criteria. Discussion. The aim of risk assessments is to clearly define the conservation status of a given species, displayed in a simple, transparent, objective, way, which can be relevant in terms of scope and impact on conservation actions. Unfortunately the MER does not fulfil all these requirements, potentially compromising conservation actions. As a result, we propose that it is time reevaluate the current version of the Mexican Risk of Extinction Assessment Method.

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Frugivores and seed dispersal (1985–2010); the ‘seeds’ dispersed, established and matured

Cited by 28 publications

References 60 publications

Internal transport of alien and native plants by geese and ducks: an experimental study

Internal transport of alien and native plants by geese and ducks: an experimental study

Large frugivorous birds facilitate functional connectivity of fragmented landscapes

A comparison between risk assessments methods: assessing five species of cloud forest rodents in Mexico

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