The effectiveness of ichthyochoric dispersal in forested wetlands of the Amazon depends on the species of fish and its size

Costa, Gilvan; Piedade, Maria Teresa Fernandez; Ferreira, Efrem Jorge; Maltchik, Leonardo

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2023.121481

Cited by 3 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…However, our results did not show this pattern, as both the size of the fish and the size of the seeds found in the digestive tracts were not related to specialisation (d′). This can be explained by the tendency for smaller fish to consume smaller-sized seeds, while larger fish consume larger-sized seeds (Costa et al, 2023(Costa et al, , 2024, thus making the number of interactions between fish of different sizes more similar.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seed dispersal by animals (zoochory) is an important form of dissemination of propagules for many plant species (Wunderle Jr., 1997).The interaction between animals and plants is vital for the dynamics of ecosystems (Costa et al, 2023;Traveset, 1998) and the complexity of the interactions has important implications for species coexistence and stability . In addition, dispersal influences plant distribution and regeneration patterns (Jordano, 2000).The Neotropical region is the richest in the world in terms of freshwater fish and plant species (Brummitt et al, 2020;

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confidence: 99%

“…The interaction between animals and plants is vital for the dynamics of ecosystems (Costa et al, 2023;Traveset, 1998) and the complexity of the interactions has important implications for species coexistence and stability . In addition, dispersal influences plant distribution and regeneration patterns (Jordano, 2000).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…In these environments, there are more than 1600 plant species (Wittmann et al, 2006(Wittmann et al, , 2010, with flowering and fruiting periods that coincide with the increase in the level of the river (Parolin et al, 2004(Parolin et al, , 2013. This allows seed dispersal via water (hydrochory) and fish (ichthyochory) (Correa, Araújo, et al, 2015;Costa et al, 2023;Parolin et al, 2013) and the formation of complex mutualistic networks (Araujo et al, 2021;Correa et al, 2016;Mateus et al, 2022;Pereyra et al, 2023).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…The study of mutualistic networks has focused mainly on the structure of the networks of mammals and frugivorous birds (Mello et al, 2011a(Mello et al, , 2011bSarmento et al, 2014;Silva et al, 2023), and only recently has it focused on networks with frugivorous fish (Araujo et al, 2021;Correa et al, 2016;Mateus et al, 2022;Pereyra et al, 2023) due to the potential harm that the loss of frugivorous fish could cause to the diversity of floodable forests (Correa et al, 2007;Correa, Araújo, et al, 2015;Correa, Costa-Pereira, et al, 2015;Costa et al, 2023;Costa-Pereira et al, 2017Costa-Pereira & Galetti, 2015). These studies can provide a baseline of how environmental changes influence the stability and functioning of communities (Bascompte & Olesen, 2015).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Structure and vulnerability of the ichthyochory network in wetland forests of Central Amazonia

Costa,

Weiss,

Piedade

et al. 2024

Ecology of Freshwater Fish

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The interaction between fish and plants is vital for the dynamics of ecosystems since it influences plant distribution and regeneration patterns. In the floodable areas of the Amazon, these interactions are mainly structured by the flood pulse, which enables seed dispersal via water (hydrochory) and fish (ichthyochory), and which contributes to the formation of complex mutualistic networks. Our study evaluated the structure (modularity, nestedness, specialisation, and robustness) of the network of dispersal of seeds by frugivorous fish in a floodplain forest in Central Amazonia. We expect the binary network to have a nested pattern, while the weighted network is expected to have a non‐nested structure; that generalist frugivorous species should constitute the core of the network, while specialist frugivorous species will be peripheral; that the size of fish and seeds is related to specialisation, and that the robustness of the network weakens as generalist frugivorous fish are removed. We found 5012 intact seeds from 49 plant species in the digestive tracts of 11 species of frugivorous fish. A nested and modular pattern was found for the binary and weighted networks, albeit with a low degree of nestedness. Our network proved relatively robust when the frugivores were removed, whereby all the fish and plant species became peripheral. No relationship was found between the size of the fish and the seeds and the degree of specialisation. Considering the anthropogenic impacts that can cause modifications in seed dispersal networks, knowing the structure of mutualistic networks is fundamental in order to be able infer the vulnerability of the interactions as a result of changes in the ecosystem.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Structure and vulnerability of the ichthyochory network in wetland forests of Central Amazonia

Costa,

Weiss,

Piedade

et al. 2024

Ecology of Freshwater Fish

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Larger Fish Disperse Larger Seeds in Oligotrophic Wetlands of the Central Amazon

Costa,

Weiss,

Piedade

2024

Wetlands

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Big rodents disperse small seeds and spores in Neotropical wetlands

Hoffmann,

Adolfo,

Green

et al. 2024

Journal of Ecology

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The role of large frugivores in the dispersal of tropical trees has been well‐studied, whereas the importance of the world's largest rodents for plant dispersal has previously been ignored. We studied plant dispersal by gut passage (endozoochory) in Neotropical wetlands by the largest extant rodent, the capybara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris. We compared it with another of the world's 10 largest rodents, the nutria or coypu Myocastor coypus. We collected 96 faecal samples (50 capybara, 46 nutria) from 10 sites within the Taim Ramsar site in southern Brazil, and extracted intact propagules from 10 g subsamples. Propagules from 27 plant taxa (24 angiosperms, and three aquatic ferns) were recovered, representing 13 plant families. Whole Spirodela (duckweed) plants were dispersed. Seeds from 14 angiosperm taxa were germinated in the laboratory. Taxonomic composition of propagules was significantly different for the two mammals, but propagule size was not. Capybara dispersed more terrestrial propagules per sample, and nutrias more aquatic propagules. When total faecal production was taken into account, an estimated 1025 propagules (including 133 fern spores) were dispersed by each capybara per day, compared with 691 propagules for nutrias (including 566 fern spores). Capybaras have larger home ranges and likely dispersed plants over a greater distance. Synthesis: This is the first demonstration that rodents disperse aquatic pteridophytes as well as flowering plants. Our results suggest that capybaras and nutrias play important, complementary roles in dispersing a variety of aquatic and terrestrial plant species within Neotropical wetlands. Our study indicates that the role of herbivorous mammals as vectors of plants with small seeds and non‐fleshy fruits has been overlooked in the neotropics and that defaunation of large herbivores can have negative consequences, in a manner similar to that previously highlighted for frugivores.

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The effectiveness of ichthyochoric dispersal in forested wetlands of the Amazon depends on the species of fish and its size

Cited by 3 publications

References 58 publications

Structure and vulnerability of the ichthyochory network in wetland forests of Central Amazonia

Structure and vulnerability of the ichthyochory network in wetland forests of Central Amazonia

Larger Fish Disperse Larger Seeds in Oligotrophic Wetlands of the Central Amazon

Big rodents disperse small seeds and spores in Neotropical wetlands

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