The resilient frugivorous fauna of an urban forest fragment and its potential role in vegetation enrichment

Abstract

Anthropocentric defaunation affects critical ecological processes, such as seed dispersal, putting ecosystems and biomes at risk, and leading to habitat impoverishment. Diverse restoration techniques could reverse the process of habitat impoverishment. However, in most of the restoration efforts, only vegetation cover is targeted. Fauna and flora are treated as isolated components, neglecting a key component of ecosystems' functioning, the ecological interactions. We tested whether the resilient frugivorous generalist fauna can improve habitat quality by dispersing native plant species through the use of fruit feeders as in a semideciduous seasonal urban forest fragment. A total of 32 sampling points was selected at a heavily degraded 251-ha urban forest fragment, with feeders installed at two heights monitored by camera-traps. Variable quantities of native fruits of 27 zoochorous species were offered alternately in the feeders. Based on more than 36,000 h of video records, Turdus leucomelas (Class Aves), Sapajus nigritus (Class Mammalia), and Salvator merianae (Class Reptilia) were recorded ingesting the highest fruit species richness. Didelphis albiventris (Class Mammalia) was the most frequent visitor but consumed only pulp in most of the visits. The frugivorous birds were recorded at a high visitation rate and consumed a wider variety of fruits. Our study opens a new avenue to combine the traditional approach of ecosystems recovery and ecological interactions restauration in an urban forest fragment.

Structure and Characteristics of Plant-Frugivore Network in an Urban Park: A Case Study in Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem. Sun Yat-Sen

“…We also found that the top three frugivore birds were medium-and large-size omnivorous generalist birds (Table 2), consistent with some studies in disturbed habitats [11,14,73] and some studies on bird composition in urban ecosystems [74,75], they occupy a dominant position in both urban plant-frugivore networks and urban bird communities. They have a wider feeding niche and eat more plant fruits [11]. Moreover, their high adaptability to urban high disturbance habitats makes them dominant in the overall number [76], which may increase the cumulative connection of plant-frugivore bird networks.…”

“…The process of urbanization is accompanied by the loss and fragmentation of habitat and urban bird richness, the decrease in diversity, and the homogenization and domination of urban bird communities by generalist species [9][10][11][12]. The connectivity between patches decreases, and the filtering effect of the landscape scale leads to a change in the bird community [13].…”

Abundance determines core–periphery roles of birds in a Neotropical seed dispersal network

“…Thus, these species contribute to the stability of the network against possible disturbances, increasing its robustness (Bascompte et al 2003, Saavedra et al 2011, Silva et al 2015, Carlo & Morales 2016, Palacio et al 2016, Ramos-Robles et al 2018b. Considering the natural history of these birds, it is important to mention that Silver-beaked Tanager is an abundant species that forages in flocks and often occupies the vegetation border and altered areas (Lasky & Keitt 2012, Silva et al 2015, Rigacci et al 2021. Therefore, from a functional perspective, this species can be an important component in the regeneration of degraded areas.…”

Are Juglans neotropica Plantations Useful as a Refuge of Bryophytes Diversity in Tropical Areas?

“…This plantation is approximately 60 years old [ 45 ], where no thinning operations have been made, and is characterized by a very uniform structure, the predominant species being J. neotropica , mainly mixed with tree species of Cedrela montana , Siparuna muricata , Inga fendleriana , Vibumum triphyllum , Streptosolen jamesonii , Palicourea heterochroma and Oreopanax rosei [ 45 ]. The species is cultivated because it is an important timber species that produces high quality wood [ 46 ], and its nuts are edible and used as a colorant in the textile industry [ 47 ].…”