Trophic and spatial complementarity on seed dispersal services by birds, wild mammals, and cattle in a Mediterranean woodland pasture

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Bueno, Rafael da Silveira [UNESP]
Data de Publicação: 2021
Outros Autores: García, Daniel, Galetti, Mauro [UNESP], La Mantia, Tommaso
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01880
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/233696
Resumo: Most earth surfaces have undergone intensive land-use changes, creating habitat mosaics. Seed dispersal by animals is a crucial process in such mosaics, but community-wide studies comparing the functional complementarity and response to man-imposed habitat heterogeneity are rare. Here, we investigate the trophic and spatial seed dispersal networks underpinning a strong, woody vegetation expansion over a pastureland inside the largest forest remnant in western Sicily, Italy. Over two fruiting seasons, we surveyed transects in three distinct biomes within our study area: forest, pastureland, and unpaved road. In total, we collected 659 feces and tested for differences in defecation patterns and seed rain density of birds, wild mammals, and cattle. We also tested the degree of trophic and spatial specialization and modularity using a network approach. Overall, birds dispersed 1208 seeds/ha of nine plant species, including six exclusive. Mammals dispersed 679 seeds/ha from four wild species, three of which also dispersed by birds, and 38 seeds/ha of three cultivated species. In turn, mammals dispersed exclusively the seeds of wild pear (Pyrus amygdaliformis), the most abundant tree in the woodland pasture. Cattle only dispersed wild pear, but accounting for 56% of the dispersed seeds. Seed rain densities were significantly higher in woodland pastures than in forests. However, almost of half the seeds dispersed by cattle and red fox were deposited on unpaved roads. While both trophic and spatial networks were more specialized than expected, we did detect distinct modules. Our study demonstrated the magnitude of the effects of man-made habitat heterogeneity on seed dispersal services, giving baseline information for restoration programs as well as high nature value pastureland management strategies.
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spelling Trophic and spatial complementarity on seed dispersal services by birds, wild mammals, and cattle in a Mediterranean woodland pastureEcological restorationFunctional complementarityHabitat heterogeneityLinear developmentsZoochoryMost earth surfaces have undergone intensive land-use changes, creating habitat mosaics. Seed dispersal by animals is a crucial process in such mosaics, but community-wide studies comparing the functional complementarity and response to man-imposed habitat heterogeneity are rare. Here, we investigate the trophic and spatial seed dispersal networks underpinning a strong, woody vegetation expansion over a pastureland inside the largest forest remnant in western Sicily, Italy. Over two fruiting seasons, we surveyed transects in three distinct biomes within our study area: forest, pastureland, and unpaved road. In total, we collected 659 feces and tested for differences in defecation patterns and seed rain density of birds, wild mammals, and cattle. We also tested the degree of trophic and spatial specialization and modularity using a network approach. Overall, birds dispersed 1208 seeds/ha of nine plant species, including six exclusive. Mammals dispersed 679 seeds/ha from four wild species, three of which also dispersed by birds, and 38 seeds/ha of three cultivated species. In turn, mammals dispersed exclusively the seeds of wild pear (Pyrus amygdaliformis), the most abundant tree in the woodland pasture. Cattle only dispersed wild pear, but accounting for 56% of the dispersed seeds. Seed rain densities were significantly higher in woodland pastures than in forests. However, almost of half the seeds dispersed by cattle and red fox were deposited on unpaved roads. While both trophic and spatial networks were more specialized than expected, we did detect distinct modules. Our study demonstrated the magnitude of the effects of man-made habitat heterogeneity on seed dispersal services, giving baseline information for restoration programs as well as high nature value pastureland management strategies.Università degli Studi di PalermoCYTED Ciencia y Tecnología para el DesarrolloFederación Española de Enfermedades RarasDipartimento di Scienze Agrarie Alimentari e Forestali Università degli Studi di PalermoDepartamento de Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual PaulistaDepartamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas University of OviedoDepartment of Biology University of MiamiDepartamento de Biodiversidade Universidade Estadual PaulistaCYTED Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo: 418RT0555Federación Española de Enfermedades Raras: CGL2015-68963-C2-2-RUniversità degli Studi di PalermoUniversidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)University of OviedoUniversity of MiamiBueno, Rafael da Silveira [UNESP]García, DanielGaletti, Mauro [UNESP]La Mantia, Tommaso2022-05-01T09:47:18Z2022-05-01T09:47:18Z2021-11-01info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01880Global Ecology and Conservation, v. 31.2351-9894http://hdl.handle.net/11449/23369610.1016/j.gecco.2021.e018802-s2.0-85117279802Scopusreponame:Repositório Institucional da UNESPinstname:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)instacron:UNESPengGlobal Ecology and Conservationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess2022-05-01T09:47:18Zoai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/233696Repositório InstitucionalPUBhttp://repositorio.unesp.br/oai/requestopendoar:29462024-08-05T19:06:28.388648Repositório Institucional da UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)false
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Trophic and spatial complementarity on seed dispersal services by birds, wild mammals, and cattle in a Mediterranean woodland pasture
title Trophic and spatial complementarity on seed dispersal services by birds, wild mammals, and cattle in a Mediterranean woodland pasture
spellingShingle Trophic and spatial complementarity on seed dispersal services by birds, wild mammals, and cattle in a Mediterranean woodland pasture
Bueno, Rafael da Silveira [UNESP]
Ecological restoration
Functional complementarity
Habitat heterogeneity
Linear developments
Zoochory
title_short Trophic and spatial complementarity on seed dispersal services by birds, wild mammals, and cattle in a Mediterranean woodland pasture
title_full Trophic and spatial complementarity on seed dispersal services by birds, wild mammals, and cattle in a Mediterranean woodland pasture
title_fullStr Trophic and spatial complementarity on seed dispersal services by birds, wild mammals, and cattle in a Mediterranean woodland pasture
title_full_unstemmed Trophic and spatial complementarity on seed dispersal services by birds, wild mammals, and cattle in a Mediterranean woodland pasture
title_sort Trophic and spatial complementarity on seed dispersal services by birds, wild mammals, and cattle in a Mediterranean woodland pasture
author Bueno, Rafael da Silveira [UNESP]
author_facet Bueno, Rafael da Silveira [UNESP]
García, Daniel
Galetti, Mauro [UNESP]
La Mantia, Tommaso
author_role author
author2 García, Daniel
Galetti, Mauro [UNESP]
La Mantia, Tommaso
author2_role author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Università degli Studi di Palermo
Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
University of Oviedo
University of Miami
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Bueno, Rafael da Silveira [UNESP]
García, Daniel
Galetti, Mauro [UNESP]
La Mantia, Tommaso
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Ecological restoration
Functional complementarity
Habitat heterogeneity
Linear developments
Zoochory
topic Ecological restoration
Functional complementarity
Habitat heterogeneity
Linear developments
Zoochory
description Most earth surfaces have undergone intensive land-use changes, creating habitat mosaics. Seed dispersal by animals is a crucial process in such mosaics, but community-wide studies comparing the functional complementarity and response to man-imposed habitat heterogeneity are rare. Here, we investigate the trophic and spatial seed dispersal networks underpinning a strong, woody vegetation expansion over a pastureland inside the largest forest remnant in western Sicily, Italy. Over two fruiting seasons, we surveyed transects in three distinct biomes within our study area: forest, pastureland, and unpaved road. In total, we collected 659 feces and tested for differences in defecation patterns and seed rain density of birds, wild mammals, and cattle. We also tested the degree of trophic and spatial specialization and modularity using a network approach. Overall, birds dispersed 1208 seeds/ha of nine plant species, including six exclusive. Mammals dispersed 679 seeds/ha from four wild species, three of which also dispersed by birds, and 38 seeds/ha of three cultivated species. In turn, mammals dispersed exclusively the seeds of wild pear (Pyrus amygdaliformis), the most abundant tree in the woodland pasture. Cattle only dispersed wild pear, but accounting for 56% of the dispersed seeds. Seed rain densities were significantly higher in woodland pastures than in forests. However, almost of half the seeds dispersed by cattle and red fox were deposited on unpaved roads. While both trophic and spatial networks were more specialized than expected, we did detect distinct modules. Our study demonstrated the magnitude of the effects of man-made habitat heterogeneity on seed dispersal services, giving baseline information for restoration programs as well as high nature value pastureland management strategies.
publishDate 2021
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021-11-01
2022-05-01T09:47:18Z
2022-05-01T09:47:18Z
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01880
Global Ecology and Conservation, v. 31.
2351-9894
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/233696
10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01880
2-s2.0-85117279802
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01880
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/233696
identifier_str_mv Global Ecology and Conservation, v. 31.
2351-9894
10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01880
2-s2.0-85117279802
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Global Ecology and Conservation
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Scopus
reponame:Repositório Institucional da UNESP
instname:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
instacron:UNESP
instname_str Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
instacron_str UNESP
institution UNESP
reponame_str Repositório Institucional da UNESP
collection Repositório Institucional da UNESP
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositório Institucional da UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
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