Frugivore behavioural details matter for seed dispersal: a multi-species model for Cantabrian thrushes and trees

Morales, J. M. , García, D., Martínez, D., Rodriguez-Pérez, J. and Herrera, J. M. (2013) Frugivore behavioural details matter for seed dispersal: a multi-species model for Cantabrian thrushes and trees. PLoS ONE, 8(6), e65216. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065216) (PMID:23776452) (PMCID:PMC3679117)

Abstract

Animal movement and behaviour is fundamental for ecosystem functioning. The process of seed dispersal by frugivorous animals is a showcase for this paradigm since their behaviour shapes the spatial patterns of the earliest stage of plant regeneration. However, we still lack a general understanding of how intrinsic (frugivore and plant species traits) and extrinsic (landscape features) factors interact to determine how seeds of a given species are more likely to be deposited in some places more than in others. We develop a multi-species mechanistic model of seed dispersal based on frugivore behavioural responses to landscape heterogeneity. The model was fitted to data from three-years of spatially-explicit field observations on the behaviour of six frugivorous thrushes and the fruiting patterns of three fleshy-fruited trees in a secondary forest of the Cantabrian range (N Spain). With such model we explore how seed rain patterns arise from the interaction between animal behaviour and landscape heterogeneity. We show that different species of thrushes respond differently to landscape heterogeneity even though they belong to the same genus, and that provide complementary seed dispersal functions. Simulated seed rain patterns are only realistic when at least some landscape heterogeneity (forest cover and fruit abundance) is taken into account. The common and simple approach of re-sampling movement data to quantify seed dispersal produces biases in both the distance and the habitat at which seeds arrive. Movement behaviour not only affects dispersal distance and seed rain patterns but also can affect frugivore diet composition even if there is no built-in preference for fruiting species. In summary, the fate of seeds produced by a given plant species is strongly affected by both the composition of the frugivore assemblage and the landscape-scale context of the plant location, including the presence of fruits from other plants (from the same or different species).

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: Research was supported by the European Social Fund and Spanish Ministry of Science (FPI grants to DM and JMH; CGL2008-01275 and CGL2011-28430 grants to DG), and CONICET and FONCYT (PIP 114-200801-00276 grant to JMM). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Morales, Professor Juan
• Authors: Morales, J. M., García, D., Martínez, D., Rodriguez-Pérez, J., and Herrera, J. M.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: PLoS ONE
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• ISSN: 1932-6203
• ISSN (Online): 1932-6203
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2013 Morales et al.
• First Published: First published in PLoS ONE 8(6):e65216
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license

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