Ecological function maintained despite mesomammal declines.

Autor: McKee RK; Department of Biology, Mercer University, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, Georgia, 31207, United States. mckee_rk@mercer.edu.; Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. mckee_rk@mercer.edu., Taillie PJ; Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.; Department of Geography, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA., Hart KM; U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Davie, FL, USA., Lopez CL; Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA., Sanjar A; Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA., McCleery RA; Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Scientific reports [Sci Rep] 2024 Aug 24; Vol. 14 (1), pp. 19668. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Aug 24.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66534-8
Abstrakt: Mid-sized mammals (i.e., mesomammals) fulfill important ecological roles, serving as essential scavengers, predators, pollinators, and seed dispersers in the ecosystems they inhabit. Consequently, declines in mesomammal populations have the potential to alter ecological processes and fundamentally change ecosystems. However, ecosystems characterized by high functional redundancy, where multiple species can fulfil similar ecological roles, may be less impacted by the loss of mesomammals and other vertebrates. The Greater Everglades Ecosystem in southern Florida is a historically biodiverse region that has recently been impacted by multiple anthropogenic threats, most notably the introduction of the Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus). Since pythons became established, mesomammal populations have become greatly reduced. To assess whether these declines in mesomammals have affected two critical ecosystem functions-scavenging and frugivory-we conducted experiments in areas where mesomammals were present and absent. We did not observe significant differences in scavenging or frugivory efficiency in areas with and without mesomammals, but we did observe significant differences in the communities responsible for scavenging and frugivory. Despite the observed evidence of redundancy, the changes in community composition could potentially lead to indirect consequences on processes like seed dispersal and disease dynamics within this ecosystem, emphasizing the need for further study.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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