Are large frugivorous birds better seed dispersers than medium‐ and small‐sized ones? Effect of body mass on seed dispersal effectiveness
| Autor: | Begoña Peco, Leticia Ríos-Casanova, Héctor Godínez-Alvarez |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
gut retention time Seed dispersal Reviews Review Biology 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences seed removal 03 medical and health sciences Frugivore lcsh:QH540-549.5 frugivory Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics 030304 developmental biology Nature and Landscape Conservation 0303 health sciences Ecology quality and quantity of seed dispersal food and beverages frequency of visits Agronomy germination Germination Mixed effects lcsh:Ecology Retention time |
| Zdroj: | Ecology and Evolution Ecology and Evolution, Vol 10, Iss 12, Pp 6136-6143 (2020) |
| ISSN: | 2045-7758 |
| Popis: | Frugivorous birds vary in seed dispersal effectiveness (SDE) depending on their body mass. It has been suggested that large birds are more effective dispersers than small ones because they consume a large number of fruits, disperse seeds of distinct sizes, and transport seeds over long distances. Yet, few studies have evaluated the impact of body mass on SDE of birds. In this study, we compiled one database for the quantity (i.e., frequency of visits to plants and number of seeds removed per visit) and quality (i.e., germination of seeds after gut passage and gut retention time of seeds) of seed dispersal by frugivorous birds to evaluate the impact of body mass on SDE. In addition, we compiled data on plant characteristics such as life‐form, fruit type, number of seeds per fruit, and size of seed to evaluate their influence on the quantity and quality of seed dispersal. Data were analyzed with linear mixed effects models and quantile regressions to evaluate the relationship between body mass of birds and quantity, quality, and SDE, in addition to the influence of plant characteristics on SDE. The body mass of birds was negatively related to the frequency of visits to plants. Furthermore, it was positively related to the number of seeds removed per visit, although negatively related to seed size. The life‐form of plants was the only factor explaining the germination of seeds after gut passage. Yet, the body mass of birds was positively related to the gut retention time of seeds. Small and medium birds have a relatively higher SDE than large birds. These results differ from the assertion that large birds are more effective dispersers of plants. Small and medium birds are also effective dispersers of plants that should be preserved and protected from the impact of human activities. This manuscript evaluates the effect of body mass on the seed dispersal effectiveness of birds. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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