Drivers of bat roles in Neotropical seed dispersal networks: abundance is more important than functional traits
Rafael de Souza Laurindo
Jeferson Vizentin-Bugoni
Davi Tavares
Matheus Camargo Silva Mancini
Rodrigo de Macêdo Mello
Renato Gregorin
Abstract
While functional traits can facilitate or constrain interactions between pair of species in ecological communities, relative abundances regulate the probabilities of encounter among individuals. However, the relative importance of traits and relative abundances for the role species play in seed dispersion networks remains poorly explored. Here, we analyzed 20 Neotropical seed dispersal networks distributed from Mexico to southeastern Brazil to evaluate how relative abundance and functional traits influence bat species’ roles in seed dispersal networks. We tested how bat relative abundance and traits relate to species contribution to between-module (c metric) and within-module connectivity (z metric) and their position and potential to mediate indirect effects between species (betweenness centrality). Our results indicate that relative abundance is the main determinant of the role bats play in the networks, while traits such as aspect ratio show modest yet statistically significant importance in predicting specific roles. Moreover, all seed dispersal networks presented two or three superabundant obligatory frugivore species that interacted with a high number of plants. The modest influence of the functional traits on species’ roles is likely related to the low variation of morphological traits related to foraging ecology, which reduces the chances of morphological mismatching between consumers and resources in the system. In this scenario, abundant bats have higher chances of encountering resources and being capable of consuming them which leads such species to play critical roles in the community by acting as module hubs and network connectors.
Laurindo R.d.S., Vizentin-Bugoni J., Tavares D., Mancini M.C.S., Mello R.d.M. and Gregorin R. (2020) Drivers of bat roles in Neotropical seed dispersal networks: abundance is more important than functional traits. Oecologia 193(1): 189-198. 10.1007/s00442-020-04662-4
@article{Laurindo2020,
Title = {Drivers of bat roles in Neotropical seed dispersal networks: abundance is more important than functional traits},
Author = {Laurindo, Rafael de Souza and Vizentin-Bugoni, Jeferson and Tavares, Davi and Mancini, Matheus Camargo Silva and Mello, Rodrigo de Macêdo and Gregorin, Renato},
Editor = {},
Journal = {Oecologia},
Year = {2020},
Pages = {189-198},
Volume = {193},
Doi = {10.1007/s00442-020-04662-4},
Abstract = {While functional traits can facilitate or constrain interactions between pair of species in ecological communities, relative abundances regulate the probabilities of encounter among individuals. However, the relative importance of traits and relative abundances for the role species play in seed dispersion networks remains poorly explored. Here, we analyzed 20 Neotropical seed dispersal networks distributed from Mexico to southeastern Brazil to evaluate how relative abundance and functional traits influence bat species’ roles in seed dispersal networks. We tested how bat relative abundance and traits relate to species contribution to between-module (c metric) and within-module connectivity (z metric) and their position and potential to mediate indirect effects between species (betweenness centrality). Our results indicate that relative abundance is the main determinant of the role bats play in the networks, while traits such as aspect ratio show modest yet statistically significant importance in predicting specific roles. Moreover, all seed dispersal networks presented two or three superabundant obligatory frugivore species that interacted with a high number of plants. The modest influence of the functional traits on species’ roles is likely related to the low variation of morphological traits related to foraging ecology, which reduces the chances of morphological mismatching between consumers and resources in the system. In this scenario, abundant bats have higher chances of encountering resources and being capable of consuming them which leads such species to play critical roles in the community by acting as module hubs and network connectors.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Laurindo, Rafael de Souza
AU - Vizentin-Bugoni, Jeferson
AU - Tavares, Davi
AU - Mancini, Matheus Camargo Silva
AU - Mello, Rodrigo de Macêdo
AU - Gregorin, Renato
TI - Drivers of bat roles in Neotropical seed dispersal networks: abundance is more important than functional traits
T2 - Oecologia
PY - 2020
SP - 189-198
VL - 193
DO - 10.1007/s00442-020-04662-4
AB - While functional traits can facilitate or constrain interactions between pair of species in ecological communities, relative abundances regulate the probabilities of encounter among individuals. However, the relative importance of traits and relative abundances for the role species play in seed dispersion networks remains poorly explored. Here, we analyzed 20 Neotropical seed dispersal networks distributed from Mexico to southeastern Brazil to evaluate how relative abundance and functional traits influence bat species’ roles in seed dispersal networks. We tested how bat relative abundance and traits relate to species contribution to between-module (c metric) and within-module connectivity (z metric) and their position and potential to mediate indirect effects between species (betweenness centrality). Our results indicate that relative abundance is the main determinant of the role bats play in the networks, while traits such as aspect ratio show modest yet statistically significant importance in predicting specific roles. Moreover, all seed dispersal networks presented two or three superabundant obligatory frugivore species that interacted with a high number of plants. The modest influence of the functional traits on species’ roles is likely related to the low variation of morphological traits related to foraging ecology, which reduces the chances of morphological mismatching between consumers and resources in the system. In this scenario, abundant bats have higher chances of encountering resources and being capable of consuming them which leads such species to play critical roles in the community by acting as module hubs and network connectors.
ER -
