Common seed dispersers contribute most to the persistence of a fleshy-fruited tree

Finn Rehling; Eelke Jongejans; Jan Schlautmann; Jörg Albrecht; Hubert Fassbender; Bogdan Jaroszewicz; Diethart Matthies; Lina Waldschmidt; Nina Farwig; Dana G. Schabo

doi:10.1038/s42003-023-04647-y

Common seed dispersers contribute most to the persistence of a fleshy-fruited tree

Finn Rehling, Eelke Jongejans, Jan Schlautmann, Jörg Albrecht, Hubert Fassbender, Bogdan Jaroszewicz, Diethart Matthies, Lina Waldschmidt, Nina Farwig, Dana G. Schabo

NIOO - Animal Ecology (AnE)

Research output: Contribution to journal/periodical › Article › Scientific › peer-review

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Abstract

Mutualistic interactions are by definition beneficial for each contributing partner. However, it is insufficiently understood how mutualistic interactions influence partners throughout their lives. Here, we used animal species-explicit, microhabitat-structured integral projection models to quantify the effect of seed dispersal by 20 animal species on the full life cycle of the tree Frangula alnus in Białowieża Forest, Eastern Poland. Our analysis showed that animal seed dispersal increased population growth by 2.5%. The effectiveness of animals as seed dispersers was strongly related to the interaction frequency but not the quality of seed dispersal. Consequently, the projected population decline due to simulated species extinction was driven by the loss of common rather than rare mutualist species. Our results support the notion that frequently interacting mutualists contribute most to the persistence of the populations of their partners, underscoring the role of common species for ecosystem functioning and nature conservation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	330
Number of pages	1
Journal	Communications Biology
Volume	6
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-04647-y
Publication status	Published - 27 Mar 2023

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Rehling et al 2023Final published version, 1.37 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Common seed dispersers contribute most to the persistence of a fleshy-fruited tree",

abstract = "Mutualistic interactions are by definition beneficial for each contributing partner. However, it is insufficiently understood how mutualistic interactions influence partners throughout their lives. Here, we used animal species-explicit, microhabitat-structured integral projection models to quantify the effect of seed dispersal by 20 animal species on the full life cycle of the tree Frangula alnus in Bia{\l}owie{\.z}a Forest, Eastern Poland. Our analysis showed that animal seed dispersal increased population growth by 2.5%. The effectiveness of animals as seed dispersers was strongly related to the interaction frequency but not the quality of seed dispersal. Consequently, the projected population decline due to simulated species extinction was driven by the loss of common rather than rare mutualist species. Our results support the notion that frequently interacting mutualists contribute most to the persistence of the populations of their partners, underscoring the role of common species for ecosystem functioning and nature conservation.",

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AU - Rehling, Finn

AU - Jongejans, Eelke

AU - Schlautmann, Jan

AU - Albrecht, Jörg

AU - Fassbender, Hubert

AU - Jaroszewicz, Bogdan

AU - Matthies, Diethart

AU - Waldschmidt, Lina

AU - Farwig, Nina

AU - Schabo, Dana G.

N1 - Data archiving: Dryad (doi not found)

PY - 2023/3/27

Y1 - 2023/3/27

N2 - Mutualistic interactions are by definition beneficial for each contributing partner. However, it is insufficiently understood how mutualistic interactions influence partners throughout their lives. Here, we used animal species-explicit, microhabitat-structured integral projection models to quantify the effect of seed dispersal by 20 animal species on the full life cycle of the tree Frangula alnus in Białowieża Forest, Eastern Poland. Our analysis showed that animal seed dispersal increased population growth by 2.5%. The effectiveness of animals as seed dispersers was strongly related to the interaction frequency but not the quality of seed dispersal. Consequently, the projected population decline due to simulated species extinction was driven by the loss of common rather than rare mutualist species. Our results support the notion that frequently interacting mutualists contribute most to the persistence of the populations of their partners, underscoring the role of common species for ecosystem functioning and nature conservation.

AB - Mutualistic interactions are by definition beneficial for each contributing partner. However, it is insufficiently understood how mutualistic interactions influence partners throughout their lives. Here, we used animal species-explicit, microhabitat-structured integral projection models to quantify the effect of seed dispersal by 20 animal species on the full life cycle of the tree Frangula alnus in Białowieża Forest, Eastern Poland. Our analysis showed that animal seed dispersal increased population growth by 2.5%. The effectiveness of animals as seed dispersers was strongly related to the interaction frequency but not the quality of seed dispersal. Consequently, the projected population decline due to simulated species extinction was driven by the loss of common rather than rare mutualist species. Our results support the notion that frequently interacting mutualists contribute most to the persistence of the populations of their partners, underscoring the role of common species for ecosystem functioning and nature conservation.

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SP - 330

JO - Communications Biology

JF - Communications Biology

IS - 1

ER -

Common seed dispersers contribute most to the persistence of a fleshy-fruited tree

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