Secondary seed dispersal by mammals between protected and grazed semiarid woodland

MIGUEL, M. F.; TABENI S.; CONA, M.; CAMPOS, C. M.

FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2018 vol. 422 p. 41 - 48

0378-1127

The spatial continuity of habitats contributes to maintaining ecological processes across human-modifiedlandscapes. Boundaries between differently managed lands may affect species interactions, such as seed dispersal,which is a key ecological process contributing to plant recruitment. We proposed a study of plant-frugivoreinteractions based on an experimental design of offering fruits at distance from a boundary to interiorareas between protected and grazed drylands. We found that the number of visits and fruits removed differedamong distance classes and among mammalian frugivores. Also, habitat cover differed across distance classes.Interactions by seed disperser species were more frequent at distances nearer boundary and from boundarytoward grazed fields. Conversely, interactions by seed predator species were more frequent at distances furtherfrom boundary to both land uses. We suggest that seed dispersers may be connecting lands at different spatialscales according to species-specific differences in body size and movement capacity. Studying boundaries with afunctional approach contributes to assessing the sensitivity of species to boundaries and its effect on key ecologicalfunctions between protected areas and human-managed surrounding lands