Plant origin and fruit traits shape fruit removal patterns by native birds in invaded plant communities

MARTIN ALBARRACIN, VALERIA LETICIA; AMICO, GUILLERMO

BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2021 vol. 23 p. 857 - 870

1387-3547

Biotic interactions andmutualisms in particular have an important role in ecosystem structure andfunctioning as well as in the maintenance of biodiversity. Understanding howcommunities respond to the introduction of non-native species and whatdetermines the establishment of novel interactions between native and introducedspecies will help in determining the potential impacts of biological invasions.The aims of this work were to assess patterns of frugivory and fruit removal inenvironments with invasion of non-native fleshy-fruited plants and to evaluateif novel associations between native frugivores and non-native plants aredetermined by fruit traits. For this we selected eight study sites in areaswith different degrees of invasion of non-native fleshy-fruited plants. In eachsite, we measured fruit availability and fruit traits of native and non-nativeplants. In addition, we conducted direct frugivory observations. We found thatnative and non-native fruits differed based on morphological trait variables,such as fruit weight and dimensions. Only two birds, Elaenia albiceps (smaller and migrant) and Turdus falcklandii (bigger and resident), are the main frugivorouspresent in the area. At the scale of the community of frugivores, neither visitnor fruit removal rates differ between natives and non-natives.  However, at the species scale, while Elaenia albiceps preferentially foragedon native plants, Turdus falcklandiipreferred non-natives. Thus, some generalist frugivorousspecies like Turdus falcklandii canplay a key role in promoting the invasion of non-native plants.