Seed dispersal by frugivorous birds, bats and rodents

• Applicants: Dr. Eike Lena Neuschulz; Privatdozent Dr. Matthias Schleuning; Professor Dr. Marco Tschapka
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Animals and Ecosystems, Organismic Interactions
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 444827997

Within the research unit "Reassembly of species interaction networks", the subproject “Seed dispersal by frugivorous birds, bats and rodents” will collect interaction data and functional traits to construct seed-dispersal networks along the entire chronosequence of forest recovery. We will use an integrative, cross-taxa approach to quantify seed-dispersal interactions between plants and birds, bats, and rodents on all 62 plots. For both animal and plant taxa, we will further record response, interaction, and dispersal traits by taking new measurements and through literature surveys. Observational studies will be complemented by an experimental study of seed rain and seedling recruitment, together with the subprojects 5 and 6. We will test hypotheses (A) on how the structure and temporal dynamics of seed-dispersal networks relate to forest recovery, (B) on how plant and animal traits shape network reassembly and (C) on how the reassembly of seed-dispersal interactions translates into seed rain and seedling recruitment. We will address these overarching hypotheses for the entire seed-dispersal network and will compare how different components of the network (i.e., birds, bats, rodents) vary in their resistance and resilience to human disturbance. For instance, we expect that small-bodied birds and bats are most important for seed dispersal at early recovery stages, whereas the contributions of large-bodied birds and bats and that of seed-dispersing rodents increase at later recovery stages. By combining observations and experiments, our subproject will provide an unprecedented opportunity to test and advance theory on network reassembly. At the same time, we plan to uncover how seed-dispersal interactions between plants and different animal taxa underpin forest recovery.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 5207: Reassembly of species interaction networks – Resistance, resilience and functional recovery of a rainforest ecosystem
• International Connection: Ecuador
• Cooperation Partners: Santiago Burneo; Boris Tinoco, Ph.D.