Biological traits and patterns of interaction in a seed dispersal network: inferring the consequences of defaunation

• Grant number: 13/02819-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Theoretical Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Roberto Guimarães Junior
• Grantee: Esther Sebastián González
• Supervisor: Rodolfo Dirzo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Stanford University, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/17968-2 - Structure and geographical variability in mutualistic networks of plants and their frugivorous birds, BP.PD

Abstract

Understanding how the morpho-phisiological traits of species are related to the structure of natural communities they form a part of, can be of major importance to understand the functioning and network architecture of many biological interactions such as mutualisms. Moreover, detailed information about the importance of species traits can be highly valuable to understand the effect of some conservation-oriented problems such as defaunation. In this study we aim to investigate interaction rules that may organize the interactions among fruiting fruits and frugivorous animals in seed-dispersal interaction networks using modeling approaches. We also want to use the model developed to simulate the loss of particular animal species and to identify and discuss the ecological effects of defaunation for ecosystem functioning. We will use as a reference system the data from one of the most complete published networks on seed-dispersal, which includes information for birds and mammals. We will construct at least three competing models to explain the relation between animal and seed size, and we will use a maximum likelihood approach to identify which, if any, of the three proposed models is better in describing the observed interaction pattern. Then, we will use this information to simulate the effect of defaunation on different types of seed-dispersal networks and we will discuss the effects of defaunation on the structure of the network and on the maintenance of the seed-dispersal ecosystem service. (AU)

Scientific publications

(7)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SEBASTIAN-GONZALEZ, ESTHER; PIRES, MATHIAS M.; DONATTI, CAMILA I.; GUIMARAES, JR., PAULO R.; DIRZO, RODOLFO. Species traits and interaction rules shape a species-rich seed-dispersal interaction network. ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, v. 7, n. 12, p. 4496-4506, JUN 2017. (13/02819-7)

PEREZ-GARCIA, JUAN MANUEL; SEBASTIAN-GONZALEZ, ESTHER; ALEXANDER, KAREN LUISA; SANCHEZ-ZAPATA, JOSE ANTONIO; BOTELLA, FRANCISCO. Effect of landscape configuration and habitat quality on the community structure of waterbirds using a man-made habitat. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH, v. 60, n. 6, p. 875-883, DEC 2014. (13/02819-7)

PEREZ-GARCIA, JUAN M.; SEBASTIAN-GONZALEZ, ESTHER; BOTELLA, FRANCISCO; SANCHEZ-ZAPATA, JOSE A.. Selecting indicator species of infrastructure impacts using network analysis and biological traits: Bird electrocution and power lines. ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS, v. 60, p. 428-433, JAN 2016. (13/02819-7)

SEBASTIAN-GONZALEZ, ESTHER; GREEN, ANDY J.. Habitat Use by Waterbirds in Relation to Pond Size, Water Depth, and Isolation: Lessons from a Restoration in Southern Spain. RESTORATION ECOLOGY, v. 22, n. 3, p. 311-318, MAY 2014. (13/02819-7, 11/17968-2)

SCHROEDER, JOHN W.; MARTIN, JESSICA T.; ANGULO, DIEGO F.; BARBOSA, JOMAR M.; PEREA, RAMON; ARIAS-DEL RAZO, ITZEL; SEBASTIAN-GONZALEZ, ESTHER; DIRZO, RODOLFO. Community composition and diversity of Neotropical root-associated fungi in common and rare trees. Biotropica, v. 50, n. 4, p. 694-703, JUL 2018. (13/02819-7)

ASTEGIANO, JULIA; SEBASTIAN-GONZALEZ, ESTHER; CASTANHO, CAMILA DE TOLEDO. Unravelling the gender productivity gap in science: a meta-analytical review. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE, v. 6, n. 6, JUN 2019. (12/04941-1, 13/02819-7, 11/09951-2, 12/09794-7, 11/17968-2)

SCHROEDER, JOHN W.; MARTIN, JESSICA T.; ANGULO, DIEGO F.; ARIAS-DEL RAZO, ITZEL; BARBOSA, JOMAR M.; PEREA, RAMON; SEBASTIAN-GONZALEZ, ESTHER; DIRZO, RODOLFO. Host plant phylogeny and abundance predict root-associated fungal community composition and diversity of mutualists and pathogens. JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, v. 107, n. 4, p. 1557-1566, JUL 2019. (13/02819-7)