Influence of morphological and functional characteristics on the structuring of interaction networks between frugivorous birds and plants

• Grant number: 23/00617-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: March 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Agreement: NSF - Dimensions of Biodiversity and BIOTA
• Principal Investigator: Marco Aurelio Pizo Ferreira
• Grantee: Karol Gesely Silva Quiñones
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/02943-6 - Dimensions US-São Paulo: animal biases in fruit selection and seed dispersal as drivers of biotic filters in the assembly of successional forests and their carbon capture potential, AP.BTA.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/22623-4 - Diversity, Phylogeny, and Traits of Pioneer Species Shape Frugivore Interactions in Experimental Atlantic Forest Regeneration Patches, BE.EP.DD

Abstract

Studies show that the modules commonly observed in networks of mutualistic interactions arise as a result of the correspondence between morphological characteristics of frugivores and plants, such as seed size and the size of the mouth or body mass of the frugivore. However, other relevant characteristics such as diet composition (eg, % fruits and insects in diets) and the dominant nutrients in fruit pulp have never been explored in the context of the structure of mutualistic networks, despite the well-known balance that exists between the sugar and lipid content in fruits: fruits rich in lipids are poor in sugars and water, or vice versa. This balance in nutrient content is crucial as it influences the frequency of interactions with birds depending on the composition of their diets. Furthermore, further phylogenetic structuring of functional correlations between behavioral and functional traits of birds is expected, as frugivorous birds that also eat many insects (e.g., Tyrannidae) have movements and habitat use patterns that differ substantially from stricter frugivores, with high activity in open areas and a greater frequency of movement from open areas to forest than other bird families. Thus, this project is innovative, as it will quantify and analyze new types of functional traits that are highly relevant to seed dispersal and forest regeneration, but which were ignored by previous studies. In fact, it is expected that, when considering physiological and behavioral characteristics of birds, the degree of modularity of highly nested interaction networks will increase. Thus, the project will shed new light on the functional role of different phylogenetic groups of frugivores and plants in structuring the interaction networks in which these organisms participate. (AU)