Diversity, Phylogeny, and Traits of Pioneer Species Shape Frugivore Interactions in Experimental Atlantic Forest Regeneration Patches

• Grant number: 24/22623-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Marco Aurelio Pizo Ferreira
• Grantee: Karol Gesely Silva Quiñones
• Supervisor: Tomas A. Carlo Joglar
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Pennsylvania State University, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/00617-0 - Influence of morphological and functional characteristics on the structuring of interaction networks between frugivorous birds and plants, BP.DD

Abstract

Frugivorous birds play a crucial role in seed dispersal processes; however, their contributions to maintaining functional ecological interactions vary among species. Functional traits of birds such as morphology, physiology, and behavior interact with plant traits to shape the outcomes of mutualistic interactions. This research leverages a large-scale experimental framework to investigate how communities of avian frugivores interact with and respond to varying levels of phylogenetic and functional diversity in experimentally planted nuclei of pioneer plant species. These nuclei are strategically established adjacent to Atlantic Forest fragments. Our proposal aim is to evaluate how bird-plant seed dispersal mutualisms are influenced by the functional traits of both frugivorous birds and pioneer plants. The experimental design includes six pioneer plant species, arranged into 22 species-specific treatments within protected 7 m² plots located 30 meters from forest fragments. Data on bird-plant interactions are systematically collected across 10 study areas within the municipality of Paranapanema, São Paulo state.This research is expected to enhance our understanding of bird-plant mutualistic interactions, which are fundamental for natural forest regeneration and community assembly in fragmented landscapes of Brazil.