Effects of functional and phylogenetic traits of pioneer plants on seed dispersal effectiveness and plant regeneration in the Atlantic forest

• Grant number: 25/00580-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Marco Aurelio Pizo Ferreira
• Grantee: Mariana Lopes Campagnoli
• 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

Abstract

Increasing human activity and disturbance has led to intense degradation of natural ecosystems, highlighting the urgency of implementing strategies of ecosystem restoration. The applied nucleation technique, which involves tree planting in small patches to attract seed dispersers, has been identified as a cost-effective strategy to accelerate the regeneration of plant communities. However, understanding the ideal conditions that favor successful applied nucleation attempts remains limited in Neotropical ecosystems. This project aims to expand our understanding about the effect of different combinations of pioneer plants on Atlantic Forest regeneration. To this end, we will take advantage of an extensive database of 4,345 bird-fruit interactions and bird visitation records associated with 230 nucleation plots distributed across 10 areas. Additional data collection will be conducted to detail the so-called qualitative aspects of seed dispersal interactions. Specifically, we aim to quantify seed germination after passage through the digestive tract of different bird species and seedling recruitment in plots with a gradient of functional (i.e., fruit nutritional composition) and phylogenetic diversity (i.e., the number of botanical families) of pioneer plants. Our goals are to: i) understand the relative importance of functional and phylogenetic aspects of pioneer plants for seedling richness and seed dispersal effectiveness, ii) identify bird species that act as key dispersers to restoring degraded landscapes, and iii) identify potential limitations to seedling recruitment associated with each plot.