Abstract
Dispersal is thought to be a key process underlying the high spatial diversity of tropical forests. Just how important dispersal is in structuring plant communities is nevertheless an open question because it is very difficult to isolate dispersal from other processes, and thereby measure its effect. Using a unique situation, the loss of vertebrate seed dispersers on the island of Guam and their presence on the neighboring islands of Saipan and Rota, we quantify the contribution of vertebrate seed dispersal to spatial patterns of diversity of tree seedlings in treefall gaps. The presence of vertebrate seed dispersers approximately doubled seedling species richness within canopy gaps and halved species turnover among gaps. Our study demonstrates that dispersal plays a key role in maintaining local and regional patterns of diversity, and highlights the potential for ongoing declines in vertebrate seed dispersers to profoundly alter tropical forest composition.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 10689-10694 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
| Volume | 114 |
| Issue number | 40 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Oct 2017 |
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Seed dispersal increases local species richness and reduces spatial turnover of tropical tree seedlings. / Wandrag, Elizabeth M.; Dunham, Amy E.; Duncan, Richard P.; Rogers, Haldre S.
In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 114, No. 40, 03.10.2017, p. 10689-10694.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Seed dispersal increases local species richness and reduces spatial turnover of tropical tree seedlings
AU - Wandrag, Elizabeth M.
AU - Dunham, Amy E.
AU - Duncan, Richard P.
AU - Rogers, Haldre S.
PY - 2017/10/3
Y1 - 2017/10/3
N2 - Dispersal is thought to be a key process underlying the high spatial diversity of tropical forests. Just how important dispersal is in structuring plant communities is nevertheless an open question because it is very difficult to isolate dispersal from other processes, and thereby measure its effect. Using a unique situation, the loss of vertebrate seed dispersers on the island of Guam and their presence on the neighboring islands of Saipan and Rota, we quantify the contribution of vertebrate seed dispersal to spatial patterns of diversity of tree seedlings in treefall gaps. The presence of vertebrate seed dispersers approximately doubled seedling species richness within canopy gaps and halved species turnover among gaps. Our study demonstrates that dispersal plays a key role in maintaining local and regional patterns of diversity, and highlights the potential for ongoing declines in vertebrate seed dispersers to profoundly alter tropical forest composition.
AB - Dispersal is thought to be a key process underlying the high spatial diversity of tropical forests. Just how important dispersal is in structuring plant communities is nevertheless an open question because it is very difficult to isolate dispersal from other processes, and thereby measure its effect. Using a unique situation, the loss of vertebrate seed dispersers on the island of Guam and their presence on the neighboring islands of Saipan and Rota, we quantify the contribution of vertebrate seed dispersal to spatial patterns of diversity of tree seedlings in treefall gaps. The presence of vertebrate seed dispersers approximately doubled seedling species richness within canopy gaps and halved species turnover among gaps. Our study demonstrates that dispersal plays a key role in maintaining local and regional patterns of diversity, and highlights the potential for ongoing declines in vertebrate seed dispersers to profoundly alter tropical forest composition.
KW - Biodiversity loss
KW - Biotic homogenization
KW - Frugivory
KW - Mutualisms
KW - Tropical conservation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85030246300&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP150101839
U2 - 10.1073/pnas.1709584114
DO - 10.1073/pnas.1709584114
M3 - Article
VL - 114
SP - 10689
EP - 10694
JO - National Academy of Sciences. Proceedings
JF - National Academy of Sciences. Proceedings
SN - 0027-8424
IS - 40
ER -