Seed dispersal by dispersing juvenile animals: a source of functional connectivity in fragmented landscapes

Author

Juan P. González‐Varo, Sarah Díaz-García, Juan Arroyo et al.

Published

July 1, 2019

Doi

10.1098/rsbl.2019.0264

Juan P. González‐Varo, Sarah Díaz-García, Juan Arroyo et al 2019. Seed dispersal by dispersing juvenile animals: a source of functional connectivity in fragmented landscapes. Biology Letters 15: 20190264. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0264

Publication Details

Published in: Biology Letters  Open Access: Yes

BibTeX

@article{RN146,
   author = {González-Varo, Juan P. and Díaz-García, Sarah and Arroyo, Juan M. and Jordano, Pedro},
   title = {Seed dispersal by dispersing juvenile animals: a source of functional connectivity in fragmented landscapes},
   journal = {Biology Letters},
   volume = {15},
   number = {7},
   pages = {20190264},
   abstract = {Juvenile animals generally disperse from their birthplace to their future breeding territories. In fragmented landscapes, habitat-specialist species must disperse through the anthropogenic matrix where remnant habitats are embedded. Here, we test the hypothesis that dispersing juvenile frugivores leave a footprint in the form of seed deposition through the matrix of fragmented landscapes. We focused on the Sardinian warbler (
              Sylvia melanocephala
              ), a resident frugivorous passerine. We used data from field sampling of bird-dispersed seeds in the forest and matrix of a fragmented landscape, subsequent disperser identification through DNA-barcoding analysis, and data from a national bird-ringing programme. Seed dispersal by Sardinian warblers was confined to the forest most of the year, but warblers contributed a peak of seed-dispersal events in the matrix between July and October, mainly attributable to dispersing juveniles. Our study uniquely connects animal and plant dispersal, demonstrating that juveniles of habitat-specialist frugivores can provide mobile-link functions transiently, but in a seasonally predictable way.},
   ISSN = {1744-9561, 1744-957X},
   DOI = {10.1098/rsbl.2019.0264},
   year = {2019},
   type = {Journal Article}
}