Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions and the functional loss of long-distance seed-dispersal services

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dc.contributor.authorPires, Mathias M.
dc.contributor.authorGuimaraes, Paulo R.
dc.contributor.authorGaletti, Mauro [UNESP]
dc.contributor.authorJordano, Pedro
dc.contributor.institutionUniversidade de São Paulo (USP)
dc.contributor.institutionUniversidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
dc.contributor.institutionAarhus Univ
dc.contributor.institutionEBD CSIC
dc.date.accessioned2018-11-26T17:44:34Z
dc.date.available2018-11-26T17:44:34Z
dc.date.issued2018-01-01
dc.description.abstractPleistocene extinctions affected mainly large-bodied animals, determining the loss or changes in numerous ecological functions. Evidence points to a central role of many extinct megafauna herbivores as seed dispersers. An important step in understanding the legacy of extinct mutualistic interactions is to evaluate the roles and effectiveness of megafauna herbivores in seed dispersal. Here we use morphological and ecophysiological allometries to estimate both quantitative and qualitative aspects of seed-dispersal services likely provided by extinct megafauna. We developed a mechanistic model that encompasses four stages of seed dispersal - seed ingestion, gut retention, animal movement, and seed deposition. We estimate seed-dispersal kernels through simulations to infer the role of Pleistocene megafauna in promoting long-distance dispersal and examine how seed dispersal was affected by extinctions. Simulations suggest extinct large-bodied frugivores would frequently disperse large seeds over a thousand meters, whereas smaller-bodied frugivores are more likely to deposit the seeds over a few hundred meters. Moreover, events of long-distance seed dispersal by the extinct megafauna would be up to ten times longer than long-distance dispersal by smaller-sized extant mammals. By estimating the combined distribution of seed dispersal distances considering all large-bodied mammalian frugivores in specific South American Pleistocene assemblages we found that long-distance dispersal contracted by at least two thirds after the megafauna died out. The disruption of long-distance dispersal is expected to have consequences for recruitment, spatial and genetic structure of plant populations, population persistence and community composition. Promoting long-distance seed dispersal was one among other salient features of extinct Pleistocene megafauna that reveal their influence on natural ecosystems. Modeling the consequences of megafaunal extinctions can offer quantitative predictions on the consequences of ongoing defaunation to plant populations and ecological communities.en
dc.description.affiliationUniv Sao Paulo, Inst Biociencias, Dept Ecol, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
dc.description.affiliationUniv Estadual Paulista, Dept Ecol, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
dc.description.affiliationAarhus Univ, Dept Biosci Ecoinformat & Biodivers, Aarhus, Denmark
dc.description.affiliationEBD CSIC, Estn Biol Donana, Integrat Ecol Grp, Seville, Spain
dc.description.affiliationUnespUniv Estadual Paulista, Dept Ecol, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
dc.description.sponsorshipFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)
dc.description.sponsorshipSpanish MINECO
dc.description.sponsorshipSevero Ochoa Excellence Award
dc.description.sponsorshipIdFAPESP: 2009/54567-6
dc.description.sponsorshipIdFAPESP: 09/54422-8
dc.description.sponsorshipIdFAPESP: 14/01986-0
dc.description.sponsorshipIdSpanish MINECO: CGL2013-47429P
dc.description.sponsorshipIdSevero Ochoa Excellence Award: SEV-2012-0262
dc.format.extent153-163
dc.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecog.03163
dc.identifier.citationEcography. Hoboken: Wiley, v. 41, n. 1, p. 153-163, 2018.
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/ecog.03163
dc.identifier.issn0906-7590
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11449/163686
dc.identifier.wosWOS:000419052200014
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherWiley-Blackwell
dc.relation.ispartofEcography
dc.relation.ispartofsjr2,618
dc.rights.accessRightsAcesso restrito
dc.sourceWeb of Science
dc.titlePleistocene megafaunal extinctions and the functional loss of long-distance seed-dispersal servicesen
dc.typeResenha
dcterms.licensehttp://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-406071.html
dcterms.rightsHolderWiley-Blackwell
unesp.author.orcid0000-0003-2142-9116[4]
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Artigos - Ecologia - IBRC