Frugivory and seed dispersal in a hyperdiverse plant clade and its role as a keystone resource for the Neotropical fauna

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dc.contributor.authorMesseder, Joao Vitor S.
dc.contributor.authorSilveira, Fernando A. O.
dc.contributor.authorCornelissen, Tatiana G.
dc.contributor.authorFuzessy, Lisieux F. [UNESP]
dc.contributor.authorGuerra, Tadeu J.
dc.contributor.institutionPenn State Univ
dc.contributor.institutionUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)
dc.contributor.institutionUniversidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
dc.date.accessioned2021-06-25T11:57:39Z
dc.date.available2021-06-25T11:57:39Z
dc.date.issued2021-04-09
dc.description.abstractBackground and Aims Much of our understanding of the ecology and evolution of seed dispersal in the Neotropics is founded on studies involving the animal-dispersed, hyperdiverse plant clade Miconia (Melastomataceae). Nonetheless, no formal attempt has been made to establish its relevance as a model system or indeed provide evidence of the role of frugivores as Miconia seed dispersers. Methods We built three Miconia databases (fruit phenology/diaspore traits, fruit-frugivore interactions and effects on seed germination after gut passage) to determine how Miconia fruiting phenology and fruit traits for >350 species interact with and shape patterns of frugivore selection. In addition, we conducted a meta-analysis evaluating the effects of animal gut passage/seed handling on Miconia germination. Key Results Miconia produce numerous small berries that enclose numerous tiny seeds within water- and sugar-rich pulps. In addition, coexisting species provide sequential, year long availability of fruits within communities, with many species producing fruits in periods of resource scarcity. From 2396 pairwise interactions, we identified 646 animal frugivore species in five classes, 22 orders and 60 families, including birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and ants that consume Miconia fruits. Endozoochory is the main dispersal mechanism, but gut passage effects on germination were specific to animal clades; birds, monkeys and ants reduced seed germination percentages, while opossums increased it. Conclusions The sequential fruiting phenologies and wide taxonomic and functional diversity of animal vectors associated with Miconia fruits underscore the likely keystone role that this plant clade plays in the Neotropics. By producing fruits morphologically and chemically accessible to a variety of animals, Miconia species ensure short- and long-distance seed dispersal and constitute reliable resources that sustain entire frugivore assemblages.en
dc.description.affiliationPenn State Univ, Dept Biol, University Pk, PA 16802 USA
dc.description.affiliationPenn State Univ, Ecol Program, University Pk, PA 16802 USA
dc.description.affiliationUniv Fed Minas Gerais, Ctr Ecol Synth & Conservat, Dept Genet Ecol & Evolucao, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
dc.description.affiliationUniv Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Rio Claro, Dept Biodiversidade, Rio Claro, Brazil
dc.description.affiliationUniv Fed Minas Gerais, Dept Bot, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
dc.description.affiliationUnespUniv Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Rio Claro, Dept Biodiversidade, Rio Claro, Brazil
dc.description.sponsorshipCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
dc.description.sponsorshipConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
dc.description.sponsorshipFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)
dc.format.extent577-595
dc.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcaa189
dc.identifier.citationAnnals Of Botany. Oxford: Oxford Univ Press, v. 127, n. 5, p. 577-595, 2021.
dc.identifier.doi10.1093/aob/mcaa189
dc.identifier.issn0305-7364
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11449/209368
dc.identifier.wosWOS:000646249100002
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherOxford Univ Press
dc.relation.ispartofAnnals Of Botany
dc.sourceWeb of Science
dc.subjectFruiting phenology
dc.subjectgermination
dc.subjectMelastomataceae
dc.subjectMiconia
dc.subjectmutualism
dc.subjectseed ecology
dc.titleFrugivory and seed dispersal in a hyperdiverse plant clade and its role as a keystone resource for the Neotropical faunaen
dc.typeArtigo
dcterms.licensehttp://www.oxfordjournals.org/access_purchase/self-archiving_policyb.html
dcterms.rightsHolderOxford Univ Press

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