O papel do estudo de redes complexas como ferramenta para o desenvolvimento de programas de restauração ecológica
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Data
2017-03-03
Autores
Almeida, Adriana de [UNESP]
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Editor
Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
Resumo
Os mutualismos planta–animal são um tipo fundamental de interações e a manutenção da biodiversidade em nosso planeta é altamente dependente deles. Nos trópicos, a maioria das espécies de plantas tem sementes dispersas por animais que consomem frutos. A região neotropical contém a maior concentração de angiospermas com frutos carnosos e de animais que consomem frutos do mundo, mas essa região rica em biodiversidade é constantemente ameaçada por impactos causados pela humanidade. Eu conduzi uma revisão em escala continental sobre a disponibilidade de dados em interação entre plantas frutíferas e animais consumidores de frutos na região neotropical. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar as lacunas que ainda existem no conhecimento deste tipo de interação e usar estes dados para conduzir meta-análises a partir de uma perspectiva de redes. O principal propósito era verificar se o uso de análises de redes podia ser aplicado como uma ferramenta para auxiliar o desenvolvimento de planos de restauração ecológica. Eu constatei que as interações entre plantas e frugívoros na região neotropical são ainda sub amostradas tanto em termos da distribuição espacial dos estudos quanto em termos da diversidade de espécies de aves e mamíferos investigada. Eu então combinei dados de uma série de estudos que registraram o consumo por aves e mamíferos para construir 17 redes de interação. Essas redes se mostraram altamente estruturadas exibindo organização aninhada e modular e na maioria dos casos desviando significativamente da estrutura esperada em redes aleatórias. Ainda, para entender a importância de frutos e como os seus traços influenciam na dieta de dois mamíferos dispersores de sementes e usando três comunidades-foco neotropicais como estudos de caso, eu encontrei que macacos-prego (gêneros Cebus e Sapajus) e quatis (gênero Nasua), apesar de apresentarem estratégias tróficas gerais semelhantes, exibiram uma baixa similaridade na composição de espécies de frutos em suas dietas. Em suas dietas, eles também não apresentaram nenhuma preferência por características de frutos específicas. Macacos prego e quatis parecem, então, desempenhar papéis complementares como dispersores de sementes nessas comunidades. Isto é especialmente importante em áreas perturbadas, aonde grandes mamíferos já não ocorrem mais, porque macacos-prego e quatis tendem a persistir e se adaptar a essas áreas e podem ser os responsáveis pela manutenção e restauração da floresta através de serviços de dispersão de sementes. Por último, eu usei análises de redes para identificar espécies-chave de plantas nas 17 redes de interação entre plantas e animais frugívoros. Estas espécies têm a capacidade de suportar uma série de espécies de vertebrados e de aumentar o número de interações na rede de uma maneira geral. Assim, o uso de análises de redes para interpretar interações frutos–frugívoros em comunidades neotropicais pode ser uma ferramenta bastante útil para auxiliar planos de restauração ecológica que incluem o plantio de árvores. Considerando que a provisão deste tipo de projeto é normalmente limitada, se faz necessário selecionar espécies de plantas com o maior potencial de incrementar a estrutura da comunidade.
Plant–animal mutualisms are a central type of interactions and the maintenance of biodiversity on our planet is dependent on them. In the tropics, the majority of plant species have seeds dispersed by fruit-eating animals. The neotropical region contains the highest concentration of fruiting plants and fruit-eating animals in the world, but this biodiversity rich region is constantly threatened by human-driven impacts. I conducted a continental-scale review of the availability of data for the interactions between neotropical fruiting plants and fruit-eating mammals. The aim of this study was to identify the gaps that still exist in knowledge of this interaction type and use this data to conduct meta-analyses from a complex network perspective. The main purpose was to verify if the use of network analyses can be applied as a tool to assist the development of ecological restoration plans. I found that the interactions between plants and fruit-eating birds and mammals in the neotropical region are still undersampled both in terms of the spatial distribution of studies and in terms of bird and mammal diversity of the species investigated. I then combined data from a range of studies that reported fruit eating by birds and mammals to construct 17 interaction networks. These networks were found to be highly structured exhibiting nested and modular organization and mostly deviating significantly from the structure expected in random networks. Additionally, in order to understand the importance of fruits and how their traits influence in the diet of two mammalian seed dispersers by using three neotropical focal communities as cases studies I found that two capuchin monkeys (genera Cebus and Sapajus) and coatis (genus Nasua), despite having similar overall trophic strategies, exhibited a low similarity in fruit species composition in their diet. They also showed no preference for particular fruit traits in their diets. Capuchins and coatis are thus performing complementary roles as seed dispersers in these communities. This is especially important in disturbed areas, where large frugivores are already absent because capuchins and coatis can be responsible for forest maintenance and restoration through seed dispersal services. Finally, I used network analyses to identify key plant species in the 17 plant–frugivore networks. These key plants have the ability to support a wide range of vertebrate species and to increase the number of interactions in the network as a whole. Thus, the use of network analyses to interpret fruit–frugivore interactions in neotropical communities can be a useful tool to assist ecological restoration plans that include the planting of trees. Considering that projects of ecological restoration usually have a limited budget, it is necessary to select the plant species with the greatest potential to improve community structure.
Plant–animal mutualisms are a central type of interactions and the maintenance of biodiversity on our planet is dependent on them. In the tropics, the majority of plant species have seeds dispersed by fruit-eating animals. The neotropical region contains the highest concentration of fruiting plants and fruit-eating animals in the world, but this biodiversity rich region is constantly threatened by human-driven impacts. I conducted a continental-scale review of the availability of data for the interactions between neotropical fruiting plants and fruit-eating mammals. The aim of this study was to identify the gaps that still exist in knowledge of this interaction type and use this data to conduct meta-analyses from a complex network perspective. The main purpose was to verify if the use of network analyses can be applied as a tool to assist the development of ecological restoration plans. I found that the interactions between plants and fruit-eating birds and mammals in the neotropical region are still undersampled both in terms of the spatial distribution of studies and in terms of bird and mammal diversity of the species investigated. I then combined data from a range of studies that reported fruit eating by birds and mammals to construct 17 interaction networks. These networks were found to be highly structured exhibiting nested and modular organization and mostly deviating significantly from the structure expected in random networks. Additionally, in order to understand the importance of fruits and how their traits influence in the diet of two mammalian seed dispersers by using three neotropical focal communities as cases studies I found that two capuchin monkeys (genera Cebus and Sapajus) and coatis (genus Nasua), despite having similar overall trophic strategies, exhibited a low similarity in fruit species composition in their diet. They also showed no preference for particular fruit traits in their diets. Capuchins and coatis are thus performing complementary roles as seed dispersers in these communities. This is especially important in disturbed areas, where large frugivores are already absent because capuchins and coatis can be responsible for forest maintenance and restoration through seed dispersal services. Finally, I used network analyses to identify key plant species in the 17 plant–frugivore networks. These key plants have the ability to support a wide range of vertebrate species and to increase the number of interactions in the network as a whole. Thus, the use of network analyses to interpret fruit–frugivore interactions in neotropical communities can be a useful tool to assist ecological restoration plans that include the planting of trees. Considering that projects of ecological restoration usually have a limited budget, it is necessary to select the plant species with the greatest potential to improve community structure.
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Aves, Dispersão de sementes, Dieta, Espécies-chave, Frugivoria, Interações animal–planta, Mamíferos, Traços das plantas, Animal-plant interactions, Birds, Diet, Frugivory, Keystone species, Mammals, Plant traits, Seed dispersal