Similar composition of functional roles in Andean seed-dispersal networks, despite high species and interaction turnover

The species composition of local communities varies in space, and its similarity generally decreases with increasing geographic distance between communities, a phenomenon known as distance decay of similarity. It is, however, not known how changes in local species composition affect ecological processes, that is, whether they lead to differences in the local composition of species' functional roles. We studied eight seed-dispersal networks along the South American Andes and compared them with regard to their species composition and their composition of functional roles. We tested (1) if changes in bird species composition lead to changes in the composition of bird functional roles, and (2) if the similarity in species composition and functional-role composition decreased with increasing geographic distance between the networks. We also used cluster analysis to (3) identify bird species with similar roles across all networks based on the similarity in the plants they consume, (i) considering only the species identity of the plants and (ii) considering the functional traits of the plants. Despite strong changes in species composition, the networks along the Andes showed similar composition of functional roles. (1) Changes in species composition generally did not lead to changes in the composition of functional roles. (2) Similarity in species composition, but not functional-role composition, decreased with increasing geographic distance between the networks. (3) The cluster analysis considering the functional traits of plants identified bird species with similar functional roles across all networks. The similarity in functional roles despite the high species turnover suggests that the ecological process of seed dispersal is organized similarly along the Andes, with similar functional roles fulfilled locally by different sets of species. The high species turnover, relative to functional turnover, also indicates that a large number of bird species are needed to maintain the seed-dispersal process along the Andes.Fil: Dehling, D. Matthias. University of Canterbury; Nueva ZelandaFil: Peralta, Guadalupe. University of Canterbury; Nueva ZelandaFil: Bender, Irene Maria Antoinetta. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Blendinger, Pedro Gerardo. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Böhning Gaese, Katrin. Goethe Universitat Frankfurt; AlemaniaFil: Muñoz, Marcia C.. Universidad de la Salle; ColombiaFil: Neuschulz, Eike Lena. Senckenberg Biodiversität Und Klima Forschungszentrum; AlemaniaFil: Quitián, Marta. Senckenberg Biodiversität Und Klima Forschungszentrum; AlemaniaFil: Saavedra, Francisco. Universidad Mayor de San Andrés; BoliviaFil: Santillán, Vinicio. Senckenberg Biodiversität Und Klima Forschungszentrum; AlemaniaFil: Schleuning, Matthias. Senckenberg Biodiversität Und Klima Forschungszentrum; AlemaniaFil: Stouffer, Daniel B.. University of Canterbury; Nueva Zeland

Avian seed dispersal may be insufficient for plants to track future temperature change on tropical mountains

AIM: Climate change causes shifts in species ranges globally. Terrestrial plant species often lag behind temperature shifts, and it is unclear to what extent animal-dispersed plants can track climate change. Here, we estimate the ability of bird-dispersed plant species to track future temperature change on a tropical mountain. LOCATION: Tropical elevational gradient (500–3500 m.a.s.l.) in the Manú biosphere reserve, Peru. TIME PERIOD: From 1960–1990 to 2061–2080. TAXA: Fleshy-fruited plants and avian frugivores. METHODS: Using simulations based on the functional traits of avian frugivores and fruiting plants, we quantified the number of long-distance dispersal (LDD) events that woody plant species would require to track projected temperature shifts on a tropical mountain by the year 2070 under different greenhouse gas emission scenarios [representative concentration pathway (RCP) 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5]. We applied this approach to 343 bird-dispersed woody plant species. RESULTS: Our simulations revealed that bird-dispersed plants differed in their climate-tracking ability, with large-fruited and canopy plants exhibiting a higher climate-tracking ability. Our simulations also suggested that even under scenarios of strong and intermediate mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions (RCP 2.6 and 4.5), sufficient upslope dispersal would require several LDD events by 2070, which is unlikely for the majority of woody plant species. Furthermore, the ability of plant species to track future changes in temperature increased in simulations with a low degree of trait matching between plants and birds, suggesting that plants in generalized seed-dispersal systems might be more resilient to climate change. MAIN CONCLUSION: Our study illustrates how the functional traits of plants and animals can inform predictive models of species dispersal and range shifts under climate change and suggests that the biodiversity of tropical mountain ecosystems is highly vulnerable to future warming. The increasing availability of functional trait data for plants and animals globally will allow parameterization of similar models for many other seed-dispersal systems

Avian seed dispersal may be insufficient for plants to track future temperature change on tropical mountains

[Aim] Climate change causes shifts in species ranges globally. Terrestrial plant species often lag behind temperature shifts, and it is unclear to what extent animal-dispersed plants can track climate change. Here, we estimate the ability of bird-dispersed plant species to track future temperature change on a tropical mountain.[Location] Tropical elevational gradient (500–3500 m.a.s.l.) in the Manú biosphere reserve, Peru. [Time period] From 1960–1990 to 2061–2080. [Taxa] Fleshy-fruited plants and avian frugivores. [Methods] Using simulations based on the functional traits of avian frugivores and fruiting plants, we quantified the number of long-distance dispersal (LDD) events that woody plant species would require to track projected temperature shifts on a tropical mountain by the year 2070 under different greenhouse gas emission scenarios [representative concentration pathway (RCP) 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5]. We applied this approach to 343 bird-dispersed woody plant species. [Results] Our simulations revealed that bird-dispersed plants differed in their climate-tracking ability, with large-fruited and canopy plants exhibiting a higher climate-tracking ability. Our simulations also suggested that even under scenarios of strong and intermediate mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions (RCP 2.6 and 4.5), sufficient upslope dispersal would require several LDD events by 2070, which is unlikely for the majority of woody plant species. Furthermore, the ability of plant species to track future changes in temperature increased in simulations with a low degree of trait matching between plants and birds, suggesting that plants in generalized seed-dispersal systems might be more resilient to climate change. [Main conclusion] Our study illustrates how the functional traits of plants and animals can inform predictive models of species dispersal and range shifts under climate change and suggests that the biodiversity of tropical mountain ecosystems is highly vulnerable to future warming. The increasing availability of functional trait data for plants and animals globally will allow parameterization of similar models for many other seed-dispersal systems.Fieldwork at Manú was conducted under the permits 041-2010-AG-DGFFSDGEFFS, 008-2011-AG-DGFFS-DGEFFS, 01-C/C-2010SERNANP-JPNM and 01-2011-SERNANP-PNM-JEF and supported by a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service to D.M.D. D.M.D. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant number 787638) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant number 173342), both awarded to C. H. Graham. W.D.K. acknowledges a Global Ecology grant from the University of Amsterdam Faculty Research Cluster. I.D. was funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and is now supported by the Balearic Government. S.A.F. was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG; FR 3246/2-2) and the Leibniz Competition of the Leibniz Association (P52/2017)

Macroevolution of the plant–hummingbird pollination system

ABSTRACTPlant–hummingbird interactions are considered a classic example of coevolution, a process in which mutually dependent species influence each other's evolution. Plants depend on hummingbirds for pollination, whereas hummingbirds rely on nectar for food. As a step towards understanding coevolution, this review focuses on the macroevolutionary consequences of plant–hummingbird interactions, a relatively underexplored area in the current literature. We synthesize prior studies, illustrating the origins and dynamics of hummingbird pollination across different angiosperm clades previously pollinated by insects (mostly bees), bats, and passerine birds. In some cases, the crown age of hummingbirds pre‐dates the plants they pollinate. In other cases, plant groups transitioned to hummingbird pollination early in the establishment of this bird group in the Americas, with the build‐up of both diversities coinciding temporally, and hence suggesting co‐diversification. Determining what triggers shifts to and away from hummingbird pollination remains a major open challenge. The impact of hummingbirds on plant diversification is complex, with many tropical plant lineages experiencing increased diversification after acquiring flowers that attract hummingbirds, and others experiencing no change or even a decrease in diversification rates. This mixed evidence suggests that other extrinsic or intrinsic factors, such as local climate and isolation, are important covariables driving the diversification of plants adapted to hummingbird pollination. To guide future studies, we discuss the mechanisms and contexts under which hummingbirds, as a clade and as individual species (e.g. traits, foraging behaviour, degree of specialization), could influence plant evolution. We conclude by commenting on how macroevolutionary signals of the mutualism could relate to coevolution, highlighting the unbalanced focus on the plant side of the interaction, and advocating for the use of species‐level interaction data in macroevolutionary studies

Global and regional ecological boundaries explain abrupt spatial discontinuities in avian frugivory interactions

Species interactions can propagate disturbances across space via direct and indirect effects, potentially connecting species at a global scale. However, ecological and biogeographic boundaries may mitigate this spread by demarcating the limits of ecological networks. We tested whether large-scale ecological boundaries (ecoregions and biomes) and human disturbance gradients increase dissimilarity among plant-frugivore networks, while accounting for background spatial and elevational gradients and differences in network sampling. We assessed network dissimilarity patterns over a broad spatial scale, using 196 quantitative avian frugivory networks (encompassing 1496 plant and 1004 bird species) distributed across 67 ecoregions, 11 biomes, and 6 continents. We show that dissimilarities in species and interaction composition, but not network structure, are greater across ecoregion and biome boundaries and along different levels of human disturbance. Our findings indicate that biogeographic boundaries delineate the world’s biodiversity of interactions and likely contribute to mitigating the propagation of disturbances at large spatial scales.The authors acknowledge the following funding: University of Canterbury Doctoral Scholarship (L.P.M.); The Marsden Fund grant UOC1705 (J.M.T., L.P.M.); The São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP 2014/01986-0 (M.G., C.E.), 2015/15172-7 and 2016/18355-8 (C.E.), 2004/00810-3 and 2008/10154-7 (C.I.D., M.G., M.A.P.); Earthwatch Institute and Conservation International for financial support (C.I.D., M.G., M.A.P.); Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Supporting Research in the Rio de Janeiro State – FAPERJ grant E-26/200.610/2022 (C.E.); Brazilian Research Council grants 540481/01-7 and 304742/2019-8 (M.A.P.) and 300970/2015-3 (M.G.); Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation No. 22426–1 (J.C.M., I.M.), No. 9163-1 (G.B.J.) and No. 11042-1 (MCM); Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (Propp-UESC; No. 00220.1100.1644/10-2018) (J.C.M., I.M.); Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia - FAPESB (No. 0525/2016) (J.C.M., I.M.); European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant 787638) and The Swiss National Science Foundation (grant 173342), both awarded to C. Graham (D.M.D.); ARC SRIEAS grant SR200100005 Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (D.M.D.); German Science Foundation—Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft PAK 825/1 and FOR 2730 (K.B.G., E.L.N., M.Q., V.S., M.S.), FOR 1246 (K.B.G., M.S., M.G.R.V.) and HE2041/20-1 (F.S., M.S.); Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology - FCT/MCTES contract CEECIND/00135/2017 and grant UID/BIA/04004/2020 (S.T.) and contract CEECIND/02064/2017 (L.P.S.); National Scientific and Technical Research Council, PIP 592 (P.G.B.); Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas - Project 898 (V.S.D.)

AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds

Functional traits offer a rich quantitative framework for developing and testing theories in evolutionary biology, ecology and ecosystem science. However, the potential of functional traits to drive theoretical advances and refine models of global change can only be fully realised when species‐level information is complete. Here we present the AVONET dataset containing comprehensive functional trait data for all birds, including six ecological variables, 11 continuous morphological traits, and information on range size and location. Raw morphological measurements are presented from 90,020 individuals of 11,009 extant bird species sampled from 181 countries. These data are also summarised as species averages in three taxonomic formats, allowing integration with a global phylogeny, geographical range maps, IUCN Red List data and the eBird citizen science database. The AVONET dataset provides the most detailed picture of continuous trait variation for any major radiation of organisms, offering a global template for testing hypotheses and exploring the evolutionary origins, structure and functioning of biodiversity

Elevated alpha diversity in disturbed sites obscures regional decline and homogenization of amphibian taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity

Abstract Loss of natural habitat due to land-use change is one of the major threats to biodiversity worldwide. It not only affects the diversity of local species communities (alpha diversity) but can also lead to large-scale homogenization of community composition (reduced beta diversity) and loss of regional diversity (gamma diversity), but these effects are still rarely investigated. We assessed the impact of land-use change on taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of amphibians in Rwanda, both on the local (community-level) and regional scale (country-wide). Alpha diversity in local communities was higher in farmland than in natural habitats; however, species turnover among farmland sites was much lower than among natural sites, resulting in highly homogenized communities and reduced taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic gamma diversity in farmland across Rwanda. Amphibians found in farmland were mostly disturbance-tolerant species that are widespread in eastern Africa and beyond. In contrast, most of the regionally endemic frog species that make this region a continent-wide hotspot of amphibian diversity were found only in the natural habitats. Ongoing habitat conversion might result in further homogenization of amphibian communities across sub-Saharan Africa and the loss of regional endemism, unique evolutionary lineages, and multifunctionality

Limnonectes conspicillatus

<i>Limnonectes conspicillatus</i> (Günther, 1872) <p> <i>Rana conspicillata</i>: Günther, 1872</p> <p> <i>Rana kuhlii</i>: Günther, 1874 (partim)</p> <p> <i>Limnonectes conspicillatus</i>: Matsui <i>et al</i>. 2013</p> <p> <b>Lectotype:</b> BMNH 72.2.18.22 = 1947.2.19.20, from “Matang”</p> <p> <b>Paralectotypes.</b> BMNH 72.2.19.23–26, 82 = 1947.2.29.21–27, all from “Matang”</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> Based on the presenCe of odontoids in the lower jaw (larger in males than in females), the enlarged, wide head, moderately depressed, sturdy body, short legs, thiCk and wrinkled skin, and the skin-Covered tympanum, the speCies is plaCed in the <i>L. kuhlii</i> group of the genus <i>Limnonectes</i>. The speCies is distinguished from the other members of the group by the Combination of the following CharaCters: Large size and marked sexual dimorphism with SVL 75.0 mm in the adult male leCtotype and 64.9–69.0 mm in the adult female paraleCtotypes; head very large in males and markedly sexually dimorphiC, the male (HW/SVL 0.43, HL/SVL 0.45) having a wider and longer head than females (HW/SVL 0.36–0.37, HL/SVL 0.37–0.39); head slightly longer than wide (HW/HL 0.94 in male, 0.94–0.99 in females); odontoids in males enlarged with blunt, rounded tip; vomerine teeth in two highly elevated, large, broad posteromedially direCted ridges, almost meeting eaCh other medially, separated by less than width of individual ridge; dorsolateral and transverse postorbital dermal folds absent; broad, moveable flaps along preaxial and postaxial sides of phalanges and metaCarpals of hand; dorsal side of tibia sparsely sCattered with small tuberCles; toes fully webbed.</p> <p> <b>Description of lectotype</b>: Adult male; body large (SVL 75.0 mm; Table 2), stout, widest at posterior end of jaw (Fig. 2); head very large (HL/SVL 0.45, HW/SVL 0.43), somewhat longer than wide (HW/HL 0.94); snout relatively short (SL/HL 0.32), subaCuminate in dorsal view, rounded in profile, slightly projeCting beyond lower jaw, wider than long (SL/EE 0.92); Canthus rostralis moderately expressed between eye and nostril, straight-lined; loreal region grooved; nostrils rounded, direCted dorsolaterally, situated halfway between tip of snout and eye (EN/ NS 1.00), separated from eaCh other by distanCe greater than distanCe between eye and nostril (NN/EN 1.24); eyes direCted anterolaterally, protruding, Comparatively small (ED/HL 0.25); eye diameter shorter than snout length (ED/SL 0.77); interorbital distanCe muCh wider than upper eyelid (IO/EW 1.57) and wider than internarial distanCe (IO/NN 1.09); tympanum ConCealed under thiCk layer of skin but weakly disCernible; tympanum diameter smaller than eye diameter (TD/ED 0.44); upper jaw with dentition; Choanae rounded (Fig. 3); vomerine teeth in two highly elevated, large, broad posteromedially direCted ridges, almost meeting eaCh other medially, separated by less than width of individual ridge (Fig. 3); mandibular symphysis thiCkened to large bony knob; odontoid proCess present Close to mandibular symphysis on both sides, direCted dorsally, large, long (OL/MH 2.2; OL/SVL 0.08) with blunt, rounded tip, fitting into deep rounded Cavities in upper jaw when mouth Closed (Fig. 3); tongue Comparatively short and narrow, Covered with small pustules, most densely in anterior third (Fig. 3).</p> <p>Dorsal side of trunk, head, and limbs relatively smooth, weakly Corrugated; distal part of thigh, tibiofibula (Fig. 4) and tarsus, as well as supraCloaCal region sCattered with enlarged subConiCal tuberCles with keratinous tips; supratympaniC fold ConspiCuous, slightly Curved, running from posterior Corner of eye to anterior edge of forelimb insertion, approaChing but not Covering tympanum; supraCloaCal dermal flap present, small; ventral side smooth but sparsely Covered with minute, hardly disCernible, Ceratinous spines; weak but disCernible transversal dermal fold between head and Chest.</p> <p>Forelimbs stout, short (ARM/SVL 0.42); hand short (HND/SVL 0.23); tips of fingers rounded, slightly swollen palmarly (Fig. 3); relative length of fingers: II <I <IV <III; subartiCular tuberCles rounded, well developed, numbering one on Fingers I and II, two on Fingers III and IV; tuberCles on Fingers I and II and proximal tuberCles on Fingers III and IV muCh larger than distal ones, highly elevated with free distal end (Fig. 3); fingers without webbing but with dermal fringes between fingers along metaCarpals and phalanges, widest between subartiCular tuberCles and disCs, espeCially on Fingers II and III (Fig. 3); thenar tuberCle small, Covering about onesixth of metaCarpal of Finger I at proximal end, oval, low; inner palmar tuberCle about twiCe size of thenar tuberCle, Covering proximal part of metaCarpals of Fingers II and III, flat, rounded; outer palmar tuberCle about as long as inner one, narrower, and more prominent, Covering proximal part of metaCarpal of Finger IV; nuptial pad on dorsal side of Finger I, large and distinCt, without disCernible asperities.</p> <p> Hindlimbs stout, moderately long (LEG /SVL 1.49); tibiofibula rather short (TFL/SVL 0.47), about as long as thigh (TFL/THL 1.01); heels overlapping eaCh other slightly when knees flexed and thighs held perpendiCularly to median plane; indistinCt, low transverse dermal fold at heel; prominent dermal fold along distal two-thirds of preaxial side of tarsus to proximal edge of inner metatarsal tuberCle (Fig. 3); foot length about equal to tibiofibula length (FOT/TFL 1.01); relative length of toes: I <II <V <III <IV; tips of toes enlarged to small disCs, without CirCummarginal groove; subartiCular tuberCles well developed, highly elevated, some with free distal end, numbering one on Toes I and II, two on Toes III and V, and three on Toe IV; proximal subartiCular tuberCles larger and more prominent than distal ones; pedal webbing formula <b>I</b> 0.5/ 1 <b>II</b> 0.5/ 1 <b>III</b> 0.5/ 1 <b>IV</b> 1/0.5 <b>V</b> (Fig. 3); dermal flap on preaxial side of Toe I and postaxial side of Toe V from distal edges of metatarsal tuberCles to proximal ends of disCs (Fig. 3); inner metatarsal tuberCle very prominent, large and very elongate (length: 6.3 mm), about threefourth length of Metatarsal I and slightly less than two-fifths length of Toe I; outer metatarsal tuberCle muCh smaller, elongate, very prominent.</p> <p> <b>Variation.</b> Three adult female paraleCtotypes have fully webbed toes. They are smaller than the holotype (SVL 64.9–69.0 mm; Table 2), have shorter and narrower heads (HL/SVL 0.37–0.39, HW/SVL 0.36–0.37), and their odontoid proCesses are muCh smaller (OL/SVL 0.035–0.040).</p> <p> <i>……continued on the next page</i></p> <p> species <i>L. kong L. kong L. kong L. kong L. conspicillatus L. conspicillatus L. conspicillatus L. conspicillatus</i></p> <p>locality Matang Kubah Kubah Bako Matang Matang Matang Matang</p> <p>collection BMNH NMBE NMBE NMBE BMNH BMNH BMNH BMNH</p> <p>voucher no. 1947.2.29.24 1059917 1059920 1059925 1947.2.29.20 1947.2.29.21 1947.2.29.22 1947.2.29.23 paralectotype paratype paratype paratype lectotype paralectotype paralectotype paralectotype female male male male male female female female 53.3 35.4 47.3 53.1 75.0 69.0 64.9 65.2</p>Published as part of <i>Dehling, D. Matthias, 2017, A new wide-headed Fanged Frog of the Limnonectes kuhlii group (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from western Borneo with a redescription of Rana conspicillata Günther, 1872, pp. 291-309 in Zootaxa 4317 (2)</i> on pages 295-299, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4317.2.6, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/884319">http://zenodo.org/record/884319</a&gt

FIGURE 4 in A new wide-headed Fanged Frog of the Limnonectes kuhlii group (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from western Borneo with a redescription of Rana conspicillata Günther, 1872

FIGURE 4. Dorsal view oF the shanks oF the preserved lectotype oF Limnonectes conspicillatus (BMNH 1947.2.29.20, adult male; leFt); the preserved holotype oF Limnonectes kong sp. nov. (NMBE 1059923, adult male; centre); and a preserved paratype oF L. kong sp. nov. (NMBE 1059924, adult male; right)