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216 results on '"Carlo, Tomás A."'

5. Revisiting ecological specialization: the case of plant–frugivore interactions.

Author

Carlo, Tomás A., Vitor S. Messeder, João, Allbee, Samantha A., Cruz-Mendoza, Alberto C., Velázquez, Sebastián G., Andrzejewski, Christi M., Jenkins, Tyson J., and Cordeiro, Norbert J.

Subjects
*SEED dispersal, *ANIMAL-plant relationships, *ABIOTIC environment, *FRUGIVORES, *COEVOLUTION
Abstract

Understanding the extent to which organisms exhibit specialization when interacting with or relying on distinct aspects of their biotic and abiotic environment is a central tenet in ecology and evolution. Despite the relevance of the concept and theoretical advances, specialization has and continues to be ambiguously defined. Here we review the uses of the term ‘specialist' using as a case study the field of frugivory and seed dispersal. Our goal is to identify points of clarity and ambiguity to promote a more consistent and coherent use of specialization in plant–frugivore interactions and similar fields. Frugivory and seed dispersal research presents a good case study because specialist–generalist concepts have guided the theoretical framework of the field since its beginnings. Our analyses show that definitions of ‘specialist frugivores' have changed over time and tend to vary also depending on the studied animal taxa, such as birds, bats, or primates. At least some of the ambiguity arises from defining specialization at different scales such as evolutionary versus ecological timeframes. More critical is the finding that specialization is commonly used on frugivore species without knowledge or measure of the biological dependance of the species on specific types of fruit resources. Specifically, we found that most studies use specialization to describe fruit‐preference patterns that – unlike specialization constrained by evolution – can be variable and context‐dependent. We call for increased awareness to distinguish between contextual cases of preferential resource‐uses, from specialized interactions that limit populations and singularly define species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
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8. Negative density dependence characterizes mutualistic interactions between birds and fruiting plants across latitudes.

Author

Carlo, Tomás A., Messeder, João Vitor S., Espíndola, Wálter D., Vizzachero, Benjamin S., Boyer, Brady W., Hernández-Mejía, Jacqueline, Torres-Páucar, E. Adrián, Fontanella, Antonio, Pizo, Marco A., Amico, Guillermo, Salinas, Letty, Arana, César, Morán-López, Teresa, and Morales, Juan M.

Subjects
*SEED dispersal, *PLANT diversity, *PLANT communities, *PLANT species, *SPATIAL resolution, *COEXISTENCE of species, *PLANT competition
Abstract

Negative density dependence (NDD) in biotic interactions of interference such as plant–plant competition, granivory and herbivory are well-documented mechanisms that promote species' coexistence in diverse plant communities worldwide. Here, we investigated the generality of a novel type of NDD mechanism that operates through the mutualistic interactions of frugivory and seed dispersal among fruit-eating birds and plants. By sampling community-wide frugivory interactions at high spatial and temporal resolution in Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Peru, Brazil and Argentina, we evaluated whether interaction frequencies between birds and fruit resources occurred more often (selection), as expected, or below expectations (under-utilization) set by the relative fruit abundance of the fruit resources of each plant species. Our models considered the influence of temporal scales of fruit availability and bird phylogeny and diets, revealing that NDD characterizes frugivory across communities. Irrespective of taxa or dietary guild, birds tended to select fruits of plant species that were proportionally rare in their communities, or that became rare following phenological fluctuations, while they mostly under-utilized abundant fruit resources. Our results demonstrate that negative density-dependence in frugivore–plant interactions provides a strong equalizing mechanism for the dispersal processes of fleshy-fruited plant species in temperate and tropical communities, likely contributing to building and sustaining plant diversity. This article is part of the theme issue 'Diversitydependence of dispersal: interspecific interactions determine spatial dynamics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
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34. Special issue: Fruits, animals and seed dispersal: timely advances on a key mutualism

Author

Carlo, Tomás A., Cazetta, Eliana, Traveset, Anna, Guimarães Jr, Paulo R., McConkey, Kim R., Carlo, Tomás A., Cazetta, Eliana, Traveset, Anna, Guimarães Jr, Paulo R., and McConkey, Kim R.

Abstract

Equipped with his trademark ideas about the drivers of species' evolution, Darwin found new ecological insights everywhere he looked...

Published
2022

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