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Summary Climate change is forcing species to shift their distribution ranges. Animal seed dispersers might be particularly important in assisting plants tracking suitable climates to higher elevations. However, this role is still poorly understood due to a lack of comprehensive multi‐guild datasets along elevational gradients. We compiled seed dispersal networks for the five altitudinal vegetation belts of the Tenerife Island (0–3718 m above sea level) to explore how plant and animal species might facilitate the mutual colonisation of uphill habitats under climate change. The overall network comprised 283 distinct interactions between 73 plant and 27 animal species, with seed dispersers offering viable pathways for plants to colonise upper vegetation belts. A pivotal role is played by a lizard as island‐level hub, while four birds and one introduced mammal (rabbit) are also important connectors between belts. Eleven plant species were empirically found to be actively dispersed to elevations beyond their current known range, with observed vertical dispersal distances largely surpassing those required to escape climate change. Furthermore, over half of the plants arriving at higher elevations were exotic. Functionally diverse disperser communities are crucial for enabling plants tracking climate change on mountains, but exotic plants might particularly benefit from this upward lift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When non‐native species invade ecosystems, coevolved plant–animal interactions and associated ecological functions are altered, often to the detriment of local biodiversity. While mutualistic interactions can benefit from—and assist with—ecological restoration through the removal of non‐native species, community‐level changes in antagonistic interactions due to restoration are less well understood. Insect seed predators provide important ecosystem functions, but can also have antagonistic effects through pre‐dispersal seed predation which can cause fruit abortion or premature fruit drop, potentially affecting plant community composition.Here, we used a network approach and data on trophic interactions from a large‐scale field experiment to investigate the differences in insect seed predator communities between native restored sites (where non‐native plants were removed) and unrestored sites dominated by non‐native plants on the island of Mahé, Seychelles.Restored sites contained more individuals and species of seed predators (up by 81% and 50% respectively), and experienced a greater predation intensity (1.06 ± 0.53 vs. 0.27 ± 0.09), and predator specialisation compared to unrestored sites. The proportion of predated samples was similar between treatments (~14%). Beta diversity, measured as species and interaction turnover, increased at restored sites.Synthesis and applications: Our findings imply that vegetation restoration generates marked biodiversity benefits on native seed predator communities and their interactions. However, removing non‐native plants did not result in the elimination of non‐native seed predators, which might require targeted control measures. Our results highlight the importance of considering the effects of restoration on antagonistic interactions, in addition to those reported for pollination and seed dispersal services. Management practices should aim to control plant invasions for the conservation of native plant communities that serve as resources and refugia both for mutualists (e.g., seed dispersers and pollinators) and native insect seed‐predator antagonists, both of which benefit native ecosystem function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed dispersal is crucial for ecosystem persistence, especially in fragmented landscapes, such as those common in Europe. Ongoing defaunation might compromise effective seed dispersal, but the conservation status of pairwise interactions remains unknown. With a literature review, we reconstructed the first European-wide seed dispersal network and evaluated the conservation status of interactions by assessing each interacting partner's IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) conservation status and population trends. We found that a third of the disperser species and interactions face potential extinction and that 30% of the plant species have most of their dispersers threatened or declining. Our study reveals a developing seed dispersal crisis in Europe and highlights large knowledge gaps regarding the dispersers and conservation status of zoochorous plants, urging further scrutiny and action to conserve the seed dispersal service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

World forests face many threats, including wildfires, with tremendous ecological, social, and economic implications. Mediterranean ecosystems have evolved in the presence of fire, but changes to fire regimes associated with other global changes pose new challenges to postfire community regeneration. Forest regeneration largely depends on plant adaptations to survive wildfires or on the recolonization of burnt areas through seed dispersal. However, the value of the service provided by wild animals to postfire forest regeneration remains unevaluated. Here, we estimate the economic value of the biotic seed dispersal service in postfire restoration in Portugal. We combine budgeted costs of governmental Emergency Stabilisation Reports with network analysis that estimates the dependency of the Portuguese flora on biotic seed dispersal and on alternative fire regeneration strategies. Replacing the services provided by seed dispersers during postfire regeneration of Portuguese forests would cost 23,061,621€/year, highlighting the need for integrative policies that promote resilient forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]