Macroecological trends in nestedness and modularity of seed-dispersal networks: human impact matters

• Published in: Global ecology and biogeography Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 293 - 303
• Main Authors: Sebastián-González, Esther, Dalsgaard, Bo, Sandel, Brody, Guimarães Jr, Paulo R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.2015; John Wiley & Sons Ltd; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: anthropogenic activities; Climate; climate change; Competition; conservation; Dispersal; ecological networks; frugivory; human impact; humans; interspecific competition; latitude; Modularity; mutualism; nestedness; Precipitation; seed dispersal; species diversity; species interactions; temperature; topography; Trends

Aim: We aim to characterize the macroecological patterns in the structure of mutualistic seed-dispersal networks. Tropical areas hold more species than temperate ones. This difference in species number may favour ecological processes that minimize interspecific competition in species-rich areas. The...