Seed‐dispersing vertebrates and the abiotic environment shape functional diversity of the pantropical Annonaceae
OA Location
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Mutualistic interactions between fruiting plants and frugivorous animals are shaped by interaction-relevant functional traits. However, it is unclear whether ‘trait matching’ underlies broad-scale relationships in plant and frugivore species and their functional diversity.
We integrated novel trait data and global occurrences for c. 1900 species in a major tropical plant family (Annonaceae) with data for 7607 bird and mammal species, including 1418 frugivores, alongside data on the abiotic environment. We applied structural equation models to evaluate the direct and indirect drivers of global and continental variation in frugivory-related functional diversity in Annonaceae, and assessed frugivory-exclusive drivers through comparisons with non-frugivores.
We show that global variation in Annonaceae frugivory-related functional diversity is influenced by species richness (SRic) and trait matching with co-occurring frugivorous mammals. Frugivorous birds and mammals indirectly influenced Annonaceae functional diversity at continental scales by affecting Annonaceae SRic. We found that climate, elevation, and seed dispersers jointly shaped Annonaceae diversity globally.
Our results suggest that seed dispersal interactions with mammals are particularly important for shaping global variation in Annonaceae diversity, possibly through mutualistic co-evolutionary dynamics. However, distinct effects of frugivores on Annonaceae diversity across biogeographical realms suggest that biogeography modulates how mutualistic interactions promote diversity.
We integrated novel trait data and global occurrences for c. 1900 species in a major tropical plant family (Annonaceae) with data for 7607 bird and mammal species, including 1418 frugivores, alongside data on the abiotic environment. We applied structural equation models to evaluate the direct and indirect drivers of global and continental variation in frugivory-related functional diversity in Annonaceae, and assessed frugivory-exclusive drivers through comparisons with non-frugivores.
We show that global variation in Annonaceae frugivory-related functional diversity is influenced by species richness (SRic) and trait matching with co-occurring frugivorous mammals. Frugivorous birds and mammals indirectly influenced Annonaceae functional diversity at continental scales by affecting Annonaceae SRic. We found that climate, elevation, and seed dispersers jointly shaped Annonaceae diversity globally.
Our results suggest that seed dispersal interactions with mammals are particularly important for shaping global variation in Annonaceae diversity, possibly through mutualistic co-evolutionary dynamics. However, distinct effects of frugivores on Annonaceae diversity across biogeographical realms suggest that biogeography modulates how mutualistic interactions promote diversity.
Date Issued
2025-06-01
Date Acceptance
2025-03-13
Citation
New Phytologist, 2025, 246 (5), pp.2263-2279
ISSN
0028-646X
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
2263
End Page
2279
Journal / Book Title
New Phytologist
Volume
246
Issue
5
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2025 New Phytologist Foundation. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
10.1111/nph.70113
Subjects
frugivory
functional richness
macroecology
mutualism
taxonomic richness
trait matching
tropical rainforest
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2025-04-09