In South America, 80% of South American large mammal species went extinct, including three orders. This could have affected not only megafaunal-dependent plants, but also others plant species through interactions. How were seed dispersal networks disrupted by megafaunal extinction?
Looks at the Pantanal seed dispersal network. There are modules I the network - groups of tightly connected species. Looked at Pleistocene megafauna that probably included fruit in their diets. They reconstructed networks for
1. Pleistocene
2. Early Holocene humans (interactions with fruits currently used by indigenous peoples)
3. Colonial period (livestock and humans)
4. Moderns (extant species and livestock, but less human interaction)
Are their modules in the network, and do the modules change over time?
In the Pleistocene there are 5 modules (large birds, small birds, megafauna, mesofauna and fish dispersal)
In early Holocene, the mammal-dominated modules merged
In the colonial period, the mammal-dominated modules separate again.
In the modern, there are 5 modules again.
Looks at the Pantanal seed dispersal network. There are modules I the network - groups of tightly connected species. Looked at Pleistocene megafauna that probably included fruit in their diets. They reconstructed networks for
1. Pleistocene
2. Early Holocene humans (interactions with fruits currently used by indigenous peoples)
3. Colonial period (livestock and humans)
4. Moderns (extant species and livestock, but less human interaction)
Are their modules in the network, and do the modules change over time?
In the Pleistocene there are 5 modules (large birds, small birds, megafauna, mesofauna and fish dispersal)
In early Holocene, the mammal-dominated modules merged
In the colonial period, the mammal-dominated modules separate again.
In the modern, there are 5 modules again.
The large mammal module includes species that were functionally small in the Pleistocene (e.g. Tapirs).
The livestock helped in partially recover of seed dispersal networks in the colonial period.
Plants dispersed by small animals may have been favoured by megafaunal decline ,e.g. This may have favoured expansion of grasses and decline in fruiting trees.
Ahimsa: can seed dispersal networks assist in guiding rewilding experiments?
Carlos Peres: there is little anthropological evidence that humans are dispersing seeds
John Terborgh: he has seen plenty of Amazonians carrying fruit and throwing away the seeds after eating?
The livestock helped in partially recover of seed dispersal networks in the colonial period.
Plants dispersed by small animals may have been favoured by megafaunal decline ,e.g. This may have favoured expansion of grasses and decline in fruiting trees.
Ahimsa: can seed dispersal networks assist in guiding rewilding experiments?
Carlos Peres: there is little anthropological evidence that humans are dispersing seeds
John Terborgh: he has seen plenty of Amazonians carrying fruit and throwing away the seeds after eating?