Fleshy-fruited plants in tropical forests largely rely on vertebrate frugivores to disperse their seeds. Although this plant–
animal interaction is typically considered a diffuse mutualism, it is fundamental as it provides the template on which
tropical forest communities are structured. We applied a mutualistic network approach to investigate the relationship
between small-fruited fleshy plant species and the fruit-eating bird community in an intact evergreen forest in northeast
Thailand. A minimum of 53 bird species consumed fruits of 136 plant species. Plant-avian frugivore networks were
highly asymmetrical, with observed networks filling 30% of all potential links. Whereas some of the missing links in
the present study might be due to undersampling, forbidden links can be attributed to size constraints, accessibility and
phenological uncoupling, and although the majority of missing links were unknown (58.2%), many were probably due
to a given bird species being either rare or only a very occasional fruit eater. The most common frugivores were bulbuls,
barbets and fairy-bluebirds, which were responsible for the majority of fruit removal from small fleshy fruited species
in our system. Migratory birds seemed to be a minor component of the plant-frugivore networks, accounting for only
3% of feeding visits to fruiting trees; they filled 2% of the overall potential networks. The majority of interactions were
generalized unspecific; however, Saurauia roxburghii Wall. appeared to be dependent on flowerpeckers for dispersal,
while Thick-billed Pigeons were only seen to eat figs.
Fleshy-fruited plants in tropical forests largely rely on vertebrate frugivores to disperse their seeds. Although this plant–animal interaction is typically considered a diffuse mutualism, it is fundamental as it provides the template on whichtropical forest communities are structured. We applied a mutualistic network approach to investigate the relationshipbetween small-fruited fleshy plant species and the fruit-eating bird community in an intact evergreen forest in northeastThailand. A minimum of 53 bird species consumed fruits of 136 plant species. Plant-avian frugivore networks werehighly asymmetrical, with observed networks filling 30% of all potential links. Whereas some of the missing links inthe present study might be due to undersampling, forbidden links can be attributed to size constraints, accessibility andphenological uncoupling, and although the majority of missing links were unknown (58.2%), many were probably dueto a given bird species being either rare or only a very occasional fruit eater. The most common frugivores were bulbuls,barbets and fairy-bluebirds, which were responsible for the majority of fruit removal from small fleshy fruited speciesin our system. Migratory birds seemed to be a minor component of the plant-frugivore networks, accounting for only3% of feeding visits to fruiting trees; they filled 2% of the overall potential networks. The majority of interactions weregeneralized unspecific; however, Saurauia roxburghii Wall. appeared to be dependent on flowerpeckers for dispersal,while Thick-billed Pigeons were only seen to eat figs.
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