Anthropogenic disturbances simplify frugivory interactions in Amazonia
Data files
Apr 02, 2025 version files 228.68 KB
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interaction_frequency.xlsx
49.43 KB
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interactions_metadata.xlsx
176.31 KB
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README.md
2.94 KB
Abstract
Frugivory interactions are essential ecological processes for the regeneration of tropical forests, ensuring ecosystem resilience following disturbances. However, little is known about how frugivory interactions are shaped by anthropogenic disturbances, especially in Amazonia – one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. We investigate how selective logging and forest fires impact both arboreal and terrestrial frugivory interactions in Amazonian forests. We focus on four forest classes: Undisturbed, Logged, Logged-and-17y-burned (burned 17 years before sampling) and Logged-and-3y-burned (burned three years before sampling). We recorded 4670 frugivory interactions at the community level, in a sampling effort of 31 484 h. Undisturbed forests sustained a significantly higher number of species and interactions when compared to Logged-and-17y-burned forests. Selective logging and forest fires did not alter significantly the structural properties of the frugivory networks, which were highly modular, moderately specialised, poorly connected and non-nested. Regarding community composition, we detected high β-diversity of plant species, frugivore species, and their interactions between all study areas, as well as within and between forest classes, mainly driven by spatial turnover. Logged-and-17y-burned forests hosted the most unique interaction composition compared to Undisturbed forests. Our study provides novel evidence that anthropogenic disturbances, particularly selective logging and forest fires, negatively affect frugivory interactions in Amazonian forests. These effects may persist for years after the initial disturbance events and could be exacerbated due to the predicted increase in forest fires driven by climate change.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.k0p2ngfjx
Description of the data and file structure
README - Frugivory Interaction Dataset
This dataset was collected to study frugivory interactions in 17 forest transects subjected to different levels of anthropogenic disturbance. The study aimed to assess the impact of logging and forest fire on plant-frugivore interactions in Amazonian forests.
Files and variables
File: interaction_frequency.xlsx
Description: This file presents a table in the Supplementary Material with the frequency of interactions in each forest class.
Variables:
- Interactions: Plant and animal species involved in the interaction (Plant species + Animal species).
- Undisturbed forests – Primary forests with no evidence of anthropogenic disturbances.
- Logged forests – Selectively logged primary forests.
- Logged-and-17y-burned forests – Selectively logged primary forests that burned at least 17 years before sampling.
- Logged-and-3y-burned forests – Selectively logged primary forests that burned three years before sampling.
File: interactions_metadata.xlsx
Description: Metadata file describing the data variables used in the dataset.
Data variables
- transect: Identifies the studied areas (N = 17).
- forest_class: Classification of the forests based on anthropogenic disturbances:
- (1) Undisturbed forests – Primary forests with no evidence of anthropogenic disturbances (n = 5).
- (2) Logged forests – Selectively logged primary forests (n = 4).
- (3) Logged-and-17y-burned forests – Selectively logged primary forests that burned at least 17 years before sampling (n = 4).
- (4) Logged-and-3y-burned forests – Selectively logged primary forests that burned three years before sampling (n = 4).
- date: The date when the interaction was recorded.
- method: The method applied to record the interaction, including focal observations and camera trapping.
- frugivory_presence: Binary data indicating the presence of interaction:
- (1) Interaction occurred.
- (0) No interaction recorded.
- weight: Frequency of interactions recorded.
- plant_family: The taxonomic family of the recorded plant species.
- plant_specie: The species of the interacting plant.
- animal_family: The taxonomic family of the recorded frugivore (animal).
- animal_specie: The species of the interacting frugivore (animal).
- animal_plant_complete: Plant and animal species involved in the interaction (Plant species + Animal species).
Data Collection Methods
Frugivory interactions were recorded using two methods:
- Focal Observations – Direct visual monitoring of interactions in the field.
- Camera Trapping – Automated camera recordings capturing frugivory events.