Non-Native Plants Alter Bird-Plant Frugivory Network Structure in a Human-Modified Tropical Landscape.

ABSTRACT: Frugivory interactions are key plant-animal mutualisms that facilitate seed dispersal and promote ecosystem resilience. However, these interaction networks are increasingly altered by the widespread introduction of non-native plants through human activities. The integration of such species into frugivory networks-and their consequences for network stability-remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the role of non-native plants in shaping frugivory network structure and robustness in a human-modified tropical landscape. Using DNA metabarcoding of faecal samples from 21 frugivorous bird species in Gamboa, Panama, we identified consumed plant species and quantified the contribution of non-natives to avian diets. Non-native plants significantly altered network structure, reducing

SUBMITTER: Fell A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12686967 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature