Mutualistic strategies minimize coextinction in plant-disperser networks.

ABSTRACT: The global decline of mutualists such as pollinators and seed dispersers may cause negative direct and indirect impacts on biodiversity. Mutualistic network models used to understand the stability of mutualistic systems indicate that species with low partner diversity are most vulnerable to coextinction following mutualism disruption. However, existing models have not considered how species vary in their dependence on mutualistic interactions for reproduction or survival, overlooking the potential influence of this variation on species' coextinction vulnerability and on network stability. Using global databases and field experiments focused on the seed dispersal mutualism, we found that plants and animals that depend heavily on mutualistic interactions have higher partner diversity. Under

SUBMITTER: Fricke EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5443928 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature