An overlooked plant-parakeet mutualism counteracts human overharvesting on an endangered tree.

ABSTRACT: The exponential growth of the human population often causes the overexploitation of resources and disruption of ecological interactions. Here, we propose that the antagonist effect of humans on exploited species might be alleviated with the advent of a second predator species. We focused on the complex interactions between an endangered conifer (Araucaria araucana) and two seed exploiters: the Austral parakeet (Enicognathus ferrugineus) and human seed collectors. We tested the importance of partial seed consumption by parakeets as an escape from human seed harvesting. Although parakeets frequently ate whole seeds, a substantial proportion of the seeds found under trees were only partially eaten and avoided by human seed collectors. These seeds germinated at a similar proporti

SUBMITTER: Speziale KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5792925 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature