Small mammal personalities generate context dependence in the seed dispersal mutualism.

ABSTRACT: Mutualisms are foundational components of ecosystems with the capacity to generate biodiversity through adaptation and coevolution and give rise to essential services such as pollination and seed dispersal. To understand how mutualistic interactions shape communities and ecosystems, we must identify the mechanisms that underlie their functioning. One mechanism that may drive mutualisms to vary in space and time is the unique behavioral types, or personalities, of the individuals involved. Here, our goal was to examine interindividual variation in the seed dispersal mutualism and identify the role that different personalities play. In a field experiment, we observed individual deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) with known personality traits predating and dispersing seeds in a natural enviro

SUBMITTER: Brehm AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9169644 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature