Linking disperser traits and habitat quality to seed dispersal effectiveness

Animal-mediated seed dispersal is a biotic interaction at risk of disruption because of the alarming decline of seed-dispersing animal populations as a result of habitat transformation. However, a cessation of seed dispersal can be masked by the continuous presence of seed dispersers in an ecosystem. Here, we assess how changes in the population and body size of a small-bodied seed disperser (brown mouse lemur, Microcebus rufus) and three habitat types in Madagascar's rainforest landscape affect its seed dispersal effectiveness. We calculated population size and body mass from monthly capture-release and systematic measurements of 815 individuals captured from 2021 to 2024. We collected 285 fecal samples from captured individuals to calculate the diversity, number, and size of 1641 defecated seeds. In addition, we conducted germination experiments on 1035 defecated seeds. We found a significant positive association between the diversity and germination time of dispersed seeds and M. ruf..., , # Data from: Linking disperser traits and habitat quality to seed dispersal effectiveness

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.59zw3r2ph](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.59zw3r2ph)

## Description of the data and file structure

Data collection occurred from 2021 to 2024 in Ranomafana rainforest landscape, southeastern Madagascar.

Capture abundance and body mass of *Microcebus rufus* were collected and calculated from the iterative capture-mark-release conducted every month on each transect in each site.

Seed dispersal effectiveness was collected from fecal examination, seed extraction, identification, and measurement of each defecated seed.

### Files and variables

#### File: sde_ml_dynamics.csv

**Description:** 

##### Variables

All “NA” values in the dataset indicate instances where data could not be obtained or derived from our observations and subsequent analyses. These missing values arise either because the relevant measurements were not feasible to collect under field or experimental..., ,