Temporal consistency in interactions among birds, ants, and plants in a neotropical savanna

Interactions among animals and plants are key to understanding seed dispersal, plant regeneration and plant community patterns. These interactions can be dynamic, with changes of species and functional roles across space and time. Despite fluctuations in species abundances and resources over time being the rule in natural communities, most studies approach plant-frugivore interactions as temporally static. We documented changes in bird and ant species in interactions with plants producing carbohydrate- (Miconia rubiginosa) or lipid-rich diaspores (Xylopia aromatica) comparing two fruiting seasons 15 years apart in a savanna in southeastern Brazil. We tested if abundance and body size of dispersal vectors (birds and ants) affected the frequency of interactions and the quantitative effectiveness of seed dispersal (QTC). Rich bird (26 species) and ant (18 genera) assemblages interacted with the diaspores. A core of bird and ant taxa was temporally consistent, and responsible for most seed ...