Data from: Vertebrate seed predation can limit recruitment of later-successional species in tropical forest restoration

The effects of vertebrate seed predation on the regeneration of restored
forests are not well understood because most past studies have focused on
seed predation within the first few years after restoration and have
measured seed removal without quantifying subsequent seedling
establishment of seeds that avoid predation. Quantifying the establishment
of seeds that escape predation in restored forests at later stages of
regrowth is crucial for anticipating longer-term recovery trajectories.
Here, we evaluated the potential role of vertebrate seed predators in
limiting recruitment of later-successional tree species in nine forests
actively restored ≥15 years prior and in four paired remnant forest
fragments embedded in an agricultural landscape in southern Costa Rica. We
conducted seed addition experiments with four tree species inside and
outside vertebrate exclosures and used camera trapping to detect seed
predators. To determine the fate of seeds that avoided predation, we also
measured seedling establishment after 1 year, given that other mortality
factors may compensate in the absence of vertebrate seed predation. We
detected two species of birds and five species of granivorous mammals
removing seeds. Seed tagging indicated that most removal resulted in
predation. For three of the four tree species tested, vertebrate seed
predation reduced seedling establishment. The magnitude of this effect
depended on species' susceptibility to other causes of mortality
during the seed-to-seedling transition. Our study demonstrates that
vertebrate seed predators can substantially reduce later-successional
seedling recruitment in restored forests and should be considered
alongside dispersal limitation and microsite conditions as factors slowing
forest recovery.