Data from: An overlooked plant-parakeet mutualism counteracts human overharvesting on an endangered tree

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 to 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 collectors. These seeds germinated at a similar
proportion but faster than intact seeds under laboratory conditions. Our
results revealed an overlooked mutualism between parakeets and an
endangered tree. Incomplete seed eating by parakeets, plus selection
against these eaten seeds by humans may enhance regeneration possibilities
for this conifer species subject to human seed collection, turning the
scale of the antagonism-mutualism continuum to the mutualistic side. In
this context, parakeets might be providing an important service in those
forests subject to human harvesting by allowing a fraction of seeds to
escape human predation.