From structure to function in mutualistic interaction networks: topologically important frugivores have greater potential as seed dispersers

1. Networks of mutualistic interactions between animals and plants are considered a pivotal part of ecological communities. However, mutualistic networks are rarely studied from the perspective of species-specific roles, and it remains to be established whether those animal species more relevant for network structure also contribute more to the ecological functions derived from interactions.
2. Here, we relate the contribution to seed dispersal of vertebrate species with their topological role in frugivore-plant interaction networks. For one year in two localities with remnant patches of Colombian tropical dry forest, we sampled abundance, morphology, behavior, and fruit consumption from fleshy-fruited plants of various frugivore species.
3. We assessed the network topological role of each frugivore species by integrating their degree of generalization in interactions with plants with their contributions to network nestedness and modularity. We estimated the potential contribution of ea...