How does avian seed dispersal shape the structure of early successional tropical forests?

1. Frugivores shape plant communities via seed dispersal of fleshy-fruited plant species. However, the structural characteristics that frugivores impart to plant communities are little understood. Evaluating how frugivores structure plant communities via the non-proportional use of available fruit resources is critical to understand the functioning of ecosystems where fleshy-fruited plant species are dominant, such as tropical forests. 2. We performed a seed-addition field experiment to investigate how frugivorous birds shape the composition and richness of forests during early stages of secondary succession in cleared areas in Puerto Rico. The experiment tested whether the bird-generated seed rain and the subsequent early successional plant communities were proportional representations of the fleshy-fruited species that dominated the surrounding community. Experimental treatments consisted of patches with 1) seed-additions by wild birds attracted to experimental patches with pole perch...

1. 食果动物（frugivores）可通过传播肉质果植物的种子来塑造植物群落。但目前学界对食果动物赋予植物群落的结构特征仍知之甚少。阐明食果动物如何通过非比例利用现有果实资源来塑造植物群落，对于理解以肉质果植物为主导的生态系统（如热带森林）的功能运转至关重要。2. 我们在波多黎各的清理区域开展了种子添加野外实验，旨在探究次生演替早期阶段，食果鸟类如何塑造森林的群落组成与物种丰富度。本实验旨在验证：鸟类介导形成的种子雨以及后续发育的早期演替植物群落，是否能按比例反映周边群落中占主导地位的肉质果植物物种。实验处理组包含如下样地类型：1) 由被带杆栖架的实验样地吸引而来的野生鸟类完成种子添加的样地……