Supporting data and code for Mendes et al. 2024 Evidence of a European seed dispersal crisis

Supporting data and code for Mendes et al. 2024 Evidence of a European seed dispersal crisis
Abstract
Seed dispersal is crucial for ecosystem persistence, especially in fragmented landscapes, such as those common in Europe. Ongoing defaunation might compromise effective seed dispersal, but the conservation status of pairwise interactions remains unknown. With a literature review, we reconstructed the first European-wide seed dispersal network and evaluated interactions’ conservation status by assessing each interacting partner’s IUCN conservation status and population trends. We found that a third of the disperser species and interactions face potential extinction and that 30% of the plant species have most of their dispersers threatened or declining. While our study clearly reveals a developing seed dispersal crisis across all European biomes, it also highlights large knowledge gaps regarding the dispersers of most European zoochorous plants, as well as their conservation status, urging further scrutiny and action to conserve the seed dispersal service.

《Mendes等人2024年：欧洲种子传播危机的证据》配套数据与代码
摘要
种子传播对生态系统存续至关重要，在欧洲常见的破碎化景观中尤为如此。当前持续的动物区系退化可能会损害有效种子传播功能，但目前学界对这些两两互作关系的保护现状仍缺乏了解。本研究通过文献综述，构建了首个覆盖全欧洲的种子传播网络，并通过评估每对互作物种的国际自然保护联盟（International Union for Conservation of Nature）保护等级与种群动态趋势，评价了各互作关系的保护现状。研究显示，三分之一的种子传播者物种及互作关系面临潜在灭绝风险，且30%的植物物种的多数传播者处于受威胁或种群衰退状态。尽管本研究清晰揭示了欧洲所有生物群区正逐步出现种子传播危机，但同时也凸显了当前针对多数欧洲动物传播植物的传播者及其保护现状存在的大量知识空白，呼吁学界开展进一步的学术审视与保护行动，以守护种子传播服务功能。