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Content with tag plant-animal interactions .

Native forest degradation and exotic species alter the ecological interaction between two species in Chile

The Austral parakeet (Enicognathus ferrugineous) is one of the main seed dispersers of Araucaria araucana, a threatened species. However, livestock and exotic species consume almost the whole seed production in non-masting years. This situation, along with the disappearance of native plant species, force Austral parakeets to feed on crops, with the risk of being considered a harmful species by farmers.

Predictors of pollinator service

Pollinator service is essential for successful sexual reproduction and long?term population persistence of animal?pollinated plants, and innumerable studies have shown that insufficient service by pollinators results in impaired sexual reproduction (“pollen limitation”). Studies directly addressing the predictors of variation in pollinator service across species or habitats remain comparatively scarce, which limits our understanding of the primary causes of natural variation in pollen...

When conservation bias leads to restoration failure

Conservation bias towards flagship species sometimes threatens other species of chief concern. Long-term studies of potential harm by favoured species on other sensitive species, though seldom adopted, are required to fairly evaluate the suitability of management and restoration efforts. The potential detrimental outcomes of conservation biased towards birds is illustrated by investigating the long-term impact of a large waterbird colony on a remnant cork oak population at the Doñana National...

Ducks as vectors of seed dispersal for a broad spectrum of plants

Dabbling ducks have long been recognized as important vectors of dispersal for strictly aquatic plants. In terrestrial ecosystems they are widely assumed to be irrelevant. In this study we identified the plant species dispersed by seven duck species in Europe based on a comprehensive review of gut contents