Irene Maria AntoinettaBenderSenckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F)

Irene Maria AntoinettaBenderassociatedPartyMatthiasSchleuningCo-ownerD. MatthiasDehlingCo-ownerPedro G.BlendingerCo-ownerMarcia C.MuñozCo-ownerEike LenaNeuschulzCo-ownerMartaQuitiánCo-ownerFranciscoSaavedraCo-ownerVinicioSantillánCo-owner2018-03-15Interactions between resource and consumer species are organized in ecological networks. Species interactions in these networks are influenced by the functional traits of the interacting partners, but the generality of trait-based interaction rules and the relationship between functional traits and a species’ specialization on specific interaction partners are not yet understood. Here we combine data on eight interaction networks between fleshy-fruited plants and frugivorous birds sampled across the tropical and subtropical Andean range. We test which combinations of morphological plant and animal traits determine trait matching between resource and consumer species in these networks. In addition, we test which of the morphological traits influence functional specialization of plant and bird species. In a meta-analysis across network-specific fourth-corner analyses, we found that plant–animal trait pairs related to size matching (fruit size–beak size) and avian foraging behavior (plant height–wing shape and crop mass–body mass) were positively related in these networks. The degree of functional specialization on specific interaction partners was positively related to crop mass in plants and to the pointedness of the wing in birds. Our findings show that morphological trait matching between fleshy-fruited plants and frugivorous birds is a general phenomenon in plant–frugivore networks across the Andes and that specific plant and bird traits can be used to approximate the degree of functional specialization. These insights into the generality of interaction rules are the base for predictions of species interactions in ecological networks, for instance in novel communities in the future, and can be applied to identify plant and animal species that fulfill specialized functional roles in ecological communities.Obtain permission from data set owner(s)Eastern slope of Andes, between 1000 m and 3000 m elevation.-75.5667-65.66674.7167-26.520082015Species interaction networks between frugivorous birds and fleshy-fruited plants. Over the eight collected interaction networks we collected interactions between 180 bird species and 226 plant species.ClassAvesKingdomPlantaeIrene Maria AntoinettaBenderSenckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F)

bender.ima@gmail.com

Weighted plant-bird interaction networks at eight sites in the Andes; two in Colombia, two in Ecuador, two in Peru, one in Bolivia and one in Argentina. At each site, networks were sampled by direct observation of true seed-dispersal events (fruit swallowing or carrying-away). Sampling effort was high in all networks (range of sampling hours: 300–960, mean=606, standard deviation=224). For all bird species we collected the following morphological traits: bill length and width (mm), body mass (g) and Kipp’s index (Kipp’s distance/wing length). For all plants species we collected the following morphological traits: fruit length and diameter (mm), crop mass (g, fruit mass * number of fruits per plant), and plant height (m). Plant traits were sampled in the field.

attached_fileNot authorized to access resourceOtherattached_fileNot authorized to access resourceOtherattached_fileNot authorized to access resourceOtherattached_fileNot authorized to access resourceOtherattached_fileNot authorized to access resourceOther timeslices Years of collection differs between the eight networks. other Networks were collected over the course of one or two years.