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Measures of species biodiversity, such as richness (i.e., the number of species present) and evenness (i.e., their relative abundance), describe an ecological community’s structure. Many factors affect community structure, including abiotic factors (e.g., sunlight and nutrients), disturbances (e.g., fire or flood), species interactions (e.g., predation or competition), and chance events (e.g., foreign species invasion). Certain species—such as keystone species—also play a...
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Parrots as key multilinkers in ecosystem structure and functioning.

Guillermo Blanco1, Fernando Hiraldo2, Abraham Rojas3

  • 1Department of Evolutionary Ecology Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales CSIC José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 28006 Madrid Spain.

Ecology and Evolution
|October 8, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Parrots act as crucial plant mutualists in Bolivian dry forests, providing vital services like seed dispersal and protection. These interactions significantly impact plant communities and ecosystem dynamics, challenging their traditional antagonist role.

Keywords:
Ecosystem structure and dynamicsPsittaciformesmutualistic functionsvertebrate frugivores

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Tropical Biology
  • Conservation Biology

Background:

  • Parrots (Psittaciformes) are often viewed as antagonists to plants.
  • Dry tropical forests, like the Bolivian inter-Andean valleys, have limited vertebrate frugivores besides parrots.
  • Understanding mutualistic interactions is key to ecosystem structure and dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of parrots as plant mutualists in the Bolivian inter-Andean valleys.
  • To test the hypothesis that parrot-plant interactions evolved to maximize mutualistic benefits.
  • To assess the impact of parrots on plant assemblages and ecosystem functioning.

Main Methods:

  • Studied parrot feeding habits and their interactions with 113 plant species across 38 families.
  • Assessed the multiple services parrots provide to plants, including genetic linking, seed facilitation, and protection.
  • Related the number of mutualistic functions to the diversity of food resources extracted by parrots.

Main Results:

  • Parrots act as super-generalists, exploiting diverse plant resources with varying phenology and rewards.
  • Parrots provide multiple mutualistic services, acting as genetic linkers, seed facilitators, and plant protectors.
  • The extent of mutualistic functions correlates with the diversity of food resources parrots extract from plants.

Conclusions:

  • Parrots are key mutualists with a pervasive impact on plant assemblages in this ecosystem.
  • Mutually enhancing interactions between parrots and plants influence species-level properties and ecosystem organization.
  • Recognizing parrot-plant mutualisms can alter perceptions of parrots' ecological roles and ecosystem functioning.