A call for integrating aquatic perspectives more widely into studies of fruit–animal interactions

Abstract

Fleshy fruits are a key resource for many terrestrial and aquatic animals, especially in tropical rainforests and rivers. Frugivory is well documented as a fundamental interaction between plants and animals, contributing to seed dispersal and the maintenance of biological diversity. Although fruit falling from riparian plants plays important roles in aquatic resource inputs, these ecosystem processes are not widely studied which can lead to geographical and functional trait biases. We demonstrated this gap of information in a literature survey using a bibliographical analysis. We found clear geographical biases towards more frequent studies in the Americas, especially in Brazil, and shortfalls in other tropical areas, such as Asian and African tropical regions. In contrast, studies on fruit-animal interaction in tropical terrestrial ecosystems are far more frequent than those in aquatic ecosystems. Some approaches and concepts originally developed for terrestrial studies can be applied to tropical freshwater and marine ecosystems, offering new insights into their functioning. This integration can foster a more comprehensive understanding of terrestrial–aquatic linkages while promoting greater collaboration and equity in research partnerships.