Biotropica最新文献

{"title":"ATBC 2025 Student and Early Career Awards","authors":"Imma Oliveras, Meghna Krishnadas, Lúcia G. Lohmann, Jennifer S. Powers","doi":"10.1111/btp.70070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70070","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) recognizes the exceptional research of students and early career scientists through awards presented at the ATBC Annual Conferences. The ATBC is pleased to announce the 2025 winners of these awards:</p><p>The <b>Luis F. Bacardi Award for Advances in Tropical Conservation</b> is awarded to the best conservation talk presented during the ATBC Annual Conference by an early-career scientist (i.e., a researcher who received their Ph.D. no more than 5 years before the meeting date). This award was established in 2005 with an endowment from the Lubee Bat Conservancy, an international non-profit organization based in Gainesville, Florida, USA. The Lubee Bat Conservancy was founded in 1989 by the late Luis F. Bacardi, and is dedicated to protecting biological diversity through the conservation of fruit- and nectar-feeding bats. At the 2025 ATBC Annual Meeting, <b>Julián León</b> from Universidad del Rosario, Colombia, was awarded the Luis F. Bacardi Award for their presentation entitled “No experience necessary—for wildlife to fear the human ‘super predator’”.</p><p>The <b>Alwyn Gentry Presentation Awards</b> were established to recognize outstanding oral and poster presentations given by students at the ATBC Annual Conference. Alwyn Gentry (1945–1993) was a prominent botanist who made exceptional contributions to the study of the diversity and conservation of tropical plants and to the training of students from the Americas. These awards are in remembrance and recognition of the contributions of this singular scientist, colleague, supportive mentor, and friend. At the 2025 ATBC Annual Meeting, <b>Luisa Genes</b> from Stanford University, USA, was awarded the Alwyn Gentry Award for the Best Oral Presentation for their talk entitled “Evaluating the restoration of plant-animal interactions through trophic rewilding.” <b>Iñaki Quintana</b> from Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional, Unidad Oaxaca, México, was awarded the Alwyn Gentry Award for the Best Poster Presentation for their presentation entitled “Passive acoustic monitoring of marine mammal communities and anthropogenic noise impact in Oaxaca's coastal waters.”</p><p>The New Phytologist Trust graciously funds annual awards to recognize achievements in Plant Biology by student authors presenting at the ATBC Annual Meeting. At the 2025 Annual Meeting, the <b>New Phytologist Prize for Best Poster in Plant Biology</b> was awarded to <b>Liliana López-Olmedo</b> from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, for their poster entitled: “Decoupled environmental filtering between plant taxonomic and phylogenetic diversities in a tropical heterogeneous landscape.” The <b>New Phytologist Prize for Best Oral Presentation in Plant Biology</b> was awarded to <b>Ellen Quinlan</b> from Wake Forest University, USA, for their oral presentation entitled, “Patterns of diversification, gene flow, and functiona","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.70070","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144811076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-Term Effects of an Elephant-Dominated Browser Community on the Architecture of Trees in a Fenced Reserve","authors":"Lucie Thel,&nbsp;Dietre Stols,&nbsp;Sarah Orth,&nbsp;D. D. Georgette Lagendijk,&nbsp;Rob Slotow,&nbsp;Jan A. Venter,&nbsp;Herve Fritz","doi":"10.1111/btp.70078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70078","url":null,"abstract":"<p>African elephants (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>), in conjunction with the community of browser species, exert substantial top-down control over the woody vegetation in savannas by utilizing large amounts of plant biomass, as well as through non-consumptive effects. However, how much browsers affect the pattern of proportional growth between different tree components remains understudied. Using vegetation data collected in 2000–2001 and 2019 for more than 3500 trees inside and outside Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa, we determined the long-term effects of an increasing elephant population, in conjunction with the community of meso-browsers, on structural relationships in 13 tree species. The number of trees utilized by elephants increased between 2000 and 2019, but individual trees were not more intensively utilized. After almost two decades of use by elephants, we observed a reduction in the logged initial growth rate of the structural relationship between tree height and stem diameter, without modification of the asymptotic change in growth rate. Despite species-specific variability, tree height was overall reduced for a given stem diameter. Canopy area, as well as its structural relationship with stem diameter, remained mostly stable. We suggest that elephants are responsible for hedging by reducing tree height. Together with impala (<i>Aepyceros melampus</i>), the dominant species in this meso-browser community, they could stimulate regrowth by browsing the canopy of the vegetation maintained in the browsing trap. Our study emphasizes the necessity of long-term, species-specific studies to improve our understanding of how the browser community, and elephants in particular, affect structural relationships in trees.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.70078","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144811075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Local and Landscape Variables on Bird Communities in Forest-Agricultural Mosaics in Northeast Luzon, Philippines","authors":"Jelaine Lim Gan,&nbsp;Marion Pfeifer,&nbsp;Terence Craig Soroño,&nbsp;Vince Angelo Gicaraya,&nbsp;Erwin Somera Torio,&nbsp;Merlijn van Weerd,&nbsp;Marites Gatan-Balbas,&nbsp;Mark David Foster Shirley","doi":"10.1111/btp.70076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70076","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Agriculture is one of the major drivers of forest loss and fragmentation in tropical regions. Although typically associated with biodiversity loss, agricultural-forest mosaics are increasingly recognized as important targets for conservation as they can support significant bird diversity. This requires understanding how birds respond to habitat amount, quality, and configuration and using this to inform management strategies. Here, we investigated the effects of local and landscape variables at different spatial scales on bird species richness and abundance by conducting 131 point count surveys across forest and matrix habitats in six sites in Northeastern Luzon, Philippines. We found varying significance and direction of community responses to local and landscape factors across different functional groups based on diet and habitat dependency, showing that management interventions must be implemented with clear targets. Overall bird abundance increased with canopy openness, while richness did not show a significant response. In comparison, functional groups exhibited stronger responses. Forest dependent species responded positively to forest area, edge density, and tree species richness. However, several forest species known to inhabit the region were notably absent from our study, suggesting that historical anthropogenic disturbances may have led to their extirpation in the fragmented landscapes. Responses also varied in strength with the spatial scale at which the landscape metric was considered. Therefore, habitat management needs to be tailored to the species targets and spatial scales relevant for conservation.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.70076","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144811197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physiological and Growth Responses of Tropical Dry Forest Tree Seedlings to Water and Nutrient Additions: Comparisons Between Nitrogen Fixers and Non-Fixers","authors":"Erick Calderón-Morales,&nbsp;Leland K. Werden,&nbsp;Chris M. Smith-Martin,&nbsp;Bonnie G. Waring,&nbsp;Roberto Cordero-Solorzano,&nbsp;Jennifer S. Powers","doi":"10.1111/btp.70075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70075","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Belowground resources are key determinants of seedling growth and survival in tropical forests. Nutrients and light may limit plant growth the most in tropical wet forests, whereas water may limit plant growth more in tropical dry forests. Nitrogen (N)-fixing species play an important role in the nitrogen and carbon cycles across tropical dry forests. However, studies investigating the joint effects of water and nutrients on the physiology and performance of N-fixing species are scarce. We implemented a full factorial shade house experiment that manipulated water and nutrients (NPK 20:20:20 and complete micronutrients) using eight tree species representing N-fixing and non-fixing tree species in the tropical dry forest of Costa Rica to determine: (1) How plant responses to water and nutrient availability vary between N-fixing and non-fixing tree species?; and (2) How nutrient and/or water availability influences seedling water- and nutrient-use traits? We found that growth and physiological responses to water and nutrient addition depended directly on the capacity of species to fix atmospheric N₂. N-fixing species responded more strongly to nutrient addition, accumulating 67% more total biomass on average (approximately double that of non-fixing taxa) and increasing average height growth rate by 41%. N-fixing species accumulated more biomass without compromising water-use efficiency, taking full advantage of the increased nutrient availability. Interestingly, results from our experiment show that increased water availability rarely influenced tropical dry forest seedling performance, whereas nutrient availability had a strong effect on biomass and growth. Overall, our results highlight the ability of N-fixing seedlings to take advantage of local soil resource heterogeneity, which may help to explain the dominance of N-fixing trees in tropical dry forests.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.70075","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144811077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Looking Back and Moving Forward: Reflections on 60 Years of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation","authors":"Jennifer S. Powers,&nbsp;Emilio M. Bruna,&nbsp;Lúcia G. Lohmann","doi":"10.1111/btp.70074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70074","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;In &lt;span&gt;1962&lt;/span&gt; a group of scientists met in Trinidad and Tobago to discuss how best to make progress on the challenges making the study of tropical botany such an “enthralling but formidable task” (Bulletin 1, p. 17). Among the recommendations made by the workshop participants was the creation of a new international organization—&lt;i&gt;The Association for Tropical Biology&lt;/i&gt;—whose mission will sound remarkably similar to its current members: (1) advancing and intensifying research in all aspects of tropical biology, (2) the vigorous promotion and support of training and interchange of students, teachers, and investigators, (3) cooperation and communication among investigators, (4) the development of facilities to attain these objectives, and (5) the preservation of essential selected natural areas and the establishment or development of botanical gardens to safeguard the natural living heritage for posterity and for the preservation of gene pools (Bulletin 1, pp. 40, 41). With over 1000 members in over 60 countries, the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC)—the “C” was formally added to in 2003—is the largest scholarly society in the world dedicated to the study of tropical ecosystems and their biota.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In 1969 the ATBC's leadership decided to create a new outlet for cutting-edge research in tropical biology: the journal &lt;i&gt;Biotropica&lt;/i&gt; (Figure 1; Bruna &lt;span&gt;2019&lt;/span&gt;). As the society's flagship journal, we are honored to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the ATBC with this Special Issue devoted to both reviewing what we have learned about the biology of the tropics since the society's founding and casting an eye toward the future of the field. In an open call to the ATBC community, the journal's Editorial Board solicited submissions that not only review and summarize previously published studies, but also those that placed prior findings in the context of pressing challenges facing tropical ecosystems, their constituent species, and interactions with humans. The resulting papers can be roughly divided into three categories: conceptual syntheses, reflective papers on how we practice science and conservation as a community, and those that point toward new horizons by identifying gaps in knowledge and opportunities for future work (Table 1).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The papers addressing conceptual issues range from evaluations of climate change effects on species distributions along elevational gradients (Colwell and Feeley &lt;span&gt;2025&lt;/span&gt;) to the fundamental tradeoffs that define life history strategies of tropical tree species and constrain forest dynamics (Swenson and Rubio &lt;span&gt;2025&lt;/span&gt;). One review paper questions the extent to which concepts from dynamical systems theory such as alternative stable states and hysteresis have been integrated into research and literature on tropical ecosystems and disturbance (Mata et al. &lt;span&gt;2025&lt;/span&gt;); using unified terminology for how we characterize system dynamics helps facilitate ","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.70074","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Natural Forest Clearings Enable the Persistence of Stable Spotted Hyena Populations in Congo Basin Rainforests","authors":"Ella M. Bradford,&nbsp;Evan G. Hockridge,&nbsp;Gwili E. M. Gibbon,&nbsp;Gloire Kibongui,&nbsp;Adrich Mouamana,&nbsp;Gildas Ngama,&nbsp;Nicholas Osner,&nbsp;Andrew B. Davies","doi":"10.1111/btp.70065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70065","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Spotted hyenas (<i>Crocuta crocuta</i>) are a large carnivore species known to range across broad savanna regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Although hyenas have occasionally been observed in rainforest habitat, they have been considered largely transient through these ecosystems. Odzala-Kokoua National Park (OKNP) in the Republic of Congo is known to harbor a resident hyena population in the forest-savanna mosaic region of the park, and while there have been observations of hyenas at large natural clearings called bais in the park's rainforest regions, these individuals have been assumed to be transient rather than representing a persistent rainforest population. We used more than 5 years of camera trap images of hyenas and their prey, 4 months of hyena GPS telemetry data, and remote sensing imagery of habitat to quantify the presence, distribution, and drivers of hyena occurrence at 10 bai complexes across OKNP. We found evidence of a perennial, stable hyena population in the rainforest, with hyena presence being positively associated with increased availability of large prey and open-canopy area in the surrounding landscape. Our results suggest that hyenas can persist in rainforest ecosystems by taking advantage of small patches of open-canopy habitat (i.e., bais) that support sufficiently large populations of preferred prey species. Our findings reveal that spotted hyenas exhibit remarkable behavioral flexibility in their habitat use and suggest that current distribution maps for the species be extended to include the forested regions of OKNP and possibly beyond.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.70065","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inactive Tropical Bush Frog Detects Light Through Skin to Adjust Body Color Intensity for Camouflage","authors":"Jishnu Narayanan,&nbsp;Dhruvaraj Subashchandran,&nbsp;Aneesh Embalil Mathachan,&nbsp;Retina Irumpanath Cleetus,&nbsp;Nihal Jabeen,&nbsp;Aiswarya Swapna Lohithakshan,&nbsp;Vardha Nourin Puthiyodath,&nbsp;Amrit Krishna Suresh,&nbsp;Sandeep Das","doi":"10.1111/btp.70067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70067","url":null,"abstract":"<p>പകൽ സമയങ്ങളിൽ നിഷ്ക്രിയമായി ഇരിക്കുന്ന <i>Raorchestes jayarami</i> എന്ന ജയറാമി ഇലത്തവളയുടെ നിറം അനൈച്ഛികമായി മാറുന്നതായി കാണപ്പെട്ടു. വിശ്രമവേളയിൽ പരിസരത്തിനനുസരിച്ചു നിറം മാറാൻ ഈ പ്രക്രിയ അവയ്ക്ക് ഉപകരപ്പെടുന്നതായും ഈ പഠനത്തിലൂടെ തെളിയിക്കപ്പെട്ടു. സാധാരണമായി ജീവികൾ ഇതിനായി ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്ന നാഡീവ്യൂഹ മാർഗ്ഗങ്ങളോ അന്തർഗ്രന്ഥീ ശ്രവങ്ങളോ ഉപയോഗിക്കാതെയാണ് ജയറാമി ഇലത്തവള ഇത്തരത്തിൽ നിറം മാറുന്നത് എന്നത് കൗതുകകരമാണ്. പകരം ദേഹത്തിൽ വന്നു വീഴുന്ന വെളിച്ചത്തിലെ തീവ്രതാവ്യതിയാനങ്ങൾ ചർമ കോശങ്ങളിലൂടെ തന്നെ തിരിച്ചറിഞ്ഞ്, വെളിച്ചം വീഴുന്ന ചർമഭാഗങ്ങളിൽ മാത്രമായി സൂക്ഷ്മമായ നിറമാറ്റങ്ങൾ നടത്താൻ ഇവയ്ക്ക് കഴിവുണ്ട്. പാരിസ്ഥിതിക ഘടകങ്ങളുമായുള്ള പരസ്പരബന്ധവും, പരീക്ഷണങ്ങളിലൂടെ കൃത്രിമമായി നിറം മാറ്റാൻ സാധിച്ചതും ഈ ആശയത്തെ പിന്തുണയ്ക്കുന്നു.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144751187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unraveling the Taxonomic, Functional, and Phylogenetic Diversity of Lizard Assemblages in Riparian Forest Areas in the Amazon–Pantanal Ecotone","authors":"Rafael Assis Barros,&nbsp;Odair Silva-Diogo,&nbsp;Vancleber Divino Silva-Alves,&nbsp;Manoel Santos-Filho,&nbsp;Dionei José Silva","doi":"10.1111/btp.70062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70062","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Historical, ecological, and biogeographical processes have shaped species distribution and diversity on Earth. However, in ecotonal regions, the action of these processes becomes even more complex. In this study, we analyzed how species richness (SR), as well as functional diversity (standardized functional diversity—SES.FD, functional dispersion—FDis, and functional redundancy—FR), and phylogenetic diversity (phylogenetic species variability – PSV and phylogenetic redundancy – PR) of lizard assemblages varied along riparian forests in the Amazon–Pantanal ecotone. Sampling was carried out at 24 sites distributed along the Paraguay River in Brazil, using pitfall traps and active searches. We recorded 262 lizards from 13 species and 8 families. Species composition differed among the sampled ecoregions. Functional redundancy (FR) and PR were greater in the riparian forest areas of the Amazon; PSV was greater in the assemblages from the Pantanal and Amazon–Pantanal ecotone, while SR, SES.FD, and FDis did not differ among the regions. The variation in the diversity patterns of the lizard assemblages is probably a result of the different environmental conditions and evolutionary histories among these ecoregions and their ecotone. The greater diversity of lineages in the lizard assemblages of the riparian forest areas from the Pantanal was probably influenced by the contact between ecologically and historically distinct regions. However, the lower redundancy in the traits and lineages of these assemblages indicates that they are highly susceptible to disturbances, emphasizing the need for conservation policies and actions to protect the lizard assemblages in the world's largest floodplain area.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144672882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rainforest Fragmentation Decreases the Robustness of Plant-Frugivore Interaction Networks","authors":"David Becker,&nbsp;Wande Li,&nbsp;Ashtha Gurung,&nbsp;Eduardo Rodriguez Martinez,&nbsp;Emmanuel Rojas,&nbsp;Bernal Rodríguez-Herrera,&nbsp;Maximilian G. R. Vollstädt,&nbsp;Ingo Grass,&nbsp;Thomas Hiller","doi":"10.1111/btp.70063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70063","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Tropical rainforests are biodiversity hotspots that provide a variety of ecosystem functions and services. Seed dispersal by fruit-eating birds is an important ecosystem process in the regeneration of tropical rainforests, which is increasingly threatened by widespread deforestation. In particular, the expansion of agricultural land often leads to forest fragmentation, which can have a negative impact on the interactions between plants and frugivores and thus on seed dispersal. However, little is known about how forest fragmentation affects the structure and robustness of plant–frugivore interaction networks. Here, we examined the effects of forest fragmentation on species richness of frugivorous birds interacting with focal tree species, and the structure and robustness of plant–frugivore interaction networks in the tropical lowland forests of northern Costa Rica. Species richness of frugivorous birds at the forest edges increased with fragment size and forest cover in the surrounding landscape as well as with local fruit availability. Modularity and robustness of plant–frugivore networks increased with enhanced fragment size and forest cover, while network specialization (H2′) increased only with greater forest cover. Additionally, the three common tanager species (<i>Ramphocelus passerinii</i>, <i>Thraupis palmarum</i>, and <i>Thraupis episcopus</i>) were identified as key bird species for network functioning by promoting among-module and within-module connectivity. Conservation measures should therefore not only focus on threatened specialist species, but more on the key species that enhance network structure and consequently increase the robustness of these trophic interaction networks. Ultimately, our study demonstrates that tropical forest fragmentation simplifies network structure, making these interactions more vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.70063","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144672883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using Smartphones to Determine Hummingbird Dominance Networks in Quinde Ecotourist-Route, Ecuador","authors":"Gabriela Echevarría,&nbsp;Galo Buitrón-Jurado","doi":"10.1111/btp.70061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70061","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Records of wildlife animals have improved with the use of smartphones that permit people to take photographs and videos anywhere. Short videos of hummingbirds visiting artificial feeders in the Quinde Ecotourist-route covering an elevational range from 400 to 3110 m a.s.l. were taken to describe hummingbird aggression networks, to identify hummingbird hierarchies, and the effect of hummingbird traits on interspecific dominance hierarchies using data obtained through a low-cost, non-invasive method such as videos recorded with smartphones, which could be collected by the average tourist, and to relate them to morphological specialization and distributions. Smartphones can record the behavior of diverse tropical hummingbird assemblages at supplemental feeding sites, although they permit recording only during short periods. Heavier, more dominant hummingbird species monopolized access to feeders in the northwestern slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes, were more widespread, and had greater feeding rates. Our results therefore suggest that differences in body mass may lead to the formation of interspecific dominance hierarchies, leaving the heaviest and most aggressive species in the greatest control of artificial feeders' stations.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.70061","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144666516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}