Frugivores enhance potential carbon recovery in fragmented landscapes

• Autor(a) principal: Bello, Carolina
• Data de Publicação: 2024
• Outros Autores: Crowther, Thomas W., Ramos, Danielle Leal [UNESP], Morán-López, Teresa, Pizo, Marco A. [UNESP], Dent, Daisy H.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-01989-1; https://hdl.handle.net/11449/305151

Forest restoration is fundamental to overcoming biodiversity crises and climate change. In tropical forests, animals can improve forest recovery as they disperse >70% of tree species. However, representing animals in restoration and climate change policies remains challenging because a quantitative assessment of their contribution to forest and carbon recovery is lacking. Here we used individual-based models to assess frugivore-mediated seed rain in open areas along a fragmentation gradient. Movements of large birds were limited in landscapes with <40% forest cover, although small birds continued to disperse seeds. Large birds disperse seeds of late-successional species with higher carbon storage potential. Their restricted movement therefore reduced potential biomass in future forests by 38%. Maintaining forest cover >40% is essential to optimizing animals’ contribution to restoration success. Active restoration (for example, planting trees) is required in more fragmented landscapes to achieve carbon and biodiversity targets.