Human-Induced Downsizing of Animal Communities Weakens Trait Matching Between Tropical Plants and Frugivores

Human-Induced Downsizing of Animal Communities Weakens Trait Matching Between Tropical Plants and Frugivores | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecology Letters This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 7 May 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Human-Induced Downsizing of Animal Communities Weakens Trait Matching Between Tropical Plants and Frugivores Authors : Daniel Guerra 0009-0008-0672-4698 , Andressa Cabral , Mariana Paetzolt , Evan Fricke , W. Kissling , Frederic Lens , and Renske E. Onstein 0000-0002-2295-3510 [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174662176.64610136/v1 Published Ecology Letters Version of record Peer review timeline 532 views 283 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Defaunation of large-bodied animals threatens essential ecosystem functions, such as seed dispersal. However, the impact of this ‘downsizing’ of animal communities on plant-frugivore trait matching—the alignment of frugivory-related plant traits (e.g., fruit size) with frugivore traits (e.g., body mass)—remains poorly understood at macroecological scales. Here, we investigate how human disturbance and environmental conditions influence trait matching in plant-frugivore networks across the tropics. We compiled data on fruit size and frugivore body mass for 1,927 plant and 1,120 animal species and integrated these with 12,708 interaction records across 102 networks. Using fourth-corner analyses and structural equation models (SEMs), we assessed how human disturbance and environmental conditions affected trait matching strength across networks. SEMs revealed that these factors influenced trait matching strength through indirect pathways: human disturbance weakened trait matching by reducing the range of frugivore body masses within networks, whereas wet and productive ecosystems, where the proportion of fruit in frugivore diets is higher, supported stronger trait matching. Our synthesis shows that plant-frugivore trait matching is a widespread macroecological pattern that is weakened by human disturbance, particularly through the defaunation of large-bodied animals. Human activities are thereby decoupling the coevolved relationships between fruiting plants and their animal seed dispersers. Supplementary Material File (traitmatching_manuscript_v5.docx) Download 1.95 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 07 May 2025 Peer review timeline Published Ecology Letters Version of Record 10 Dec 2025 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Collection Ecology Letters Keywords biogeography biotic interaction defaunation fourth-corner analysis frugivory functional trait global change impact mutualistic network seed dispersal structural equation model Authors Affiliations Daniel Guerra 0009-0008-0672-4698 Naturalis Biodiversity Center View all articles by this author Andressa Cabral German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig View all articles by this author Mariana Paetzolt German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig View all articles by this author Evan Fricke Massachusetts Institute of Technology View all articles by this author W. Kissling University of Amsterdam View all articles by this author Frederic Lens Naturalis Biodiversity Center View all articles by this author Renske E. Onstein 0000-0002-2295-3510 [email protected] Naturalis Biodiversity Center View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 532 views 283 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Daniel Guerra, Andressa Cabral, Mariana Paetzolt, et al. Human-Induced Downsizing of Animal Communities Weakens Trait Matching Between Tropical Plants and Frugivores. Authorea . 07 May 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174662176.64610136/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); Cited by Yuanshu Pu, Alexander Zizka, Renske E. Onstein, Legacy of the Lost and Pressure of the Present: Malagasy Plant Seeds Retain Megafauna Dispersal Signatures but Downsize Under Human Pressure, Ecology Letters, 28 , 9, (2025). https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.70205 Crossref Loading... View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. 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