Seed dispersal paradox: farther but fewer seeds dispersed by a primate in a human-modified landscape

Seed dispersal paradox: farther but fewer seeds dispersed by a primate in a human-modified landscape | 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 Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 16 August 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Seed dispersal paradox: farther but fewer seeds dispersed by a primate in a human-modified landscape Authors : Anaid Cárdenas-Navarrete 0000-0001-9400-9783 [email protected] , Sarie Van Belle , and Onja Razafindratsima 0000-0003-1655-6647 Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175532596.63652233/v1 267 views 143 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract As habitats change, animal-mediated seed dispersal increasingly depends on how animals respond to altered habitat structure and resource availability. With habitat loss and degradation accelerating across the tropics, understanding how animal movement influences distance- and density-dependent seed mortality is key to promoting forest regeneration. Across a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance in a tropical lowland landscape of southeast Mexico, we assessed how the movement patterns of black howler monkeys ( Alouatta pigra ) influence their seed dispersal services through GPS tracking, behavioral observations, and seed sampling. Given the species’ long gut transit time, we employed a path analysis to examine how movement patterns across spatiotemporal scales directly and indirectly shape seed dispersal distance. By dispersing seeds away from the parent plant at an average distance of 99.5 ± 64.4 m, black howler monkeys likely reduce mortality risks associated with distance- and density-dependent effects. At the smallest scale, step lengths and relative turning angles emerged as key predictors of seed dispersal distance, revealing that goal-oriented movement strategies may enhance their ecological role as seed dispersers. At broader scales, variability in weekly core area size, driven by resource availability, strongly influenced seed dispersal distance. However, low availability of fruiting trees in disturbed areas may limit the black howlers’ ability to support natural forest succession. Ultimately, our findings show that animal responses to human habitat disturbance can influence key processes like seed dispersal, potentially affecting forest regeneration and ecosystem resilience, highlighting the need to understand these dynamics to predict and manage long-term impacts of disturbance on biodiversity and ecosystem function. Supplementary Material File (oik-11942-file001.docx) Download 1.02 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 16 August 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords frugivory habitat disturbance movement ecology primate seed dispersal Authors Affiliations Anaid Cárdenas-Navarrete 0000-0001-9400-9783 [email protected] University of California Berkeley View all articles by this author Sarie Van Belle Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad View all articles by this author Onja Razafindratsima 0000-0003-1655-6647 University of California Berkeley View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 267 views 143 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Anaid Cárdenas-Navarrete, Sarie Van Belle, Onja Razafindratsima. Seed dispersal paradox: farther but fewer seeds dispersed by a primate in a human-modified landscape. Authorea . 16 August 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175532596.63652233/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. 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