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Animal-mediated seed dispersal and the demo-genetic makeup across plant colonization gradients
Jorge Isla, Miguel Jácome-Flores, Cristina Rigueiro, Juan Miguel Arroyo, Pedro Jordano & Cristina García
Corresponding author: Jorge Isla (jorgeislaescudero1992@gmail.com)
Ecologists have long recognized that seed dispersal mutualisms trigger natural regeneration and expansion of animal-dispersed trees, but we lack empirical studies addressing whether frugivore activity counteract founder effects, which reduce genetic diversity at the colonization front of rapidly expanding populations. Here we evaluate the contribution of a complex assemblage of frugivores dispersing juniper seeds across an expansion gradient. We used DNA barcoding for frugivores identification and highly polymorphic genetic markers (SSRs) for maternal seed analysis to investigate how (1) stand maturity, (2) microhabitat types, and (3) foraging patterns shape the distribution of the maternal progenies along this gradient. Contrary to our expectations, we found that frugivores generated dense, genetically diverse seed rains across the entire expansion gradient, even at the colonization front with scarcity of local fruiting trees. Through our findings, we shed light on the fundamental and applied implications of plant-frugivore interactions in shaping diverse second growth forests.