Work

Population recovery of an endangered macaw enhances long‐distance seed dispersal via stomatochory

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Seed dispersal by large, mobile vertebrates plays a key role in shaping plant spatial dynamics and community structure. However, how variation in animal population size influences the magnitude and spatial scale of seed dispersal remains poorly understood. We used an agent‐based modeling approach to simulate stomatochoric seed dispersal by the endangered Lear's macaw Anodorhynchus leari to evaluate how changes in population size affect the seed‐dispersal function it provides for the licuri palm Syagrus coronata , a keystone species in the Caatinga dry forests of Brazil. By simulating disperser movements under different population scenarios, we show that both the frequency and distance of seed‐dispersal events increase disproportionately with population size. For small populations, dispersal results in highly localized seed deposition, whereas larger populations can expand the frequency and length of long‐distance dispersal. These findings suggest that the ongoing recovery and reintroduction of Lear's macaw may not only benefit the macaws themselves but also enhance the regeneration and connectivity of licuri palm populations. More broadly, our results emphasize the potential for population recovery of large‐seed dispersers to restore lost ecological functions and emphasize stomatochory by parrots as an overlooked but functionally significant dispersal mechanism for large‐seeded plants.

Source: Oikos

DOI: 10.1002/oik.12114

Authors: Giulyana A. Benedicto, Erica C. Pacífico, Mathias M. Pires

Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)

Language: English

Topic: Plant and animal studies

Subfield: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,640