A tropical forest retained fruit-eater species while their visits changed
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
Sixty camera traps documented visitors to two Virola tree species across mature protected, formerly exploited and currently disturbed French Guiana forest sites. Canopy and understory visitor richness remained broadly similar, but ground-dwelling frugivore visits were substantially fewer at the currently disturbed site, while arboreal visitation and community composition shifted.
WHY IT MATTERS / OUR READ
A biodiversity inventory can stay impressive while the frequency and identity of potential ecological interactions change. For restoration and timber-land decisions, animal visitation, guild structure and actual seed dispersal warrant attention alongside species lists.
CAVEATS / UNCERTAINTY
Three nonrandomly selected sites and visitation observations cannot isolate logging, hunting and road effects or directly demonstrate reductions in viable seed dispersal. Findings are site- and fruit-tree-specific.
SOURCE
Ecology and Evolution · French Guiana frugivore camera-trap field study
View original evidence ↗
French Guiana camera traps expose a functional difference hidden by species-richness totals.
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