Are Protected Areas Required to Maintain Functional Diversity in Human-Modified Landscapes?

摘要: The conversion of forest to agriculture across the world’s tropics, and limited space for protected areas, has increased need identify effective conservation strategies in human-modified landscapes. Isolated trees are believed conserve elements ecological structure, providing micro-sites matrix landscapes, facilitating seed dispersal restoration. Here we investigate role isolated Ficus trees, which critical importance tropical ecosystems, conserving frugivore composition function a landscape Assam, India. We surveyed frugivorous birds feeding at 122 33 fruit 31 other large range 32 km from nearest intact forest. found that attracted richer more abundant assemblages frugivores than tree categories. However, incidence estimates revealed specialist species decreased dramatically within first kilometre edge. Despite this, richness functional diversity remained consistent landscape, as habitat generalists replaced forest-dependent frugivores, accounted most near recommend awarded greater status, suggest their can support ecologically networks bird communities.