Anthropogenic impacts on plant-animal mutualisms: A global synthesis for pollination and seed dispersal

• Published in: Biological conservation 2022-02, Vol.266, p.109461, Article 109461
• Main Authors: Teixido, Alberto L., Fuzessy, Lisieux F., Souza, Camila S., Gomes, Ingrid N., Kaminski, Lucas A., Oliveira, Patricia C., Maruyama, Pietro K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Climate change; Fragmentation; Non-native species; Pollinators; Seed dispersers; Urbanization
• ISSN: 0006-3207; 1873-2917
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109461

Global anthropogenic changes cause major impacts on species interactions, with cascading effects on ecosystem functioning. Animal-mediated pollination and seed dispersal are major mutualisms associated with distinct stages of plant reproduction. Nevertheless, we lack an integrated assessment on how multiple anthropogenic impacts affect these interrelated mutualisms. Here, we systematically reviewed the effect of the most important global anthropogenic factors (agrochemicals, climate change, fire, fragmentation, hunting, non-native species and urbanization) on pollination and seed dispersal. We evaluated which anthropogenic factors, mutualisms and their combinations have been more frequently investigated, the biogeographic and taxonomic tendencies and the most frequently recorded effects of anthropogenic factors. We show that pollination has been more broadly investigated, that the impacts of the anthropogenic factors on pollination and seed dispersal are biased towards the temperate region and forest biomes and lack representation from some relevant groups, such as mutualistic bats. Moreover, some anthropogenic factors have been more studied for one mutualism type in relation to the other, for instance, agrochemicals and urbanization on plant-pollinator interactions, even though these impacts could also generate direct and cascading effects on frugivores and seed dispersal. The predominance of negative effects observed, especially of climate change on plant-pollinator and non-native species on plant-frugivore interactions deserve special attention. Finally, we identify a gap in empirical studies that simultaneously consider pollination and seed dispersal as integrated components of plant reproduction, and combined anthropogenic factors in the same ecosystem. More integrative studies are needed to better understand the vulnerability of plant-animal mutualisms in a changing world. •Plant-pollinator mutualism is more studied than plant-frugivore mutualism.•Studies with bats as mutualistic partners are scarce.•Negative effects of anthropogenic factors on both mutualisms are predominant.•Climate change impacts mostly on pollination and non-native species on seed dispersal.•More integrative studies considering multiple anthropogenic factors are recommended.