Effects of biodiversity dimensions (phylogenetic, functional, and taxonomic) of frugivorous bats on the structure of ecological networks
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/9348m493Keywords:
functional traits, modularity, mutualism, nestedness, phylogenyAbstract
Introduction: Mutualistic interactions between bats and plants can be organized into complex networks and analyzed using various metrics that have revealed the existence of interaction patterns among different networks. These patterns are shaped by the diversity of attributes, evolutionary history, and ecological processes within a community. Objective: To assess the influence of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity on the structure of 12 plant-bat mutualistic networks. Methods: We constructed 12 plant-bat networks interactions and applied Pearson correlation analyses between diversity indices and network-level metrics. Nestedness, interaction strength asymmetry, specialization asymmetry, specialization, and modularity were used as the network metrics. Results: Our analysis showed that the network structure varied with diversity dimensions. Taxonomic indices revealed low Shannon diversity but high equitability. Functional and phylogenetic diversities were low. Higher species richness reduced nestedness, whereas stronger functional evenness increased interaction asymmetry. Sampling completeness was low (53.4 %), and correlations indicated that modular networks might support higher diversity. Conclusion: Taxonomic and functional diversity have a greater influence on network architecture, with the former specifically influencing the formation of modules and specialization, and the latter influencing network asymmetry. This result suggests that diversity indices may affect the interaction network properties in different ways.
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