Abstract
The Atlantic Forest is one of the most threatened tropical forests in the world, being drastically reduced, fragmented, and disturbed. The drastic process of anthropic occupation and exploitation of this biome has, in many cases, led to the introduction of exotic species, such as the jackfruits (Artocarpus heterophyllus). However, studies on the influence of jackfruits on the native biota are still scarce. Here we investigated the influence of fruit trees on the seed rain and early recruitment of seedlings in native remnants, comparing these patterns with those observed for a native species tapirira (Tapirira guianensis), which similarly to jackfruits, produces many fruits throughout the year, attracting a variety of frugivore species. Seed rain and seedlings observed under the jackfruits were both more abundant and equally rich to the assemblages reported under the native tapirira trees. In both species, co-specifics comprise a large part of the number of seeds (> 70%) and seedlings (> 45%) individuals and, although they attract similar seed assemblages, seedling composition diverge, particularly when co-specifics are excluded. We reported that jackfruits can attract a diverse seed and seedling assemblages, and we find no evidence that the presence of jackfruits negatively affects the arrival and initial recruitment of native plant species in the study area. These results should be analyzed with caution but considered when evaluating costs and benefits of management options to control exotic species.
Highlights
Exotic species, i.e. those occurring outside their natural geographic boundaries, are increasingly becoming a common feature in human-dominated landscapes (D'Antonio et al 2001)
Seed rain and seedlings observed under the jackfruits were both more abundant and rich to the assemblages reported under the native tapirira trees
We reported that jackfruits can attract a diverse seed and seedling assemblages, and we find no evidence that the presence of jackfruits negatively affects the arrival and initial recruitment of native plant species in the study area
Summary
I.e. those occurring outside their natural geographic boundaries, are increasingly becoming a common feature in human-dominated landscapes (D'Antonio et al 2001). Some of these aliens become invasive, aggressively establishing populations into native ecosystems, eventually becoming a threat to native biotas (Stohlgren et al 1999). Biological invasions are among the leading causes of biodiversity loss (Simberloff et al 2013; Wonham and Carlton 2005), a process occurring globally at unprecedented levels (Simberloff et al 2013) Even those protected, relatively more pristine areas are facing the consequences of biological invasions (Pauchard and Alaback 2004; Sala et al 2000; Sampaio and Schmidt 2013), the knowledge regarding its dynamics is still scarce (Usher et al 1988). The arrival of aliens can functionally replace native species lost or severely decreased by habitat disruptions (Rodriguez 2006), critics claim for a more cautionary conclusion (Sotka and Byers 2019)
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