Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/22455
Title: | Redundancy among mammalian fungal dispersers and the importance of declining specialists | Contributor(s): | Nuske, S J (author); Vernes, Karl A (author) ; May, T W (author); Claridge, A W (author); Congdon, B C (author); Krockenberger, A (author); Abell, S E (author) | Publication Date: | 2017 | DOI: | 10.1016/j.funeco.2017.02.005 | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/22455 | Abstract: | Hypogeous sequestrate (truffle-like) fungi rely primarily on consumption by mammals for dispersal. Most truffle-like fungi are ectomycorrhizal, making mammalian dispersers essential to the maintenance of plant-fungal relationships, soil fungal diversity and ecosystem functioning. Australia has the highest current global rate of mammalian extinctions, including important fungal specialists within the family Potoroidae. Knowing the relative importance of different mammal species as dispersers helps us to understand how this loss in mammal diversity could affect plant-fungi interactions and fungal diversity. Despite detecting a sampling bias in the literature, our meta-analysis confirms that mammals with fungal specialist diets contribute disproportionally more to the potential dispersal of fungi than other mammals within Australia. Three mammal species with generalist diets also consumed fungi at comparable rates to fungal specialist species and, importantly, persist in many areas where fungal specialists are now absent. These results highlight the significance of mammals, particularly fungal specialists, for maintaining diverse ectomycorrhizal fungal communities. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Source of Publication: | Fungal Ecology, 27(A), p. 1-13 | Publisher: | Elsevier Ltd | Place of Publication: | United Kingdom | ISSN: | 1878-0083 1754-5048 |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 050211 Wildlife and Habitat Management | Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: | 410407 Wildlife and habitat management | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 960805 Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity at Regional or Larger Scales | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: | 180203 Coastal or estuarine biodiversity | Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal |
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Appears in Collections: | Journal Article School of Environmental and Rural Science |
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