Abstract
A frequent observation in plant-animal mutualistic networks is that abundant species tend to be more generalised, interacting with a broader range of interaction partners than rare species. Uncovering the causal relationship between abundance and generalisation has been hindered by a chicken-and-egg dilemma: is generalisation a by-product of being abundant, or does high abundance result from generalisation? Here, we analyse a database of plant-pollinator and plant-seed disperser networks, and provide strong evidence that the causal link between abundance and generalisation is uni-directional. Specifically, species appear to be generalists because they are more abundant, but the converse, that is that species become more abundant because they are generalists, is not supported by our analysis. Furthermore, null model analyses suggest that abundant species interact with many other species simply because they are more likely to encounter potential interaction partners.
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Claims 3
Claim · model-written summary
More abundant species appeared more generalised in mutualistic networks.
Verbatim
e0“species appear to be generalists because they are more abundant”
e1“plant-pollinator and plant-seed disperser networks”
Claim · model-written summary
Analysis did not support generalisation causing greater abundance.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“species become more abundant because they are generalists, is not supported by our analysis”
e1“plant-pollinator and plant-seed disperser networks”
Claim · model-written summary
Null models suggested abundance increases encounters with interaction partners.
Verbatim
e0“abundant species interact with many other species simply because they are more likely to encounter potential interaction partners”
e1“plant-pollinator and plant-seed disperser networks”