How will seed dispersal networks respond to multiple global change drivers?

The mutualistic networks formed by plants and seed dispersers (such as birds and mammals) are a key component of biodiversity. Globally, around 70% of plant species (and up to 90% in the tropics) rely on animal dispersal to reproduce, while many animal species also rely on resources provided by plants to survive. These networks are under pressure and being reorganized by multiple drivers, such as climate change, land use change, defaunation, and species invasions.

We propose a Bachelor’s or Master’s project that investigates how seed dispersal networks globally will respond to multiple global change drivers. The project will focus on the analysis of a large dataset and will use tools from network science and trait-based ecology. The student will explore how seed dispersal networks will change in structure and in the ecological functions they perform. Specific questions that can be addressed are:

• How does the structure (e.g., modularity, nestedness, centralization) of local and of the global seed dispersal networks change across future scenarios?

• Will the functions performed by lost or displaced species be performed by newly arrived species?

• How will the association between structural and functional roles of species differ across future scenarios?

• What is the role of domesticated and human-affiliated animals in supporting global seed dispersal across scenarios?

The student will develop several skills in data handling and analysis whilst learning about species interactions, network ecology, and novel ecosystems.

Contact: 

You will work with Kate Pereira Maia ([email protected]) and Emma-Liina Marjakangas ([email protected]) under the supervision of Jens-Christian Svenning ([email protected]). Expected start date: from September/2026. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Kate Pereira Maia and cc Jens-Christian Svenning in the email.

The project proposal has been submitted 17.06.2026