Hunting has reduced or eliminated large-bodied vertebrates in many areas across the
tropics, contributing to the global process of defaunation. Elucidating the ecological …

“Empty forests” in which humans have driven large vertebrate species to extinction lack
myriad direct and indirect species interactions. This may alter key ecosystem processes …

Ecosystem functioning and integrity are affected by the loss of large-bodied animals, and
comprehending when and how ecosystems are affected is an important goal of defaunation …

It has been suggested that tropical defaunation may unleash community-wide cascading
effects, leading to reductions in plant diversity. However, experimental evidence establishing …

Overhunting has caused severe decline or local extinction in many large-bodied mammals
with direct consequences on plant regeneration, yet little is known about indirect impacts of …

Hunting often impacts rain forest mammal communities but little is known about its indirect
effects on other taxa. We examined dung beetle assemblages using pitfall and flight …

Biodiversity loss can precipitate extinction cascades and impair ecological processes. These
'downstream'effects will be exacerbated if functionally important taxa are tightly linked with …

Unprecedented rates of logging and hunting threaten to transform the remaining primary
tropical forest into a degraded mosaic, emptied of wildlife. Defaunation is expected to …

The mammalian and avian assemblages of intact tropical forests are among the most
diverse vertebrate communities on Earth and influence the structure, composition, and …

Populations of large mammals are severely depleted by hunting in tropical forests, with
direct effects on plant regeneration. But indirect consequences on commensal taxa …