You are studying an area of tropical forest containing a high density of rare tree species and a low density of common species. You find that wild pigs capable of eating all plant seeds indiscriminately have recently greatly increased in number and that these pigs are now the most important agents of seed mortality in this forest. How would you expect the diversity of tree species in the forest to respond in the future?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

An increase in seed predation by generalists, like wild pigs, reduces the survival advantage of being a rare species because these predators do not discriminate between common and rare seeds. This indiscriminate predation tends to affect rare species disproportionately, as they have fewer seeds available to begin with, leading to a decline in tree diversity over time.

You Are Studying an Area of Tropical Forest Containing a High