▁disease ▁and ▁other ▁occurr ences ▁that ▁may ▁target ▁a ▁specific ▁gen ome . ▁Without ▁gen etic ▁divers ity , ▁one ▁disease ▁could ▁er ad icate ▁an ▁entire ▁species . ▁In bre eding ▁low ers ▁reprodu ction ▁and ▁surv ival ▁rates . ▁It ▁is ▁suggested ▁that ▁these ▁gen etic ▁factors ▁contribute ▁to ▁the ▁ext inction ▁risk ▁in ▁threatened / end anger ed ▁species . ▁ ▁Se ed ▁dispers al ▁ ▁Effect s ▁on ▁plants ▁and ▁forest ▁structure ▁ ▁The ▁consequences ▁of ▁def a un ation ▁can ▁be ▁expected ▁to ▁affect ▁the ▁plant ▁community . ▁There ▁are ▁three ▁non - mut ually ▁exclusive ▁conclus ions ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁consequences ▁on ▁tropical ▁forest ▁plant ▁communities : ▁▁ ▁If ▁seed ▁dispers al ▁agents ▁are ▁target ed ▁by ▁hun ters , ▁the ▁effect iveness ▁and ▁amount ▁of ▁dispers al ▁for ▁those ▁plant ▁species ▁will ▁be ▁reduced ▁ ▁The ▁species ▁composition ▁of ▁the ▁seed ling ▁and ▁sap ling ▁layers ▁will ▁be ▁alter ed ▁by ▁hunting , ▁and ▁ ▁Select ive ▁hunting ▁of ▁medium / large - s ized ▁animals ▁instead ▁of ▁small - s ized ▁animals ▁will ▁lead ▁to ▁different ▁seed ▁pred ation ▁patterns , ▁with ▁an ▁emphas is ▁on ▁smaller ▁se eds ▁ ▁One ▁recent ▁study ▁analyz ed ▁seed ling ▁density ▁and ▁composition ▁from ▁two ▁areas , ▁Los ▁Tu xt las ▁and ▁Mont es ▁Az ules . ▁Los ▁Tu xt las , ▁which ▁is ▁affected ▁more ▁by ▁human ▁activity , ▁showed ▁higher ▁seed ling ▁density ▁and ▁a ▁smaller ▁average ▁number ▁of ▁different ▁species ▁than ▁in ▁the ▁other ▁area