▁an ▁area ▁becomes ▁def a un ated , ▁dominant ▁small - b od ied ▁species ▁take ▁over , ▁crow ding ▁out ▁other ▁similar ▁species ▁and ▁leading ▁to ▁an ▁overall ▁reduced ▁species ▁divers ity . ▁The ▁loss ▁of ▁species ▁divers ity ▁is ▁reflect ive ▁of ▁a ▁larger ▁loss ▁of ▁b iod iversity , ▁which ▁has ▁consequences ▁for ▁the ▁maintenance ▁of ▁e cos ystem ▁services . ▁ ▁The ▁quality ▁of ▁the ▁physical ▁habitat ▁may ▁also ▁suffer . ▁Bird ▁and ▁bat ▁species ▁( many ▁of ▁who ▁are ▁small ▁bod ied ▁seed ▁dispers ers ) ▁rely ▁on ▁min eral ▁l icks ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁sod ium , ▁which ▁is ▁not ▁available ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁their ▁di ets . ▁In ▁def a un ated ▁areas ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁Amazon , ▁min eral ▁l icks ▁are ▁more ▁thick ly ▁covered ▁by ▁veget ation ▁and ▁have ▁lower ▁water ▁avail ability . ▁B ats ▁were ▁significantly ▁less ▁likely ▁to ▁visit ▁these ▁de grad ed ▁min eral ▁l icks . ▁The ▁de grad ation ▁of ▁such ▁l icks ▁will ▁thus ▁neg atively ▁affect ▁the ▁health ▁and ▁reprodu ction ▁of ▁bat ▁populations . ▁ ▁Def a un ation ▁has ▁negative ▁consequences ▁for ▁seed ▁dispers al ▁networks ▁as ▁well . ▁In ▁the ▁western ▁Amazon , ▁birds ▁and ▁b ats ▁have ▁separate ▁di ets ▁and ▁thus ▁form ▁separate ▁gu ild s ▁within ▁the ▁network . ▁It ▁is ▁hypoth es ized ▁that ▁large - b od ied ▁verte br ates , ▁being ▁general ists , ▁connect ▁separate ▁gu ild s , ▁creating ▁a ▁stable , ▁res