The Importance of Tapirs as Gardeners of the Forest, Umbrella Species, and Landscape Architects

Various terms have been used to highlight the ecological and conservation importance of tapirs. Some of them are more research-oriented, while others focus more on raising awareness of the importance of tapir conservation. Despite their primary use, it is highly desirable to know the extent to which these terms are supported by scientific evidence. We assess the suitability of the terms: umbrella species, forest gardeners, and landscape architects to be applied to tapirs, based on the analysis of empirical and published data focusing on Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii). We found that the distribution of tapirs in Mexico overlapped with that of 43 mammal species, while 28 mammal species overlapped with a set of random habitat patches of the same size as the tapir distribution. We also found that the Baird’s tapir is one of the most critical mammalian frugivores of three large-seeded tree species in the Lacandon forest of southern Mexico. We discuss the possible use of the term landscape gardener to highlight the spatial extent of the effects of tapir seed dispersal. Our results support the use of the terms umbrella species and forest gardener to refer to tapirs, but also highlight the need for a more coordinated research effort on tapir ecology.