Landscape configuration and soil properties shape ant‐mediated seed dispersal in tropical dry forest agricultural landscapes

Ant-mediated seed dispersal is a key ecological service in seasonally dry tropical forests, contributing to plant regeneration and ecosystem resilience. In human-modified landscapes, however, the quality and quantity of these interactions may be altered by local and landscape-scale environmental factors. We investigated how soil properties and landscape aspects influence ant-mediated seed dispersal in rainfed croplands and natural vegetation remnants within the Caatinga, a dry forest biome in northeastern Brazil. Seed removal and seed cleaning were measured using standardized bait experiments, and interacting ant species were classified by dispersal quality based on body size. Habitat, soil and landscape context jointly shaped ant-mediated seed dispersal. Croplands supported more high-quality interactions, while soil pH and sand content influenced interaction quality. At the landscape scale, water availability and fragmentation reduced seed dispersal components, whereas land-use heterogeneity increased total interactions, likely through small-bodied, disturbance-tolerant ants. Distinct ant groups provided different seed dispersal components (cleaning vs removal), shaped by habitat and landscape factors. While plant recruitment and long-term recovery were not directly assessed, our findings indicate that small-scale rainfed agricultural landscapes can support functional components of ant-mediated seed dispersal with potential relevance for dry forest regeneration.