Plant–animal interactions are fundamental processes in plant community assembly and dynamics. Through pollination, seed dispersal, and herbivory, animals influence plant performance from individual to community levels, determining the spatial organisation, coexistence, and diversity of plant species across biomes. Plant–animal interactions mediate key demographic, spatial, and trophic processes but remain insufficiently integrated into vegetation ecology, which has traditionally focused on abiotic drivers and plant–plant interactions. Integrating plant–animal interactions into plant community research is therefore necessary to account for the biotic mechanisms underlying community structure and diversity.

This Topical Collection promotes a process-based perspective in vegetation ecology by recognising animals as integral components of plant communities. Contributions addressing mutualistic and antagonistic interactions, including pollination, zoochory, and vertebrate and invertebrate herbivory, are encouraged, with a focus on their effects on plant community structure, diversity, and dynamics.

The Collection provides a forum for research on biotic interaction networks, multitrophic relationships, and indirect effects within plant communities, using observational, experimental, modelling, and synthesis approaches. Contributions may examine interaction organisation, spatial and temporal variation, and consequences for plant community structure and diversity across spatial scales. Studies linking plant–animal interactions to vegetation conservation, management, and restoration are particularly encouraged.