1
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Wang H, Wang B, Chen W. Effects of subtle variation in forest canopy openness on cache pilferage and its implications for forest regeneration. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 38698498 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Scatter-hoarding rodents play important roles in plant regeneration and species coexistence in many forest ecosystems. Cache pilferage, the behavior of rodents seeking or relocating seeds cached by other individuals, is ubiquitous during the scatter-hoarding process. The effects of canopy openness on cache pilferage have received considerable attention, most of which have focused on the comparison between full canopy cover and completely open areas, such as forest gaps. However, little attention has been given to whether the subtle variation in forest canopy openness affects cache pilferage, although subtle variation in light environments exists in many forests, especially tropical and subtropical forests, where the overall canopy is large and the forest window is relatively small. Here, we directly tested these questions by simulating 400 artificial caches, each containing one seed from four selected tree species, in a subtropical forest in southwestern China. The overall canopy openness of the forest was relatively small (with a mean value of 11.1%), but subtle spatial variation still existed (ranging from 5.7% to 19.5%). Overall, caches with lower canopy openness were more likely to be pilfered and removed faster, although not all species showed the same pattern. Our study highlights that subtle variation in forest canopy openness, even in a closed primary forest, has significant effects on cache pilferage by rodents, which may influence the following seed germination and forest regeneration processes. Additionally, seedling species composition may further be altered because the canopy effects on cache pilferage are species-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongying Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Bo Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-term Scientific Research Base, Dongzhi, China
| | - Wenwen Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-term Scientific Research Base, Dongzhi, China
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2
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Indirect Human Influences in Fear Landscapes: Varying Effects of Moonlight on Small Mammal Activity along Man-Made Gradients of Vegetation Structure. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13030681. [PMID: 36983836 PMCID: PMC10053441 DOI: 10.3390/life13030681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Risk of predation is one of the main constraints of small mammal distribution and foraging activity. Aside from numerical effects on population size due to the presence and abundance of predators, indirect cues, such as vegetation structure and moonlight, determine patterns of activity and microhabitat use by small mammals. Indirect cues are expected to interact, as shading provided by vegetation can suppress the effects of changing moonlight. We analyzed the effects of moonlight levels on the activity patterns of three common small mammal species in Mediterranean habitats, and tested whether moonlight effects were modulated by shadowing associated with the development of tall vegetation due to spontaneous afforestation following land abandonment. A. sylvaticus, a strictly nocturnal species, decreased activity under moonlight with no interactive effects of vegetation cover. C. russula showed no activity change with moonlight levels and M. spretus increased activity, although activity in both species was mostly determined by vegetation cover, that favored it. The effects of moonlight on small mammal activity were not homogeneous among species, nor were the interactive effects of man-made gradients of habitat structure, a fact that will produce community changes along vegetation gradients mediated by varying fear landscapes.
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3
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Śmielak MK. Biologically meaningful moonlight measures and their application in ecological research. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03287-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Light availability is one of the key drivers of animal activity, and moonlight is the brightest source of natural light at night. Moon phase is commonly used but, while convenient, it can be a poor proxy for lunar illumination on the ground. While the moon phase remains effectively constant within a night, actual moonlight intensity is affected by multiple factors such as disc brightness, position of the moon, distance to the moon, angle of incidence, and cloud cover. A moonlight illumination model is presented for any given time and location, which is significantly better at predicting lunar illumination than moon phase. The model explains up to 92.2% of the variation in illumination levels with a residual standard error of 1.4%, compared to 60% explained by moon phase with a residual standard error of 22.6%. Importantly, the model not only predicts changes in mean illumination between nights but also within each night, providing greater temporal resolution of illumination estimates. An R package moonlit facilitating moonlight illumination modelling is also presented. Using a case study, it is shown that modelled moonlight intensity can be a better predictor of animal activity than moon phase. More importantly, complex patterns of activity are shown where animals focus their activity around certain illumination levels. This relationship could not be identified using moon phase alone. The model can be universally applied to a wide range of ecological and behavioural research, including existing datasets, allowing a better understanding of lunar illumination as an ecological resource.
Significance statement
Moon phase is often used to represent lunar illumination as an environmental niche, but it is a poor proxy for actual moonlight intensity on the ground. A model is therefore proposed to estimate lunar illumination for any given place and time. The model is shown to provide a significantly better prediction of empirically measured lunar illumination than moon phase. Importantly, it also has much higher temporal resolutions, allowing to not only detect selectiveness for light levels between nights but also within each night, which is not achievable with moon phase alone. This offers unprecedented opportunities to study complex activity patterns of nocturnal species using any time-stamped data (GPS trackers, camera traps, song meters, etc.). It can also be applied to historical datasets, as well as facilitate future research planning in a wide range of ecological and behavioural studies.
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4
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Merz MR, Boone SR, Mortelliti A. Predation risk and personality influence seed predation and dispersal by a scatter‐hoarding small mammal. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Margaret R. Merz
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine Orono Maine USA
| | - Sara R. Boone
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine Orono Maine USA
| | - Alessio Mortelliti
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine Orono Maine USA
- Department of Life Sciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
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5
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Aparício G, Carrilho M, Oliveira F, Mathias MDL, Tapisso JT, von Merten S. Artificial light affects the foraging behavior in greater white‐toothed shrews (
CROCIDURA RUSSULA
). Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Aparício
- CESAM – Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia Animal Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
| | - Maílis Carrilho
- CESAM – Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia Animal Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
| | - Flávio Oliveira
- CESAM – Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia Animal Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
| | - Maria da Luz Mathias
- CESAM – Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia Animal Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
| | - Joaquim T. Tapisso
- CESAM – Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia Animal Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
| | - Sophie von Merten
- CESAM – Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia Animal Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
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6
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Ungulate presence and predation risks reduce acorn predation by mice in dehesas. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0260419. [PMID: 35969588 PMCID: PMC9377575 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Foraging decisions by rodents are key for the long-term maintenance of oak populations in which avian seed dispersers are absent or inefficient. Decisions are determined by the environmental setting in which acorn-rodent encounters occur. In particular, seed value, competition and predation risks have been found to modify rodent foraging decisions in forest and human-modified habitats. Nonetheless, there is little information about their joint effects on rodent behavior, and hence, local acorn dispersal (or predation). In this work, we manipulate and model the mouse-oak interaction in a Spanish dehesa, an anthropogenic savanna system in which nearby areas can show contrasting levels of ungulate densities and antipredatory cover. First, we conducted a large-scale cafeteria field experiment, where we modified ungulate presence and predation risk, and followed mouse foraging decisions under contrasting levels of moonlight and acorn availability. Then, we estimated the net effects of competition and risk by means of a transition probability model that simulated mouse foraging decisions. Our results show that mice are able to adapt their foraging decisions to the environmental context, affecting initial fates of handled acorns. Under high predation risks mice foraged opportunistically carrying away large and small seeds, whereas under safe conditions large acorns tended to be predated in situ. In addition, in the presence of ungulates lack of antipredatory cover around trees reduced mice activity outside tree canopies, and hence, large acorns had a higher probability of survival. Overall, our results point out that inter-specific interactions preventing efficient foraging by scatter-hoarders can reduce acorn predation. This suggests that the maintenance of the full set of seed consumers as well as top predators in dehesas may be key for promoting local dispersal.
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7
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Borden JB, San Antonio KM, Tomat-Kelly G, Clark T, Flory SL. Invasive grass indirectly alters seasonal patterns in seed predation. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220095. [PMID: 35702984 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive species threaten ecosystems globally, but their impacts can be cryptic when they occur indirectly. Invader phenology can also differ from that of native species, potentially causing seasonality in invader impacts. Yet, it is unclear if invader phenology can drive seasonal patterns in indirect effects. We used a field experiment to test if an invasive grass (Imperata cylindrica) caused seasonal indirect effects by altering rodent foraging and seed predation patterns through time. Using seeds from native longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), we found seed predation was 25% greater, on average, in invaded than control plots, but this effect varied by season. Seed predation was 24-157% greater in invaded plots during spring and autumn months, but invasion had no effect on seed predation in other months. One of the largest effects occurred in October when longleaf pine seeds are dispersed, suggesting potential effects on tree regeneration. Thus, seasonal patterns in indirect effects from invaders may cause underappreciated impacts on ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse B Borden
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kelly M San Antonio
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Taylor Clark
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - S Luke Flory
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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8
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Moore NB, Stephens RB, Rowe RJ. Nutritional and environmental factors influence small mammal seed selection in a northern temperate forest. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas B. Moore
- Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire USA
| | - Ryan B. Stephens
- Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire USA
| | - Rebecca J. Rowe
- Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire USA
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9
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Hoffmann J, Hölker F, Eccard JA. Welcome to the Dark Side: Partial Nighttime Illumination Affects Night-and Daytime Foraging Behavior of a Small Mammal. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.779825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Differences in natural light conditions caused by changes in moonlight are known to affect perceived predation risk in many nocturnal prey species. As artificial light at night (ALAN) is steadily increasing in space and intensity, it has the potential to change movement and foraging behavior of many species as it might increase perceived predation risk and mask natural light cycles. We investigated if partial nighttime illumination leads to changes in foraging behavior during the night and the subsequent day in a small mammal and whether these changes are related to animal personalities. We subjected bank voles to partial nighttime illumination in a foraging landscape under laboratory conditions and in large grassland enclosures under near natural conditions. We measured giving-up density of food in illuminated and dark artificial seed patches and video recorded the movement of animals. While animals reduced number of visits to illuminated seed patches at night, they increased visits to these patches at the following day compared to dark seed patches. Overall, bold individuals had lower giving-up densities than shy individuals but this difference increased at day in formerly illuminated seed patches. Small mammals thus showed carry-over effects on daytime foraging behavior due to ALAN, i.e., nocturnal illumination has the potential to affect intra- and interspecific interactions during both night and day with possible changes in personality structure within populations and altered predator-prey dynamics.
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10
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Godó L, Valkó O, Borza S, Deák B. A global review on the role of small rodents and lagomorphs (clade Glires) in seed dispersal and plant establishment. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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11
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Hou X, Zhang B, Steele MA, Han N, Feng T, Wang J, Chen X, An X, Chang G. Seed traits and rodent community interact to determine seed fate: evidence from both enclosure and field experiments. Integr Zool 2021; 16:939-954. [PMID: 34599548 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Animal-mediated seed dispersal is an important ecological process in which a strong mutualism between animals and plants can arise. However, few studies have examined how a community of potential seed dispersers interacts with sympatric seed trees. We employed a series of experiments in the Qinling Mountains in both semi-natural enclosure and the field to assess the interactions among 3 sympatric rodent species and 3 Fagaceae tree seeds. Seed traits all showed similar tannin levels but markedly different physical traits and nutritional contents. We found that seeds with heavy weight, thick coat, and high nutritional contents were less likely to be eaten in situ but more often to be eaten after dispersal or hoarded by rodents. These results support both the handling time hypothesis and the high nutrition hypothesis. Surprisingly, we also found that rodents, maybe, preferred to consume seeds with low levels of crude fiber in situ, and to harvest and hoard those with high levels of crude fiber for later consumption. The sympatric rodent species, Cansumys canus, the largest rodent in our study, harvested and hoarded more Quercus variabilis seeds with high physical and nutritional traits, while Apodemus draco, the smallest rodent, harvested more Q. serrata seeds with low physical and nutritional traits, and Niviventer confucianus harvested and hoarded more Q. aliena seeds with medium physical and nutritional traits. Our study demonstrates that different seed traits play different roles in influencing the seed fate and the shaping of mutualism and predation interactions within a community of rodent species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Hou
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- School of Biomedicine and Food Engineering, Shangluo University, Shangluo, China
| | - Michael A Steele
- Department of Biology, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ning Han
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, China
| | - Tuo Feng
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoning Chen
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaolei An
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, China
| | - Gang Chang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an, China
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12
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Verdú M, Gómez JM, Valiente-Banuet A, Schöb C. Facilitation and plant phenotypic evolution. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 26:913-923. [PMID: 34112618 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2021.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
While antagonistic interactions between plants have been a major topic of eco-evolutionary research, little evidence exists on the evolution of positive plant interactions (i.e., plant facilitation). Here, we first summarize the existing empirical evidence on the role of facilitation as a selection pressure on plants. Then, we develop a theoretical eco-evolutionary framework based on fitness-trait functions and interaction effectiveness that provides predictions for how facilitation-related traits may evolve. As evolution may act at levels beyond the individual (such as groups or species), we discuss the subject of the units of evolutionary selection through facilitation. Finally, we use the proposed formal evolutionary framework for facilitation to identify areas of future research based on the knowledge gaps detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Verdú
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CSIC-UV-GV), Ctra Moncada-Náquera km4.5, 46113 Moncada, (Valencia), Spain.
| | - J M Gómez
- Dpto de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Carretera de Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, 0-4120 Almería, Spain
| | - A Valiente-Banuet
- Departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-275, C.P. 04510, México D.F., México; Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, México D.F., México
| | - C Schöb
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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13
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Boone SR, Brehm AM, Mortelliti A. Seed predation and dispersal by small mammals in a landscape of fear: effects of personality, predation risk and land‐use change. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara R. Boone
- Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Maine Orono ME USA
| | - Allison M. Brehm
- Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Maine Orono ME USA
| | - Alessio Mortelliti
- Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Maine Orono ME USA
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14
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Hughes NM, Connors MK, Grace MH, Lila MA, Willans BN, Wommack AJ. The same anthocyanins served four different ways: Insights into anthocyanin structure-function relationships from the wintergreen orchid, Tipularia discolor. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 303:110793. [PMID: 33487366 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2020.110793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Over 500 unique anthocyanins have been described to date, which vary in color, antioxidant, light-attenuating, and antimicrobial properties. Identification of anthocyanin chemical structure may therefore serve as an important clue to their in situ function in plants. We characterized the histological and chemical structures of anthocyanins associated with diverse leaf color patterns in the terrestrial orchid, Tipularia discolor, as a step towards understanding their ultimate function. Tipularia discolor produces a single wintergreen leaf in autumn, which is drab brown in color during expansion. Upper (adaxial) surfaces of fully-expanded leaves may be green, purple-spotted, or solid purple, while lower (abaxial) surfaces are bright magenta. Our results showed that the same three cyanidin 3,7,3'-triglucosides, in similar concentrations and proportions, accounted for coloration in each of these cases, and that different colors result from differences in histological location of anthocyanins (i.e. abaxial/adaxial epidermis, mesophyll). Anthocyanins with 3,7,3' linkage positions are rare in plants, occurring only within the orchid subfamily Epidendroideae, to which Tipularia belongs. These results are important to the discussion of anthocyanin structure-function because they serve as a reminder that 1) plants may employ the same anthocyanins in different anatomical locations to achieve a broad range of colors (and potentially adaptive functions), and 2) anthocyanin chemical structure and anatomical location are influenced by phylogenetic inertia, as well as natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Hughes
- Department of Biology, High Point University, High Point, NC, USA.
| | | | - Mary H Grace
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC, USA
| | - Mary Ann Lila
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC, USA
| | - Brooke N Willans
- Department of Biology, High Point University, High Point, NC, USA
| | - Andrew J Wommack
- Department of Chemistry, High Point University, High Point, NC, USA
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15
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Dimitri LA, Longland WS. Pilfering of western juniper seed caches by scatter-hoarding rodents varies by microsite and canopy type. Integr Zool 2021; 17:192-205. [PMID: 33433951 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Scatter-hoarding rodents store seeds throughout their home ranges in superficially buried caches which, unlike seeds larder-hoarded in burrows, are difficult to defend. Cached seeds are often pilfered by other scatter-hoarders and either re-cached, eaten or larder-hoarded. Such seed movements can influence seedling recruitment, because only seeds remaining in caches are likely to germinate. Although the importance of scatter-hoarding rodents in the dispersal of western juniper seeds has recently been revealed, the level of pilfering that occurs after initial burial is unknown. Seed traits, soil moisture, and substrate can influence pilfering processes, but less is known about how pilfering varies among caches placed in open versus canopy microsites, or how cache discovery and removal varies among different canopy-types, tree versus shrub. We compared the removal of artificial caches between open and canopy microsites and between tree and shrub canopies at two sites in northeastern California during late spring and fall. We also used trail cameras at one site to monitor artificial cache removal, identify potential pilferers, and illuminate microsite use by scatter-hoarders. Removal of artificial caches was faster in open microsites at both sites during both seasons, and more caches were removed from shrub than tree canopies. California kangaroo rats were the species observed most on cameras, foraging most often in open microsites, which could explain the observed pilfering patterns. This is the first study to document pilfering of western juniper seeds, providing further evidence of the importance of scatter-hoarding rodent foraging behavior in understanding seedling recruitment processes in juniper woodlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay A Dimitri
- Agricultural Research Service, Great Basin Rangeland Research, USDA, USA
| | - William S Longland
- Agricultural Research Service, Great Basin Rangeland Research, USDA, USA
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16
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Traveset A, Escribano‐Avila G, Gómez JM, Valido A. Conflicting selection on
Cneorum tricoccon
(Rutaceae) seed size caused by native and alien seed dispersers. Evolution 2019; 73:2204-2215. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Traveset
- Global Change Research GroupInstitut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (CSIC‐UIB) 07190 Esporles Mallorca Balearic Islands Spain
| | - Gema Escribano‐Avila
- Global Change Research GroupInstitut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (CSIC‐UIB) 07190 Esporles Mallorca Balearic Islands Spain
| | - José María Gómez
- Departamento Ecología Funcional y EvolutivaEstación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA‐CSIC) 04120 Almería Spain
| | - Alfredo Valido
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA‐CSIC) 38206 La Laguna Tenerife Islas Canarias Spain
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17
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Greenler SM, Estrada LA, Kellner KF, Saunders MR, Swihart RK. Prescribed fire and partial overstory removal alter an acorn-rodent conditional mutualism. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01958. [PMID: 31240798 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In eastern North America, oak (Quercus) regeneration failure has spurred management using silvicultural approaches better aligned with the autecology of oaks. In particular, shelterwood harvests can create favorable intermediate light conditions for oak establishment and prescribed fire is predicted (by the oak-fire hypothesis) to favor oak regeneration. These approaches substantially modify forest structure and may affect crucial trophic interactions including the conditional mutualism between oaks and granivorous rodents that scatterhoard acorns, which shifts along a continuum from antagonistic to mutualistic depending on external factors. We investigated how overwinter survival and dispersal of northern red oak (Quercus rubra) acorns were influenced by location within or outside of group shelterwood harvests (small canopy gaps created throughout an intact forest stand) with and without prescribed fire. We conducted two concurrent experiments to test (1) dispersal and survival of acorns presented on the forest floor and (2) acorn pilferage rates from caches that mimic squirrel scatterhoards in shelterwood gap/group interiors, edges, and the uncut forest matrix in burned and unburned forest stands. In both experiments, acorn survival was generally higher in burned than unburned stands. Acorn survival from forest floor presentations was higher in the unharvested forest matrix than harvest gap interiors; however, there was no effect of proximity to harvest gaps on survival of cached acorns. Survival of cached acorns was associated with understory vegetative cover (-), coarse woody debris cover (-), and distance to nearest tree (+), but uncorrelated with canopy cover above the cache. Our results suggest that reduced understory cover following prescribed fire may increase perceived habitat riskiness for granivores resulting in higher acorn survival up to 2 yr post-fire. These findings unify the oak-fire and oak-granivore conditional mutualism hypotheses, and suggest that the environmental conditions following prescribed fire and group shelterwood harvests may shift the oak-granivore conditional mutualism in a direction beneficial for oak regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Skye M Greenler
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 W. State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
| | - Laura A Estrada
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 W. State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
| | - Kenneth F Kellner
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 W. State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
| | - Michael R Saunders
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 W. State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
| | - Robert K Swihart
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 W. State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA
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Hernández MC, Navarro-Castilla Á, Barja I. Wood mouse feeding effort and decision-making when encountering a restricted unknown food source. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212716. [PMID: 31216280 PMCID: PMC6583954 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals making foraging decisions must balance the energy gained, the time invested, and the influence of key environmental factors. In our work, we examined the effect of predation risk cues and experience on feeding efforts when a novel food resource was made available. To achieve this, we live-trapped wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus in Monte de Valdelatas (Madrid), where 80 Sherman traps were set in four plots. Traps were subjected to two food-access difficulties in treatments consisting of three consecutive nights: open plastic bottles (easy) and closed bottles (difficult), both using corn as bait. To simulate predation risk, we set fox faeces in half of the traps in each plot. We also considered moonlight (medium/low) as an indirect predation risk cue. We analysed whether bottles had been bitten by mice and the gnawed area of each bottle was measured. Our results indicated that food access difficulty, experience, and predation risk determined mice feeding decisions and efforts. The ability of mice to adapt feeding effort when a new food source is available was demonstrated because a higher proportion of closed bottles exhibited bite marks and the gnawed area was bigger. Moreover, mouse experience was determinant in the use of this new resource since recaptured mice gnawed broader orifices in the bottles and the gnawed area increased each time an individual was recaptured. Additionally, direct predation risk cues prompted mice to bite the bottles whereas the effect of different moon phases varied among the food access treatments. This study provides direct evidence of formidable efficacy of wild mice to exploit a new nutrient resource while considering crucial environmental factors that shape the decision-making procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mª Carmen Hernández
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro Navarro-Castilla
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
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19
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Charalabidis A, Dechaume-Moncharmont FX, Carbonne B, Bohan DA, Petit S. Diversity of foraging strategies and responses to predator interference in seed-eating carabid beetles. Basic Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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20
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Mackay MK, Pillay N. Anxiety and exploratory behavior in the African striped mouse, Rhabdomys, taxa are partially modified by the physical rearing environment. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 61:179-190. [PMID: 30552675 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The environment may modulate genetic influences on behavioral expression. We investigated whether the physical rearing environment modulates anxiety and exploratory behavior in four populations, representing three species, of the striped mouse Rhabdomys. One population originated from an arid, open habitat and the others from grassy, covered habitats, and two species occurred in sympatry. We raised captive individuals of all populations in treatments that simulated cover or no cover for two generations and investigated the behavior of resulting adults in an open-field, light-dark and startle response tests. We expected that, when raised without cover, the arid population would be less anxious and more exploratory than grassland populations, but found the opposite in the open-field test only. We also expected that all individuals would be anxious and less exploratory when raised under cover, which was the case for anxiety in a light-dark test, but individuals from the no cover treatment were more anxious in the open-field test. Only one population × treatment interaction was detected in which the arid population was least exploratory. Therefore, the physical rearing environment had less of an influence than phylogeny on the development of anxiety and exploration in Rhabdomys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan K Mackay
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Neville Pillay
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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21
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Gómez JM, Schupp EW, Jordano P. Synzoochory: the ecological and evolutionary relevance of a dual interaction. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:874-902. [PMID: 30467946 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José María Gómez
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Ctra Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, E-04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Eugene W Schupp
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, S. J. and Jesse E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, 5230 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230,, U.S.A
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Departamento de Ecología Integrativa, Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avda. Americo Vespucio S/N, E-41092 Sevilla, Spain
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22
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Hoffmann J, Palme R, Eccard JA. Long-term dim light during nighttime changes activity patterns and space use in experimental small mammal populations. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 238:844-851. [PMID: 29627754 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.03.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is spreading worldwide and thereby is increasingly interfering with natural dark-light cycles. Meanwhile, effects of very low intensities of light pollution on animals have rarely been investigated. We explored the effects of low intensity ALAN over seven months in eight experimental bank vole (Myodes glareolus) populations in large grassland enclosures over winter and early breeding season, using LED garden lamps. Initial populations consisted of eight individuals (32 animals per hectare) in enclosures with or without ALAN. We found that bank voles under ALAN experienced changes in daily activity patterns and space use behavior, measured by automated radiotelemetry. There were no differences in survival and body mass, measured with live trapping, and none in levels of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites. Voles in the ALAN treatment showed higher activity at night during half moon, and had larger day ranges during new moon. Thus, even low levels of light pollution as experienced in remote areas or by sky glow can lead to changes in animal behavior and could have consequences for species interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Hoffmann
- Animal Ecology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, 14469, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jana Anja Eccard
- Animal Ecology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, 14469, Potsdam, Germany
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23
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García-Cervigón AI, Żywiec M, Delibes M, Suárez-Esteban A, Perea R, Fedriani JM. Microsites of seed arrival: spatio-temporal variations in complex seed-disperser networks. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana I. García-Cervigón
- Biology Dept; Univ. of Cádiz; Campus Río San Pedro s/n ES-11510 Puerto Real Spain
- Centre for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves”/InBio, Inst. Superior of Agronomy; Univ. of Lisbon; Portugal
| | - Magdalena Żywiec
- Centre for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves”/InBio, Inst. Superior of Agronomy; Univ. of Lisbon; Portugal
- W. Szafer Inst. of Botany; Polish Academy of Sciences; Krakow Poland
| | - Miguel Delibes
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD - C.S.I.C.); Seville Spain
| | - Alberto Suárez-Esteban
- Dept of Renewable Resources; Univ. of Alberta; Edmonton AB Canada
- Yukon College; Whitehorse YT Canada
| | - Ramón Perea
- Depto de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales; Univ. Politécnica de Madrid; Madrid Spain
| | - José M. Fedriani
- Centre for Applied Ecology “Prof. Baeta Neves”/InBio, Inst. Superior of Agronomy; Univ. of Lisbon; Portugal
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD - C.S.I.C.); Seville Spain
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Sánchez-González B, Barja I, Piñeiro A, Hernández-González MC, Silván G, Illera JC, Latorre R. Support vector machines for explaining physiological stress response in Wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus). Sci Rep 2018; 8:2562. [PMID: 29416078 PMCID: PMC5803235 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20646-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Physiological stress response is a crucial adaptive mechanism for prey species survival. This paper aims to identify the main environmental and/or individual factors better explaining the stress response in Wood mice, Apodemus sylvaticus. We analyzed alterations in fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FCM) concentration - extensively used as an accurate measure of the physiological stress response - of wild mice fecal samples seasonally collected during three years. Then, support vector machines were built to predict said concentration according to different stressors. These statistical tools appear to be particularly suitable for small datasets with substantial number of dimensions, corroborating that the stress response is an extremely complex process in which multiple factors can simultaneously partake in a context-dependent manner, i.e., the role of each potential stressor varies in time depending on other stressors. However, air-humidity, temperature and body-weight allowed us to explain the FCM fluctuation in 98% of our samples. The relevance of air-humidity and temperature altering FCM level could be linked to the presence of an abundant vegetation cover and, therefore, to food availability and predation risk perception. Body-weight might be related to the stress produced by reproduction and other intraspecific relationships such as social dominance or territorial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Sánchez-González
- Departamento de Biología, Unidad de Zoología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/Darwin 2, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Departamento de Biología, Unidad de Zoología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/Darwin 2, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Piñeiro
- Departamento de Biología, Unidad de Zoología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/Darwin 2, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - M Carmen Hernández-González
- Departamento de Biología, Unidad de Zoología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/Darwin 2, Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gema Silván
- Departamento de Fisiología (Fisiología Animal), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Illera
- Departamento de Fisiología (Fisiología Animal), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Latorre
- Departamento de Ingeniería Informática, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
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25
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Smith TN, Gese EM, Kluever BM. Evaluating the Impact of an Exotic Plant Invasion on Rodent Community Richness and Abundance. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2017. [DOI: 10.3398/064.077.0411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Trinity N. Smith
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230
- E-mail:
| | - Eric M. Gese
- United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230
| | - Bryan M. Kluever
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230
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26
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Charalabidis A, Dechaume-Moncharmont FX, Petit S, Bohan DA. Risk of predation makes foragers less choosy about their food. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187167. [PMID: 29121652 PMCID: PMC5679636 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals foraging in the wild have to balance speed of decision making and accuracy of assessment of a food item's quality. If resource quality is important for maximizing fitness, then the duration of decision making may be in conflict with other crucial and time consuming tasks, such as anti-predator behaviours or competition monitoring. Individuals facing the risk of predation and/or competition should adjust the duration of decision making and, as a consequence, their level of choosiness for resources. When exposed to predation, the forager could either maintain its level of choosiness for food items but accept a reduction in the amount of food items consumed or it could reduce its level of choosiness and accept all prey items encountered. Under competition risk, individuals are expected to reduce their level of choosiness as slow decision making exposes individuals to a higher risk of opportunity costs. To test these predictions, the level of choosiness of a seed-eating carabid beetle, Harpalus affinis, was examined under 4 different experimental conditions of risk: i) predation risk; ii) intraspecific competition; iii) interspecific competition; and, iv) control. All the risks were simulated using chemical cues from individual conspecifics or beetles of different species that are predatory or granivorous. Our results show that when foraging under the risk of predation, H. affinis individuals significantly reduce their level of choosiness for seeds. Reductions in level of choosiness for food items might serve as a sensible strategy to reduce both the total duration of a foraging task and the cognitive load of the food quality assessment. No significant differences were observed when individuals were exposed to competition cues. Competition, (i.e opportunity cost) may not be perceived as risk high enough to induce changes in the level of choosiness. Our results suggest that considering the amount of items consumed, alone, would be a misleading metric when assessing individual response to a risk of predation. Foraging studies should therefore also take in account the decision making process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Charalabidis
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
- Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UMR CNRS 6282 Biogéosciences, Evolutionary Ecology group, Dijon, France
| | | | - Sandrine Petit
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - David A. Bohan
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
- * E-mail:
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27
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Gelmi-Candusso TA, Heymann EW, Heer K. Effects of zoochory on the spatial genetic structure of plant populations. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:5896-5910. [PMID: 28921766 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Spatial genetic structure (SGS) of plants results from the nonrandom distribution of related individuals. SGS provides information on gene flow and spatial patterns of genetic diversity within populations. Seed dispersal creates the spatial template for plant distribution. Thus, in zoochorous plants, dispersal mode and disperser behaviour might have a strong impact on SGS. However, many studies only report the taxonomic group of seed dispersers, without further details. The recent increase in studies on SGS provides the opportunity to review findings and test for the influence of dispersal mode, taxonomic affiliation of dispersers and their behaviour. We compared the proportions of studies with SGS among groups and tested for differences in strength of SGS using Sp statistics. The presence of SGS differed among taxonomic groups, with reduced presence in plants dispersed by birds. Strength of SGS was instead significantly influenced by the behaviour of seed dispersal vectors, with higher SGS in plant species dispersed by animals with behavioural traits that result in short seed dispersal distances. We observed high variance in the strength of SGS in plants dispersed by animals that actively or passively accumulate seeds. Additionally, we found SGS was also affected by pollination and marker type used. Our study highlights the importance of vector behaviour on SGS even in the presence of variance created by other factors. Thus, more detailed information on the behaviour of seed dispersers would contribute to better understand which factors shape the spatial scale of gene flow in animal-dispersed plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana A Gelmi-Candusso
- Verhaltensökologie & Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eckhard W Heymann
- Verhaltensökologie & Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum - Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Heer
- Naturschutzbiologie, Phillips-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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28
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Context dependence of acorn handling by the Algerian mouse ( Mus spretus ). ACTA OECOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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29
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Dittel JW, Perea R, Vander Wall SB. Reciprocal pilfering in a seed-caching rodent community: implications for species coexistence. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2375-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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30
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Tiribelli F, Amico GC, Sasal Y, Morales JM. The effect of spatial context and plant characteristics on fruit removal. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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31
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Wood mice modify food intake under different degrees of predation risk: influence of acquired experience and degradation of predator’s faecal volatile compounds. CHEMOECOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-017-0237-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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32
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Wang B, Corlett RT. Scatter‐hoarding rodents select different caching habitats for seeds with different traits. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- Center for Integrative Conservation Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences Mengla Yunnan Province 666303 China
| | - Richard T. Corlett
- Center for Integrative Conservation Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences Mengla Yunnan Province 666303 China
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33
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Wang B, Ives AR. Tree-to-tree variation in seed size and its consequences for seed dispersal versus predation by rodents. Oecologia 2016; 183:751-762. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3793-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/04/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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34
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Leaver LA, Jayne K, Lea SE. Behavioral flexibility versus rules of thumb: how do grey squirrels deal with conflicting risks? Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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35
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Gorosito IL, Marziali Bermúdez M, Douglass RJ, Busch M. Evaluation of statistical methods and sampling designs for the assessment of microhabitat selection based on point data. Methods Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Irene L. Gorosito
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Intendente Güiraldes 2160 ‐ Ciudad Universitaria C1428EGA Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Mariano Marziali Bermúdez
- Departamento de Física Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Intendente Güiraldes 2160 ‐ Ciudad Universitaria C1428EGA Buenos Aires Argentina
| | | | - María Busch
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Intendente Güiraldes 2160 ‐ Ciudad Universitaria C1428EGA Buenos Aires Argentina
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36
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Sunyer P, Muñoz A, Mazerolle MJ, Bonal R, Espelta JM. Wood mouse population dynamics: Interplay among seed abundance seasonality, shrub cover and wild boar interference. Mamm Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2016.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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37
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ZHANG Y, YU J, SICHILIMA AM, WANG W, LU J. Effects of thinning on scatter-hoarding by rodents in temperate forest. Integr Zool 2016; 11:182-90. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng ZHANG
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology; Zhengzhou University; Zhengzhou China
| | - Jing YU
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology; Zhengzhou University; Zhengzhou China
| | - Alfred M. SICHILIMA
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine; Copperbelt University; Ndola Zambia
| | - Weirui WANG
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology; Zhengzhou University; Zhengzhou China
| | - Jiqi LU
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology; Zhengzhou University; Zhengzhou China
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38
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Morán-López T, Wiegand T, Morales JM, Valladares F, Díaz M. Predicting forest management effects on oak-rodent mutualisms. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Morán-López
- Dept of Biogeography and Global Change (BCG-MNCN); Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; CSIC ES-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Thorsten Wiegand
- Dept of Ecological Modeling; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ; DE-04318 Leipzig Germany
| | - Juan Manuel Morales
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Univ. Nacional del Comahue; Black River Argentina
| | - Fernando Valladares
- Dept of Biogeography and Global Change (BCG-MNCN); Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; CSIC ES-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Mario Díaz
- Dept of Biogeography and Global Change (BCG-MNCN); Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; CSIC ES-28006 Madrid Spain
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39
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Steele MA, Rompré G, Stratford JA, Zhang H, Suchocki M, Marino S. Scatterhoarding rodents favor higher predation risks for cache sites: The potential for predators to influence the seed dispersal process. Integr Zool 2016; 10:257-66. [PMID: 25827710 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Scatterhoarding rodents often place caches in the open where pilferage rates are reduced, suggesting that they tradeoff higher risks of predation for more secure cache sites. We tested this hypothesis in two study systems by measuring predation risks inferred from measures of giving-up densities (GUDs) at known cache sites and other sites for comparison. Rodent GUDs were measured with small trays containing 3 L of fine sand mixed with sunflower seeds. In the first experiment, we relied on a 2-year seed dispersal study in a natural forest to identify caches of eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and then measured GUDs at: (i) these caches; (ii) comparable points along logs and rocks where rodent activity was assumed highest; and (iii) a set of random points. We found that GUDs and, presumably, predation risks, were higher at both cache and random points than those with cover. At the second site, we measured GUDs of eastern gray squirrels in an open park system and found that GUDs were consistently lowest at the base of the tree compared to more open sites, where previous studies show caching by squirrels to be highest and pilferage rates by naïve competitors to be lowest. These results confirm that predation risks can influence scatterhoarding decisions but that they are also highly context dependent, and that the landscape of fear, now so well documented in the literature, could potentially shape the temporal and spatial patterns of seedling establishment and forest regeneration in systems where scatterhoarding is common.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ghislain Rompré
- Department of Biology, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA, USA.,The Scotts Company, Marysville, OH, USA
| | | | - Hongmao Zhang
- Department of Biology, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA, USA.,School of Life Science, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Shealyn Marino
- Department of Biology, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA, USA
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Lichti NI, Steele MA, Swihart RK. Seed fate and decision‐making processes in scatter‐hoarding rodents. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 92:474-504. [PMID: 26587693 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Revised: 10/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nathanael I. Lichti
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 U.S.A
| | | | - Robert K. Swihart
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 U.S.A
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Bonacchi A, Bartolommei P, Gasperini S, Manzo E, Cozzolino R. Acorn choice by small mammals in a Mediterranean deciduous oak forest. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2015.1089326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Bonacchi
- Fondazione Ethoikos, Convento dell’Osservanza, 53030 Radicondoli, Siena, Italy
| | - P. Bartolommei
- Fondazione Ethoikos, Convento dell’Osservanza, 53030 Radicondoli, Siena, Italy
| | - S. Gasperini
- Fondazione Ethoikos, Convento dell’Osservanza, 53030 Radicondoli, Siena, Italy
- U.R. Ecologia Comportamentale, Etologia e Gestione della Fauna, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - E. Manzo
- Fondazione Ethoikos, Convento dell’Osservanza, 53030 Radicondoli, Siena, Italy
| | - R. Cozzolino
- Fondazione Ethoikos, Convento dell’Osservanza, 53030 Radicondoli, Siena, Italy
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The Interplay among Acorn Abundance and Rodent Behavior Drives the Spatial Pattern of Seedling Recruitment in Mature Mediterranean Oak Forests. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0129844. [PMID: 26070129 PMCID: PMC4467087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The patterns of seedling recruitment in animal-dispersed plants result from the interactions among environmental and behavioral variables. However, we know little on the contribution and combined effect of both kinds of variables. We designed a field study to assess the interplay between environment (vegetation structure, seed abundance, rodent abundance) and behavior (seed dispersal and predation by rodents, and rooting by wild boars), and their contribution to the spatial patterns of seedling recruitment in a Mediterranean mixed-oak forest. In a spatially explicit design, we monitored intensively all environmental and behavioral variables in fixed points at a small spatial scale from autumn to spring, as well as seedling emergence and survival. Our results revealed that the spatial patterns of seedling emergence were strongly related to acorn availability on the ground, but not by a facilitation effect of vegetation cover. Rodents changed seed shadows generated by mother trees by dispersing most seeds from shrubby to open areas, but the spatial patterns of acorn dispersal/predation had no direct effect on recruitment. By contrast, rodents had a strong impact on recruitment as pilferers of cached seeds. Rooting by wild boars also reduced recruitment by reducing seed abundance, but also by changing rodent's behavior towards higher consumption of acorns in situ. Hence, seed abundance and the foraging behavior of scatter-hoarding rodents and wild boars are driving the spatial patterns of seedling recruitment in this mature oak forest, rather than vegetation features. The contribution of vegetation to seedling recruitment (e.g. facilitation by shrubs) may be context dependent, having a little role in closed forests, or being overridden by directed seed dispersal from shrubby to open areas. We warn about the need of using broad approaches that consider the combined action of environment and behavior to improve our knowledge on the dynamics of natural regeneration in forests.
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Zaharick J, Beck H, Beauchamp V. An Experimental Test of Epi- and Endozoochory of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Spores by Small Mammals in a Maryland Forest. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2015. [DOI: 10.1656/045.022.0123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Morán-López T, Fernández M, Alonso CL, Flores-Rentería D, Valladares F, Díaz M. Effects of forest fragmentation on the oak-rodent mutualism. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Morán-López
- Dept of Biogeography and Global Change (BCG-MNCN); Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC; c/Serrano 115 bis ES-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Miguel Fernández
- Dept of Biogeography and Global Change (BCG-MNCN); Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC; c/Serrano 115 bis ES-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Cesar Luis Alonso
- Dept of Biogeography and Global Change (BCG-MNCN); Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC; c/Serrano 115 bis ES-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Dulce Flores-Rentería
- Dept of Biogeography and Global Change (BCG-MNCN); Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC; c/Serrano 115 bis ES-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Fernando Valladares
- Dept of Biogeography and Global Change (BCG-MNCN); Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC; c/Serrano 115 bis ES-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Mario Díaz
- Dept of Biogeography and Global Change (BCG-MNCN); Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC; c/Serrano 115 bis ES-28006 Madrid Spain
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Park SJ, Rhim SJ, Lee EJ, Lee WS, Maguire CC. Home Range, Activity Patterns, Arboreality, and Day Refuges of the Korean Wood MouseApodemus peninsulae(Thomas, 1907) in a Temperate Forest in Korea. MAMMAL STUDY 2014. [DOI: 10.3106/041.039.0404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Teasing apart the effects of seed size and energy content on rodent scatter-hoarding behavior. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111389. [PMID: 25350369 PMCID: PMC4211888 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Scatter-hoarding rodents are known to play a crucial role in the seed dispersal of many plant species. Numerous studies have indicated that both seed size and the energy content of seeds can affect rodent foraging behavior. However, seed size is usually associated with energy content per seed, making it difficult to isolate how seed size and energy affect rodent foraging preferences. This study used 99 treatments of artificial seeds (11 seed sizes×9 levels of energy content) to tease apart the effect of seed size and energy content on rodent seed-caching behavior. Both seed traits showed significant effects, but their details depended on the stage of the rodent foraging process. Seeds with higher energy content were harvested more rapidly while seed size only had a modest effect on harvest rate. However, after harvesting, seed size showed a much stronger effect on rodent foraging behavior. Rodents’ choice of which seeds to remove and cache, as well as seed dispersal distance, seemed to reflect an optimal seed size. Our findings could be adapted in future studies to gain a better understanding of scatter-hoarding rodent foraging behavior, and the co-evolutionary dynamics between plant seed production and seed dispersers.
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Rosalino LM, Nóbrega F, Santos-Reis M, Teixeira G, Rebelo R. Acorn Selection by the Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus: A Semi-Controlled Experiment in a Mediterranean Environment. Zoolog Sci 2013; 30:724-30. [PMID: 24004078 DOI: 10.2108/zsj.30.724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luís Miguel Rosalino
- 1 Universidade de Lisboa, Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciências de Lisboa, Ed. C2, Campo Grande, Lisboa 1749-016, Portugal
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Sunyer P, Muñoz A, Bonal R, Espelta JM. The ecology of seed dispersal by small rodents: a role for predator and conspecific scents. Funct Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pau Sunyer
- CREAF; Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193 Catalonia Spain
| | - Alberto Muñoz
- CREAF; Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193 Catalonia Spain
- Departamento de Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales; Facultad de Educación; Universidad Complutense de Madrid; c/ Rector Royo Villanueva, s/n 28040 Madrid Spain
| | - Raúl Bonal
- CREAF; Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193 Catalonia Spain
- Grupo DITEG Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales (ICAM); Área Zoología; Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha; 45071 Toledo Spain
- Departamento de Ecología; Grupo de la Biodiversidad Genética y Cultural; Instituto de Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ronda de Toledo, s/n 13071 Ciudad Real Spain
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Sun S, Zhang H. Cache sites preferred by small rodents facilitate cache survival in a subtropical primary forest, central China. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2013. [DOI: 10.1071/wr13038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Scatter-hoarding rodents tend to hoard plant seeds in preferred places that facilitate seed survival, resulting in high food rewards for hoarders and a high probability of seedling establishment for plants.
Aims
To test the hypothesis that caches placed in rodent-preferred microhabitats, nearest-neighbour distances between caches (cache density) or cache depths have an increased chance of survival.
Methods
Rodent-made caches and observer-established caches of Himalayan hazelnut (Corylus ferox) seeds were tracked in a subtropical primary forest in central China. The survival of caches within rodent-preferred microhabitats, nearest-neighbour distances and cache depths were identified.
Key results
Rodents preferred to hoard Himalayan hazelnut seeds in microhabitats under and at the edge of shrubs, with the nearest-neighbour distance of <4.0 m, and at 2.1–4.0-cm depth. The survival times of both rodent-made caches and observer-established caches were longer within rodent-preferred microhabitats than in other habitats and increased with an increasing nearest-neighbour distance and cache depth, up to what appeared to be an optimal nearest-neighbour distance and depth.
Conclusions
Conditions of rodent-preferred cache microhabitats, nearest-neighbour distances and cache depths can facilitate cache survival.
Implications
Rodents often move plant seeds away from parent trees and bury them in shallow soil, which benefits seed dispersal and establishment of plants. The present study demonstrates that rodent-preferred cache conditions may translate into higher seed survival and a higher tendency of seeds to germinate and establish. Thus, careful management and conservation of rodent-preferred hoarding habitats may benefit seed dispersal and survival.
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