1
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Feng E, Yang X, Zhao K, Li Y, Zhu H, Wang Z, Zhang Z. Gut microbiota is associated with spatial memory and seed-hoarding behavior of South China field mice ( Apodemus draco). Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1236359. [PMID: 37771706 PMCID: PMC10525317 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1236359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Scatter-hoarding animals store food in multiple locations within their home range and rely on spatial memory for subsequent localization and retrieval. The relationship between memory and scatter-hoarding behavior has been widely demonstrated, but the association of gut microbiota with spatial memory and seed-hoarding behavior of animals remains unclear. Methods In this study, by using enclosure behavior tests, memory tests including an object location test (OLT) and a novel object recognition test (NORT), and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiment, we evaluated the role of gut microbiota in affecting the memory and seed-hoarding behavior of rodents. According to their scatter-hoarding intensity, South China field mice (Apodemus draco) were divided into scatter-hoarding group (SG) and non-scatter-hoarding group (NG). Results We found that the SG performed better than the NG in the NORT. FMT from SG donor mice altered the NG recipient mice's gut microbiota structure. Further tests demonstrated FMT from SG donor mice increased memory of NG recipient mice in laboratory tests and seed larder hoarding intensity of NG recipient mice in enclosures. Conclusion Our results suggest gut microbiota could modulate the memory and seed-hoarding behavior of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enping Feng
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei Province, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xifu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kunming Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China
| | - Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hanyi Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenshan Wang
- College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei Province, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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2
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Crowe RE, Parker VT. The morphological and ecological variation of Arctostaphylos (Ericaceae) fruit: A link between plant ecology and animal foraging behavior. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9801. [PMID: 36937065 PMCID: PMC10017329 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Persistent soil seed banks are characteristic of Arctostaphylos (Ericaceae) species in the Mediterranean-climate California Floristic Province. While most species are obligate seeders, regeneration of stands of all Arctostaphylos species ultimately depends on post-fire seedling recruitment. Arctostaphylos seed banks are created, in large part, by scatter-hoarding rodents. Variation in fruit morphology, therefore, is expected to impact the Arctostaphylos-rodent interaction. Seeds produce sufficient rewards (nutritious mature embryo) to entice rodents to disperse and ultimately bury seeds in the soil. Hard seed coats increase the time required to extract the embryo, encouraging rodents to choose storage over immediate predation, and nutlets are frequently empty. We assessed the variation of fruit nutlet fusion and seed viability among 38 Arctostaphylos taxa. Factors such as latitude, elevation, life history, ploidy, and phylogenetic position were also analyzed. Generalized mixed-effects models were used to determine the factors contributing to variation in fruit nutlet fusion and seed viability. Our results indicate that fruit volume and shape are the most important variables affecting nutlet fusion and seed viability. Additionally, other potential influences only show a weak correlation and are not predicted to significantly impact nutlet fusion or seed viability. These findings provide insights into evolved strategies used by plants to increase reproductive success via scatter-hoarding rodents. Our study benefits the conservation and restoration of Arctostaphylos stands by emphasizing the importance of animal-mediated dispersal and providing estimates of seed viability for different species. With the anticipated effects of climate change, such as departures from historic fire regimes, the preservation of the relationship between plants and animal foragers is crucial for the continued survival of Arctostaphylos and California's evergreen chaparral.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E. Crowe
- San Francisco State UniversitySan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- UCI HerbariumUniversity of California, IrvineIrvineCaliforniaUSA
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3
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Chestnut caching behavior of Chinese white-bellied rats (Niviventer confucianus) and South China field mice (Apodemus draco): effects of seed size and insect infestation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03247-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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4
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Muschetto E, Chaneton EJ, Mazía N, Tripodi MA, Busch M. Biotic resistance in a stochastic world: Do rodents act as a filter to alien tree invasion in pampean old fields? Ecol Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Muschetto
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires–IEGEBA (UBA‐CONICET) Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Enrique J. Chaneton
- IFEVA—CONICET and Facultad de Agronomía Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Noemí Mazía
- Cátedra de Dasonomía, Facultad de Agronomía Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Mariel A. Tripodi
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires–IEGEBA (UBA‐CONICET) Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - María Busch
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires–IEGEBA (UBA‐CONICET) Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires Argentina
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5
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Malo AF, Taylor A, Díaz M. Native seed dispersal by rodents is negatively influenced by an invasive shrub. ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION 2021. [DOI: 10.32800/abc.2022.45.0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Refuge–mediated apparent competition is the mechanism by which invasive plants increase pressure on native plants by providing refuge for generalist consumers. In the UK, the invasive Rhododendron ponticum does not provide food for generalist seed consumers like rodents, but evergreen canopy provides refuge from rodent predators, and predation and pilferage risk are key factors affecting rodent foraging and caching behaviour. Here we used a seed removal/ seed fate experiment to understand how invasion by an evergreen shrub can alter seed dispersal, seed fate and early recruitment of native trees. We used seeds of four species, small and wind–dispersed (sycamore maple Acer pseudoplatanus and European ash Fraxinus excelsior) and large and animal–dispersed (pedunculate oak Quercus robur and common hazel Corylus avellana), and monitored seed predation and caching in open woodland, edge habitats, and under Rhododendron. In the open woodland, wind–dispersed seeds had a higher probability of being eaten in situ than cached seeds, while the opposite occurred with animal–dispersed seeds. The latter were removed from the open woodland and edge habitats and cached under Rhododendron. This pattern was expected if predation risk was the main factor influencing the decision to eat or to cach a seed. Enhanced dispersal towards Rhododendron cover did not increase the prospects for seed survival, as density of hazel and oak saplings under its cover was close to zero as compared to open woodland, possibly due to increased cache pilferage or low seedling survival under dense shade, or both. Enhanced seed predation of ash and sycamore seeds close to Rhododendron cover also decreased recruitment of these trees. Rhododendron patches biased rodent foraging behaviour towards the negative (net predation) side of the conditional rodent / tree interaction. This effect will potentially impact native woodland regeneration and further facilitate Rhododendron spread due to refuge–mediated apparent competition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - M. Díaz
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (BGC–MNCN–CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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6
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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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7
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Differences in mutualistic or predatory interactions between tree and rodent species as revealed by using a double-duplex passive integrated transponder tagging technique. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2021.103747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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8
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Xiao Z, Holyoak M, Krebs CJ, Huang X. Palatability and profitability of co-occurring seeds alter indirect interactions among rodent-dispersed trees. Integr Zool 2021; 17:206-216. [PMID: 33893725 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Beyond direct species interactions, seed dispersal is potentially affected by indirect seed-seed interactions among co-occurring nut-bearing trees which are mediated by scatter-hoarding animals as shared seed dispersers. A relevant question in such systems is to what extent different functional traits related to food palatability and profitability affect the kinds of indirect interactions that occur among co-occurring seeds, and the consequences for seed dispersal. We used field experiments to track seed dispersal with individually tagged seeds in both monospecific and mixed seed communities. We measured indirect effects based on 3 seed-seed species pairs from the family Fagaceae with contrasting seed size, tannin level, and dormancy in a subtropical forest in Southwest China. When all else was equal, the presence of adjacently placed seeds with contrasting seed traits created different indirect effects measured through a variety of dispersal-related indicators. Apparent mutualism was reciprocal due to increasing seed dispersal in mixed seed patches with mixed differences in seed tannins and dormancy. However, differences in either seed size or dormancy in co-occurring adjacently placed seeds caused apparent competition with reduced seed removal or seed dispersal (distance) in at least one species. Our study supports the hypothesis that different functional traits related to food palatability and profitability in co-occurring seeds modify foraging decisions of scatter-hoarding animals, and subsequently cause indirect effects on seed dispersal among rodent-dispersed trees. We conclude that such indirect effects mediated by shared seed dispersers may act as an important determinant of seed dispersal for co-fruiting animal-dispersed trees in many natural forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhishu Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Marcel Holyoak
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Charles J Krebs
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Xiaoqun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
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9
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Wang G, Pan Y, Qin G, Tan W, Lu C. Effects of microhabitat on rodent-mediated seed removal of endangered Kmeria septentrionalis in the karst habitat. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10378. [PMID: 33240673 PMCID: PMC7676351 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Seed removal behaviors of rodents are largely influenced by microhabitat. Although the karst ecosystem is composed of a broad variety of microhabitats, we have no information on how they affect such behaviors. We investigated rodents’ seed removal behaviors in four karst microhabitats (stone cavern, stone groove, stone surface, and soil surface) using three types of Kmeria septentrionalis seeds: fresh, black (intact seeds with black aril that dehydrates and darkens), and exposed (clean seeds without the aril). We show that Rattus norvegicus, Leopoldamys edwardsi and Rattus flavipectus were the predominant seed predators. Even though all seed types experienced a high removal rate in all four microhabitats, but rodents preferentially removed seeds from the three stone microhabitats (stone caves: 69.71 ± 2.74%; stone surface: 60.53 ± 2.90%; stone groove: 56.94 ± 2.91%) compared to the soil surface (53.90 ± 2.92%). Seeds that had been altered by being exposed to the environment were more attractive to rodents than fresh seeds (76.25 ± 2.20% versus 36.18 ± 2.29%). The seed removal behavior of rodents was significantly affected by the microhabitat and seed type. Finally, seeds that had fallen on the soil surface microhabitat incurred a lower predation risk than seeds fallen on other microhabitats, which increased their probability to germinate. Our results indicate that the lower predation rate of seeds from the endangered K. septentrionalis dropped on the soil surface increases trees’ likelihood of survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohai Wang
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yang Pan
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guole Qin
- College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Hechi University, Yizhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Weining Tan
- Management Bureau of Mulun National Nature Reserve, Nature, Huanjiang, Guangxi, China
| | - Changhu Lu
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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10
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Wang Z, Wang B, Yan C, Yuan S, Cao L. Neighborhood effects on the tannin-related foraging decisions of two rodent species under semi-natural conditions. Integr Zool 2020; 15:569-577. [PMID: 32645258 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Neighborhood effects on seed predation and dispersal processes are usually seed-characteristic-dependent; however, how seeds with certain characteristics affect the foraging behavior of rodents in relation to other seeds nearby is unclear. Because large differences in seed characteristics between neighboring seeds may lead to significant differences in rodent foraging preferences, we hypothesized that neighborhood effects were more likely to be detected when paired seeds differed in seed characteristics. We investigated the foraging decisions of two rodent species, the red spiny rat Maxomys surifer and the Chinese white-bellied rat Niviventer confucianus, in semi-natural enclosures by presenting them with artificial seeds containing different levels of tannin (0, 3%, and 6% tannin). Both rodents showed similar preferences and preferentially consumed high-tannin seeds (6% tannin) and scatter hoarded low-tannin seeds (0 tannin). The scatter hoarding of low-tannin (0 tannin) and high-tannin (6% tannin) seeds was significantly higher when these seeds were neighboring higher-tannin seeds than when they neighbored lower-tannin seeds, whereas the scatter hoarding of intermediate-tannin seeds (3% tannin) varied little when they had different neighbors. High-tannin-seed (6% tannin) scatter hoarding was lowest when they neighbored low-tannin seeds (0 tannin), while low-tannin-seed (0 tannin) scatter hoarding was highest when they neighbored high-tannin seeds (6% tannin). Therefore, the seeds that the rodents scatter hoarded were next to (neighbored) seeds that they preferred to eat immediately, and vice versa. Our findings suggest that seed neighborhood effects affect rodent foraging behavior and the relationship between plants and rodents, and may have a profound effect on the regeneration and spatial structure of plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Geobotany, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Chuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, CAS, Beijing, China
| | - Shengdong Yuan
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Lin Cao
- Institute of Ecology and Geobotany, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.,Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Mengla, Yunnan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, CAS, Beijing, China
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11
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Seed germination schedule and environmental context shaped the population genetic structure of subtropical evergreen oaks on the Yun-Gui Plateau, Southwest China. Heredity (Edinb) 2019; 124:499-513. [PMID: 31772317 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-019-0283-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The evergreen broadleaved forests (EBLFs) of Southwest China have a long-term stable environment and support a diverse flora, thus forming a global biodiversity hotspot. However, the key drivers that have shaped the genetic diversity patterns of species in these EBLFs are not well understood. Quercus delavayi, Q. schottkyana, and Q. kerrii are sympatric oak species with different seed biological traits that are typical for these EBLFs. This study combined multilocus phylogeography and ecological niche modeling to screen 33 Q. delavayi populations. Their population genetic structure was inferred in comparison with previous studies on Q. schottkyana and Q. kerrii. The seed germination traits of all three species were also investigated. cpDNAs showed a significant phylogeographic structure in Q. delavayi, which was not detected in Q. schottkyana or Q. kerrii. Quercus delavayi, Q. kerrii, and Q. schottkyana exhibited different pollen-to-seed migration ratios (r = 219, 117, and 22, respectively), which are linked to the germination schedules of acorns. The distributions of Q. delavayi and Q. schottkyana remained long-term stable since the last glacial maximum (LGM) with a similar nSSR genetic gradient change along latitude. Instead, Q. kerrii experienced a prominent range expansion since the LGM with genetic diversification between the East and the West of the Tanaka line due to environmental heterogeneity. These results identify seed traits and environmental heterogeneity as two key drivers that shape the population genetic structure of EBLF trees in Southwest China. These should be considered in regional forestry conservation and management.
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12
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Differential seed mass selection on hoarding decisions among three sympatric rodents. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2576-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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13
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Del Arco JM, Beltrán D, Martínez-Ruiz C. Risk for the natural regeneration of Quercus species due to the expansion of rodent species (Microtus arvalis). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2575-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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14
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Wang Z, Wang B, Yi X, Yan C, Cao L, Zhang Z. Scatter-hoarding rodents are better pilferers than larder-hoarders. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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15
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Bartlow AW, Agosta SJ, Curtis R, Yi X, Steele MA. Acorn size and tolerance to seed predators: the multiple roles of acorns as food for seed predators, fruit for dispersal and fuel for growth. Integr Zool 2017; 13:251-266. [PMID: 29078026 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Fitness of parents and offspring is affected by offspring size. In oaks (Quercus spp.), acorns vary considerably in size across, and within, species. Seed size influences dispersal and establishment of oaks, but it is not known whether size imparts tolerance to seed predators. Here, we examine the relative extent to which cotyledon size serves as both a means for sustaining partial consumption and energy reserves for developing seedlings during early stages of establishment. Acorns of 6 oak species were damaged to simulate acorn predation by vertebrate and invertebrate seed predators. Seedling germination/emergence and growth rates were used to assess seedling performance. We predicted that if cotyledons are important for dispersal, acorns should show tolerance to partial seed consumption. Alternatively, if the cotyledon functions primarily as an energy reserve, damage should significantly influence seedling performance. Acorns of each species germinated and produced seedlings even after removing >50% of the cotyledon. Seed mass explained only some of the variation in performance. Within species, larger acorns performed better than smaller acorns when damaged. Undamaged acorns performed as well or better than damaged acorns. There was no pattern among individual species with increasing amounts of damage. In some species, simulated invertebrate damage resulted in the poorest performance, suggesting alternative strategies of oaks to sustain damage. Large cotyledons in acorns may be important for attracting seed dispersers and sustaining partial damage, while also providing energy to young seedlings. Success of oak establishment may follow from the resilience of acorns to sustain damage at an early stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Bartlow
- Department of Biology and The WIESS Institute for Environmental Science and Sustainability, Wilkes University, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, USA.,Present address: Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Salvatore J Agosta
- Department of Biology and The WIESS Institute for Environmental Science and Sustainability, Wilkes University, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, USA.,Present address: Center for Environmental Studies and Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Rachel Curtis
- Department of Biology and The WIESS Institute for Environmental Science and Sustainability, Wilkes University, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, USA.,Present address: Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Xianfeng Yi
- Department of Biology and The WIESS Institute for Environmental Science and Sustainability, Wilkes University, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, USA.,Present address: College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Michael A Steele
- Department of Biology and The WIESS Institute for Environmental Science and Sustainability, Wilkes University, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, USA
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16
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Geng Y, Wang B, Cao L. Directed seed dispersal by scatter-hoarding rodents into areas with a low density of conspecific seeds in the absence of pilferage. J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyx131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanzhao Geng
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China (YG, BW, LC)
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China (YG)
- Key Laboratory of Weed and Rodent Biology and Management, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China (YG)
| | - Bo Wang
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China (YG, BW, LC)
| | - Lin Cao
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China (YG, BW, LC)
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17
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Cao L, Guo C, Chen J. Fluctuation in seed abundance has contrasting effects on the fate of seeds from two rapidly germinating tree species in an Asian tropical forest. Integr Zool 2017; 12:2-11. [PMID: 27265119 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The seed predator satiation hypothesis states that high seed abundance can satiate seed predators or seed dispersers, thus promoting seed survival. However, for rapidly germinating seeds in tropical forests, high seed abundance may limit dispersal as the seeds usually remain under parent trees for long periods, which may lead to high mortality due to rodent predation or fungal infestations. By tracking 2 species of rapidly germinating seeds (Pittosporopsis kerrii, family Icacinaceae; Camellia kissi, family Theaceae), which depend on dispersal by scatter-hoarding rodents, we investigated the effects of seed abundance at the community level on predation and seed dispersal in the tropical forest of Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Southwest China. We found that high seed abundance at the community level was associated with delayed and reduced seed removal, decreased dispersal distance and increased pre-dispersal seed survival for both plant species. High seed abundance was also associated with reduced seed caching of C. kissi, but it showed little effect on seed caching of P. kerrii. However, post-dispersal seed survival for the 2 plant species followed the reverse pattern. High seed abundance in the community was associated with higher post-dispersal survival of P. kerrii seeds, but with lower post-dispersal survival of C. kissi seeds. Our results suggest that different plant species derive benefit from fluctuations in seed production in different ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Cao
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Cong Guo
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jin Chen
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
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Xiao Z, Mi X, Holyoak M, Xie W, Cao K, Yang X, Huang X, Krebs CJ. Seed-predator satiation and Janzen-Connell effects vary with spatial scales for seed-feeding insects. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2017; 119:109-116. [PMID: 27941093 PMCID: PMC5218383 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The Janzen-Connell model predicts that common species suffer high seed predation from specialized natural enemies as a function of distance from parent trees, and consequently as a function of conspecific density, whereas the predator satiation hypothesis predicts that seed attack is reduced due to predator satiation at high seed densities. Pre-dispersal predation by insects was studied while seeds are still on parent trees, which represents a frequently overlooked stage in which seed predation occurs. METHODS Reproductive tree density and seed production were investigated from ten Quercus serrata populations located in south-west China, quantifying density-dependent pre-dispersal seed predation over two years by three insect groups. KEY RESULTS Acorn infestation was nearly twice as high in the low-seed year as that in the high-seed year, with considerable spatio-temporal variation in the direction and magnitude of density-dependent pre-dispersal seed predation evident. Across whole populations of trees, a high density of reproductive trees caused predator satiation and reduced insect attack in the high-seed year. Within individual trees, and consistent with the Janzen-Connell model, overall insect seed predation was positively correlated with seed production in the low-seed year. In addition, there was variation among insect taxa, with positive density-dependent seed predation by Curculio weevils in the high-seed year and moths in the low-seed year, but apparent density independence by Cyllorhynchites weevils in both years. CONCLUSIONS The overall trend of negative density-dependent, pre-dispersal seed predation suggests that predator satiation limited the occurrence of Janzen-Connell effects across Q. serrata populations. Such effects may have large impacts on plant population dynamics and tree diversity, depending on the extent to which they are reduced by counteracting positive density-dependent predation for seeds on individual trees and other factors affecting successful recruitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhishu Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 10049, China
| | - Xiangcheng Mi
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 10049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093
| | - Marcel Holyoak
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Wenhua Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Ke Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093
| | - Xifu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 10049, China
| | - Xiaoqun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Charles J Krebs
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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Evidence on the Adaptive Recruitment of Chinese Cork Oak (Quercus variabilis Bl.): Influence on Repeated Germination and Constraint Germination by Food-Hoarding Animals. FORESTS 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/f7020047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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20
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Sullivan LL, Danielson BJ, Harpole WS. Mammalian Herbivores Alter the Population Growth and Spatial Establishment of an Early-Establishing Grassland Species. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147715. [PMID: 26849564 PMCID: PMC4743957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant-herbivore interactions influence the establishment context of plant species, as herbivores alter the community context in which individual species establish, and the spatial relationship between individuals and their source population as plants invade. This relationship can be described using an establishment kernel, which takes into account movement through seed dispersal, and subsequent establishment of adults. Mammalian herbivores are hypothesized to influence plant population growth and establishment through a combination of consumption of seeds and seedlings, and movement of seeds. While the movement abilities of plants are well known, we have very few empirical mechanistic tests of how biotic factors like mammalian herbivores influence this spread potential. As herbivores of all sizes are abundant on the landscape, we asked the question, how do mammalian herbivores influence the population growth, spatial establishment, and the community establishment context of an early-recruiting native prairie legume, Chamaecrista fasciculata? We planted C. fasciculata in source populations within a four-acre tallgrass prairie restoration in plots with and without herbivores, and monitored its establishment with respect to distance from the source populations. We found that herbivores decreased population growth, and decreased the mean and range establishment distance. Additionally, C. fasciculata established more often without herbivores, and when surrounded by weedy, annual species. Our results provide insight into how the interactions between plants and herbivores can alter the spatial dynamics of developing plant communities, which is vital for colonization and range spread with fragmentation and climate change. Mammalian herbivores have the potential to both slow rates of establishment, but also determine the types of plant communities that surround invading species. Therefore, it is essential to consider the herbivore community when attempting to restore functioning plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren L. Sullivan
- Department of Ecology Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108, United States of America
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 50011, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Brent J. Danielson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 50011, United States of America
| | - W. Stanley Harpole
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research–UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany
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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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22
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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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Bartlow AW, Kachmar M, Lichti N, Swihart RK, Stratford JA, Steele MA. Does multiple seed loading in Blue Jays result in selective dispersal of smaller acorns? Integr Zool 2015; 6:235-43. [PMID: 21910843 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-4877.2011.00254.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Studies from both tropical and temperate systems show that scatter-hoarding rodents selectively disperse larger seeds farther from their source than smaller seeds, potentially increasing seedling establishment in larger-seeded plants. Size-biased dispersal is evident in many oaks (Quercus) and is true both across and within species. Here, we predict that intraspecifc variation in seed size also influences acorn dispersal by the Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata Linnaeus), but in an opposite manner. Blue Jays are gape-limited and selectively disperse smaller acorn species (e.g. pin oaks [Quercus palustris Münchh]), but often carry several acorns in their crop during a single dispersal event. We predict that jays foraging on smaller acorns will load more seeds per trip and disperse seeds to greater distances than when single acorns are carried in the bill. To test this, we presented free-ranging Blue Jays with pin oak acorns of different sizes over a 2-year period. In each of 16 experimental trials, we monitored the birds at a feeding station with remote cameras and determined the number of acorns removed and the distance acorns were dispersed when cached. Jays were significantly more likely to engage in multiple seed loading with smaller seeds in both years of the study. During the second year, these smaller acorns were dispersed farther than larger acorns, and during the first year, larger acorns were dispersed farther, revealing an inconsistent response to seed size during our study. We suggest that in some circumstances, multiple seed loading by Blue Jays may favor dispersal in some plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Bartlow
- Department of Biology, Wilkes University, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania 18766, USA
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Zhang H, Wang Z, Zeng Q, Chang G, Wang Z, Zhang Z. Mutualistic and predatory interactions are driven by rodent body size and seed traits in a rodent–seed system in warm-temperate forest in northern China. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2015. [DOI: 10.1071/wr14211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Mutualistic interactions between animals and plants shape the structure of plant–animal systems and, subsequently, affect plant-community structure and regeneration.
Aims
To assess the effects of plant and rodent functional traits on the formation of mutualistic and predatory interactions regarding seed dispersal and predation in a warm-temperate forest.
Methods
Seed scatter-hoarding and predation by six sympatric rodent species on seeds belonging to five sympatric tree species were tested under enclosure conditions.
Key results
Functional traits (i.e. rodent body size and seed traits) are important to mutualism/predation in this seed–rodent system. The rodent–seed network is highly nested: large-sized rodents have mutualistic or predatory interactions with both large- and small-sized seed species, but small-sized rodents interacted with small-sized seed species only. Large seeds or seeds with hard coats enhanced mutualism and reduced predation.
Conclusion
Body size of rodents and seed traits such as handling time and nutritional value are key factors in the formation of mutualistic and predatory interactions within seed–rodent systems.
Implications
To promote seedling establishment in degenerated forests, introducing or protecting large-sized scatter hoarders and reducing the density of pure seed eaters are needed.
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Long RL, Gorecki MJ, Renton M, Scott JK, Colville L, Goggin DE, Commander LE, Westcott DA, Cherry H, Finch-Savage WE. The ecophysiology of seed persistence: a mechanistic view of the journey to germination or demise. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2014; 90:31-59. [PMID: 24618017 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2013] [Revised: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Seed persistence is the survival of seeds in the environment once they have reached maturity. Seed persistence allows a species, population or genotype to survive long after the death of parent plants, thus distributing genetic diversity through time. The ability to predict seed persistence accurately is critical to inform long-term weed management and flora rehabilitation programs, as well as to allow a greater understanding of plant community dynamics. Indeed, each of the 420000 seed-bearing plant species has a unique set of seed characteristics that determine its propensity to develop a persistent soil seed bank. The duration of seed persistence varies among species and populations, and depends on the physical and physiological characteristics of seeds and how they are affected by the biotic and abiotic environment. An integrated understanding of the ecophysiological mechanisms of seed persistence is essential if we are to improve our ability to predict how long seeds can survive in soils, both now and under future climatic conditions. In this review we present an holistic overview of the seed, species, climate, soil, and other site factors that contribute mechanistically to seed persistence, incorporating physiological, biochemical and ecological perspectives. We focus on current knowledge of the seed and species traits that influence seed longevity under ex situ controlled storage conditions, and explore how this inherent longevity is moderated by changeable biotic and abiotic conditions in situ, both before and after seeds are dispersed. We argue that the persistence of a given seed population in any environment depends on its resistance to exiting the seed bank via germination or death, and on its exposure to environmental conditions that are conducive to those fates. By synthesising knowledge of how the environment affects seeds to determine when and how they leave the soil seed bank into a resistance-exposure model, we provide a new framework for developing experimental and modelling approaches to predict how long seeds will persist in a range of environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowena L Long
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
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Chang G, Zhang Z. Functional traits determine formation of mutualism and predation interactions in seed-rodent dispersal system of a subtropical forest. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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27
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Zhang M, Dong Z, Yi X, Bartlow AW. Acorns containing deeper plumule survive better: how white oaks counter embryo excision by rodents. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:59-66. [PMID: 24455161 PMCID: PMC3894888 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2013] [Revised: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Several squirrel species excise the embryo of acorns of most white oak species to arrest germination for long-term storage. However, it is not clear how these acorns counter embryo excision and survive in the arms race of coevolution. In this study, we simulated the embryo excision behavior of squirrels by removing 4 mm of cotyledon from the apical end of white oak acorns differing in embryo depths to investigate the effects of embryo excision on acorn germination and seedling performance of white oak species. The embryo depth in the cotyledons was significantly different among white oak acorns, with Quercus mongolica containing the embryo most deeply in the acorns. We found that artificial embryo excision significantly decreased acorn germination rates of Quercus variabilis, Quercus acutissima, Quercus aliena, Quercus aliena var. acutiserrata, Quercus serrata. var. brevipetiolata but not Q. mongolica. Artificial embryo excision exerted significant negative impacts on seedling performance of all oak species except Quercus aliena. Our study demonstrates the role of embryo depth of acorns in countering embryo excision by squirrels and may explain the fact that squirrels do not perform embryo excision in acorns of Q. mongolica with deeper embryos. This apparent adaptation of acorns sheds light on the coevolutionary dynamics between oaks and their seed predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Zhang
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology Luoyang, 471003, China
| | - Zhong Dong
- College of Food & Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology Luoyang, 471003, China
| | - Xianfeng Yi
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology Luoyang, 471003, China ; College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University Nanchang, 330022, China
| | - Andrew W Bartlow
- Department of Biology, University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
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28
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Lobo N, Green DJ, Millar JS. Effects of seed quality and abundance on the foraging behavior of deer mice. J Mammal 2013. [DOI: 10.1644/12-mamm-a-295.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Zhang M, Steele MA, Yi X. Reconsidering the effects of tannin on seed dispersal by rodents: evidence from enclosure and field experiments with artificial seeds. Behav Processes 2013; 100:200-7. [PMID: 24161819 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2013.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2012] [Revised: 08/02/2013] [Accepted: 09/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The question of how tannin affects feeding and hoarding preferences of rodents still remains poorly understood, in part, because it is difficult to control for other seed traits when considering the sole effect of tannin. Here, we constructed a series of artificial 'seeds' with different tannin levels, made from wheat flour, peanut powder and hydrolysable tannins, to determine the direct effects of tannin on both feeding and hoarding preferences. We first presented 'seeds' to individual rodents of two species (Tamias sibiricus and Apodemus peninsulae) confined in semi-natural enclosures and then monitored patterns of seed dispersal and consumption by free-ranging animals in a temperate forest in the Xiaoxing'an Mountains, Heilongjiang Province of China. Our results showed that small rodents displayed a significant preference for low-tannin 'seeds' for both consumption and caching in both captive and field experiments. Moreover, our two-year study consistently showed that tannin concentration was significantly and negatively correlated with the number of cached 'seeds' at both the individual and population levels. Seed size, compared with tannin concentrations, appeared to have little effect on dispersal distances and the number of 'seeds' cached. Low-tannin 'seeds' tended to be dispersed greater distances by rodents in the field than those with higher levels of tannin. These results failed to support those of previous reports indicating that acorns containing higher tannins are more likely to be cached by food hoarding animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Zhang
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China
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30
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Pan Y, Li M, Yi X, Zhao Q, Lieberwirth C, Wang Z, Zhang Z. Scatter hoarding and hippocampal cell proliferation in Siberian chipmunks. Neuroscience 2013; 255:76-85. [PMID: 24121131 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.09.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2013] [Revised: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Food hoarding, especially scatter hoarding and retrieving food caches, requires spatial learning and memory and is an adaptive behavior important for an animal's survival and reproductive success. In the present study, we examined the effects of hoarding behavior on cell proliferation and survival in the hippocampus of male and female Siberian chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus). We found that chipmunks in a semi-natural enclosure displayed hoarding behavior with large individual variations. Males ate more scatter-hoarded seeds than females. In addition, the display of hoarding behavior was associated with increased cell proliferation in the hippocampus and this increase occurred in a brain region-specific manner. These data provide further evidence to support the notion that new cells in the adult hippocampus are affected by learning and memory tasks and may play an important role in adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, PR China
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31
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Xiao Z, Gao X, Zhang Z. The combined effects of seed perishability and seed size on hoarding decisions by Pére David’s rock squirrels. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1531-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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32
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Xiao Z, Gao X, Zhang Z. Sensitivity to Seed Germination Schedule by Scatter-Hoarding Pére David's Rock Squirrels During Mast and Non-Mast Years. Ethology 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhishu Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture; Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing; China
| | - Xu Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture; Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing; China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture; Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing; China
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34
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Repeated radicle pruning of Quercus mongolica acorns as a cache management tactic of Siberian chipmunks. Acta Ethol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-011-0102-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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35
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The effects of kernel mass and nutrition reward on seed dispersal of three tree species by small rodents. Acta Ethol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-011-0101-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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36
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Chang G, Zhang Z. Differences in hoarding behaviors among six sympatric rodent species on seeds of oil tea (Camellia oleifera) in Southwest China. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2011.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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37
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Cao L, Xiao Z, Wang Z, Guo C, Chen J, Zhang Z. High regeneration capacity helps tropical seeds to counter rodent predation. Oecologia 2011; 166:997-1007. [PMID: 21328011 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-1908-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2010] [Accepted: 01/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Rapid germination of non-dormant seeds is one adaptation plants have evolved to counter seed predation by rodents. Some rodent species have evolved behaviors that prevent or slow the seed germination process through seed embryo removal or seed pruning; however, no plant species is known to have successfully escaped embryo removal or seed pruning by rodents. Here, we report that the non-dormant seeds of Pittosporopsis kerrii Craib in tropical rain forests in China have a high regeneration capacity to counter seed pruning by rodents. We found seed pruning, instead of embryo removal, was commonly used by rodents to increase food storage time by slowing down the seed germination process, but that P. kerrii seeds have a high regeneration capacity to escape seed predation by rodents: all pruned seeds, pruned roots and embryo-removed seeds by rodents or people retain the ability to develop into seedlings. Seeds of P. kerrii also have other capacities (i.e. rapid seed decomposition and indigestible dormant taproots) to escape predation by reducing the plant's attractiveness to rodents. The association between seed pruning behavior in rodents and high regeneration capacity of pruned seeds or roots in P. kerrii seeds are likely novel adaptation strategies adopted by seeds and rodents, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Yi X, Yang Y, Zhang Z. Effect of seed availability on hoarding behaviors of Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus) in semi-natural enclosures. MAMMALIA 2011. [DOI: 10.1515/mamm.2011.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Chang G, Xiao Z, Zhang Z. Effects of burrow condition and seed handling time on hoarding strategies of Edward's long-tailed rat (Leopoldamys edwardsi). Behav Processes 2010; 85:163-6. [PMID: 20637267 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2010.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2010] [Revised: 06/18/2010] [Accepted: 07/05/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Many hoarding rodents use burrows not only for dwelling and protection from natural enemies, but also for food storage. However, little is known how burrows used by scatter-hoarding animals influence their foraging behaviors. In addition, handling time for a given food item has a fundamental impact on hoarding strategies of these hoarding animals: food items with longer handling time are more likely to be hoarded due to increasing predation risk because the animals spend more time outside their burrows if they consumed such food. By providing with two types of artificial burrows (aboveground vs. underground) and two types of food items (i.e. seeds) with contrasting handling times, we investigated how burrow condition and handling time co-influence hoarding strategies of a key scatter-hoarding rodent, Edward's long-tailed rat (Leopoldamys edwardsi) in large enclosures in southwest China. We found that only a few animals larder-hoarded fewer seeds when only aboveground burrows were available, while over 80% of the animals preferred to use the underground burrows and hoard significantly more seeds in the burrows when both aboveground and underground burrows were provided simultaneously. We also found that seed handling time significantly affected hoarding strategies of the animals: they consumed and/or scatter-hoarded more Camellia oleifera seeds with shorter handling time outside the burrow, but consumed and larder-hoarded more Lithocarpus harlandii seeds with longer handling time in underground burrows. Our study indicates that both burrow types and seed handling time have important impacts on hoarding strategies of scatter-hoarding animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Datun Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
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Xiao Z, Gao X, Steele MA, Zhang Z. Frequency-dependent selection by tree squirrels: adaptive escape of nondormant white oaks. Behav Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arp169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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