1
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Cheng J, He H, Zheng L, Zhang C, Wang X, Hu X, Niu H, Zhang H. Bold rats (Niviventer confucianus) are more effective in seed dispersal: evidence both under enclosure conditions and in the field. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 39313867 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12906] [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: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Rodents are important seed dispersers of plants because they move seeds far away from the parent trees and hoard seeds in the soil, benefiting seed dispersal and regeneration. Traits of plant seeds and animals are associated with rodent-mediated seed dispersal, but animal personality, the consistent individual behavioral differences in time and environments, has not been fully considered. Here, we first measured the personality of 26 Niviventer confucianus in the laboratory, and 10 individuals in the field of one population, and then tested their behavior of seed consumption and hoarding both in semi-natural enclosures and the field. We tested the hypothesis that individuals with different personalities have different preferences for seed consumption and hoarding, which has different implications for seed dispersal and regeneration. Under the enclosure conditions, all parameters of personality are repeatable; bold individuals harvested fewer seeds but scatter-hoarded more seeds and dispersed farther than timid ones, whereas active individuals consumed more seeds, but left fewer seeds on the ground surface than inactive ones. In the field, boldness, activity, and exploration of the animals are repeatable; bold individuals scatter-hoarded more seeds to farther distances than timid ones, whereas active individuals harvested and consumed more seeds than inactive ones. These results suggest that bold rats tended to scatter hoard seeds and disperse them to a longer distance, implying they are more effective in seed dispersal. In the future, animal personality (e.g. boldness and activity) should be considered in seed dispersal studies and ecological-based manipulation in seed dispersal and regeneration of forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiming Cheng
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Huimin He
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Linlin Zheng
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaorong Wang
- National Positioning Observation and Research Station of Bamboo Forest Ecosystem in Mufu Mountain, Xianning, China
- Hubei Academy of Forestry, Wuhan, China
| | - Xingyi Hu
- National Positioning Observation and Research Station of Bamboo Forest Ecosystem in Mufu Mountain, Xianning, China
- Hubei Academy of Forestry, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongyu Niu
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongmao Zhang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
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2
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Li L, Li X, Jin Y, Zhang H, Bu F, Zhang R, Wu X, Yuan S, Fu H. Group effects of desert rodent communities on plant seed dispersal. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 39252516 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
Desert rodent communities spread plant seeds through the group effect of "selection complementation" and "fate complementation," which promotes the recovery of plant populations and the reconstruction of plant communities in desert areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Li
- College of Grassland Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, Hohhot, China
| | - Xin Li
- College of Grassland Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, Hohhot, China
| | - Yongling Jin
- College of Grassland Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, Hohhot, China
| | - Haoting Zhang
- College of Grassland Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, Hohhot, China
| | - Fan Bu
- College of Grassland Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, Hohhot, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- College of Grassland Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, Hohhot, China
| | - Xiaodong Wu
- College of Grassland Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, Hohhot, China
| | - Shuai Yuan
- College of Grassland Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, Hohhot, China
| | - Heping Fu
- College of Grassland Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Rodent Ecology and Pest Controlled at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources, Ministry of Education, Hohhot, China
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3
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Brehm AM, Orrock JL. Suggestions for optimizing a global behavioral trait database. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:607-608. [PMID: 38811281 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Brehm
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - John L Orrock
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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4
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Cheng J, Zhang M, Yan X, Zhang C, Zhang J, Luo Y. Effects of Seed Size and Frequency on Seed Dispersal and Predation by Small Mammals. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:353. [PMID: 38785835 PMCID: PMC11117508 DOI: 10.3390/biology13050353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Frequency-dependent predation is common in predator-prey interactions. Size is an important characteristic of seeds and is crucial in the regeneration stage of plant seeds. However, the frequency dependence of animal predation on seed size has not been reported. In this study, we conducted a field experiment and used different sizes of Liaodong oak (Quercus wutaishanica) seeds to test the frequency dependence of intraspecific seed size selection in rodents. We used the number ratio of large to small seeds as the frequency. The results show that the rate of small seeds being eaten in situ was significantly higher than that of large seeds (p < 0.05). The rates of different-sized seeds being eaten after removal decreased with increasing frequencies, and there was no significant difference between frequencies except for 1:9 and 9:1. The rates of large seeds being scatter-hoarded were significantly higher than those of small seeds at different frequencies (p < 0.05). The eating distances after removal of large seeds were significantly longer than those of small seeds at the same frequencies (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the scatter-hoarding distances of large seeds were significantly longer than those of small seeds at three frequencies (1:9, 3:7, and 9:1) (p < 0.05). That is, rodents consumed more small seeds in situ, dispersed and scatter-hoarded more large seeds, and dispersed large seeds over longer distances. Rodents exhibited a negative frequency dependence for small seeds and a positive frequency dependence for large seeds on being eaten in situ. Moreover, rodents exhibited a negative frequency dependence for large seeds and a positive frequency dependence for small seeds on being eaten after removal and scatter-hoarding. These results reveal the frequency dependence of rodent selection on seed size and provide new insights into animal-mediated seed dispersal and the regeneration of plant populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiming Cheng
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; (M.Z.); (C.Z.)
| | - Min Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; (M.Z.); (C.Z.)
| | - Xingfu Yan
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
- Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection of Agro-Pastoral Ecotones in the Yellow River Basin, National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; (M.Z.); (C.Z.)
| | - Jinfeng Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810016, China;
| | - Yonghong Luo
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, North Minzu University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010000, China
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5
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Gan L, Tian S, Wang D, Liu W. Boldness suppresses hoarding behavior in food hoarding season and reduces over-wintering survival in a social rodent. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11252. [PMID: 38601856 PMCID: PMC11004661 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11252] [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: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The "pace-of-life" syndrome (POLS) framework can encompass multiple personality axes that drive important functional behaviors (e.g., foraging behavior) and that co-vary with multiple life history traits. Food hoarding is an adaptive behavior important for an animal's ability to adapt to seasonal fluctuations in food availability. However, the empirical evidence for the relationships between animal personality and hoarding behavior remains unclear, including its fitness consequences in the POLS framework. In this study, the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus), a social rodent, was used as a model system to investigate how boldness or shyness is associated with food hoarding strategies during the food hoarding season and their impact on over-winter survival and reproduction at both individual and group levels. The results of this study showed that, compared with shy gerbils, bold gerbils had a lower effort foraging strategy during the food hoarding season and exhibited lower over-winter survival rates. However, bold-shy personality differences had no effect on over-winter reproduction. These findings suggest that the personality is a crucial factor influencing the foraging strategy during the food hoarding season in Mongolian gerbils. Personality may be related to energy states or the reaction to environmental changes (e.g., predation risk and food availability) in bold or shy social animals. These results reflect animal life history trade-offs between current versus future reproduction and reproduction versus self-maintenance, thereby helping Mongolian gerbils in adapting to seasonal fluctuations in their habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life SciencesNanjing Normal UniversityNanjingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Shuang‐Jie Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic InteractionsUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - De‐Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- School of Life SciencesShandong UniversityQingdaoChina
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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6
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Humphreys BR, Mortelliti A. Pilfering personalities: Effects of small mammal personality on cache pilferage. J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 38500218 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14059] [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] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Small mammals such as mice and voles play a fundamental role in the ecosystem service of seed dispersal by caching seeds in small hoards that germinate under beneficial conditions. Pilferage is a critical step in this process in which animals steal seeds from other individuals' caches. Pilferers often recache stolen seeds, which are often pilfered by new individuals, who may recache again, and so on, potentially leading to compounded increased dispersal distance. However, little research has investigated intraspecific differences in pilfering frequency, despite its importance in better understanding the role of behavioural diversity in the valuable ecosystem service of seed dispersal. We conducted a field experiment in Maine (USA) investigating how intraspecific variation, including personality, influences pilferage effectiveness. Within the context of a long-term capture-mark-recapture study, we measured the unique personality of 3311 individual small mammals of 10 species over a 7-year period. For this experiment, we created artificial caches using eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) seeds monitored with trail cameras and buried antennas for individual identification. Of the 436 caches created, 83.5% were pilfered by 10 species, including deer mice ((Peromyscus maniculatus) and southern red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi). We show how individuals differ in their ability to pilfer seeds and that these differences are driven by personality, body condition and sex. More exploratory deer mice and those with lower body condition were more likely to locate a cache, and female southern red-backed voles were more likely than males to locate caches. Also, caches were more likely to be pilfered in areas of higher small mammal abundance. Because the risk of pilferage drives decisions concerning where an animal chooses to store seeds, pilferage pressure is thought to drive the evolution of food-hoarding behaviour. Our study shows that pilferage ability varies between individuals, meaning that some individuals have a disproportionately strong influence on others' caching decisions and disproportionately contribute to compounded longer-distance seed dispersal facilitated by pilferage. Our results add to a growing body of knowledge showing that the unique personalities of individual small mammals play a critical role in forest regeneration by impacting seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigit R Humphreys
- 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 Science, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
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7
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Zhang J, Wang B. Intraspecific variation in seed size is mediated by seed dispersal modes and animal dispersers - evidence from a global-scale dataset. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:461-470. [PMID: 37858964 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Seed dispersal mechanisms play a crucial role in driving evolutionary changes in seed and fruit traits. While previous studies have primarily focussed on the mean or maximum values of these traits, there is also significant intraspecific variation in them. Therefore, it is pertinent to investigate whether dispersal mechanisms can explain intraspecific variations in these traits. Taking seed size as a case study, we compiled a global dataset comprising 3424 records of intraspecific variation in seed size (IVSS), belonging to 691 plant species and 131 families. We provided the first comprehensive quantification of dispersal mechanism effects on IVSS. Biotic-dispersed species exhibited a larger IVSS than abiotic-dispersed species. Synzoochory species had a larger IVSS than endozoochory, epizoochory, and myrmecochory species. Vertebrate-dispersed species exhibited a larger IVSS than invertebrate-dispersed species, and species dispersed by birds exhibited a larger IVSS than mammal-dispersed species. Additionally, a clear negative correlation was detected between IVSS and disperser body mass. Our results prove that the IVSS is associated with the seed dispersal mechanism. This study advances our understanding of the dispersal mechanisms' crucial role in seed size evolution, encompassing not only the mean value but also the variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyu Zhang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, 230601, China
| | - Bo Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, 230601, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, 230601, China
- Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-Term Scientific Research Base, Dongzhi, Anhui, 247230, China
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8
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Brehm AM, Orrock JL. Extensive behavioral data contained within existing ecological datasets. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:1129-1133. [PMID: 37793967 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Long-term ecological datasets contain vast behavioral data, enabling the quantification of among-individual behavioral variation at unprecedented spatiotemporal scales. We detail how behaviors can be extracted and describe how such data can be used to test new hypotheses, inform population and community ecology, and address pressing conservation needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Brehm
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - John L Orrock
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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9
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Dantzer B, Mabry KE, Bernhardt JR, Cox RM, Francis CD, Ghalambor CK, Hoke KL, Jha S, Ketterson E, Levis NA, McCain KM, Patricelli GL, Paull SH, Pinter-Wollman N, Safran RJ, Schwartz TS, Throop HL, Zaman L, Martin LB. Understanding Organisms Using Ecological Observatory Networks. Integr Org Biol 2023; 5:obad036. [PMID: 37867910 PMCID: PMC10586040 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obad036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities are rapidly changing ecosystems around the world. These changes have widespread implications for the preservation of biodiversity, agricultural productivity, prevalence of zoonotic diseases, and sociopolitical conflict. To understand and improve the predictive capacity for these and other biological phenomena, some scientists are now relying on observatory networks, which are often composed of systems of sensors, teams of field researchers, and databases of abiotic and biotic measurements across multiple temporal and spatial scales. One well-known example is NEON, the US-based National Ecological Observatory Network. Although NEON and similar networks have informed studies of population, community, and ecosystem ecology for years, they have been minimally used by organismal biologists. NEON provides organismal biologists, in particular those interested in NEON's focal taxa, with an unprecedented opportunity to study phenomena such as range expansions, disease epidemics, invasive species colonization, macrophysiology, and other biological processes that fundamentally involve organismal variation. Here, we use NEON as an exemplar of the promise of observatory networks for understanding the causes and consequences of morphological, behavioral, molecular, and physiological variation among individual organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,USA
| | - K E Mabry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,USA
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003,USA
| | - J R Bernhardt
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003,USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - R M Cox
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22940,USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407,USA
| | - C D Francis
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407,USA
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N‐7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - C K Ghalambor
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N‐7491 Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - K L Hoke
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - S Jha
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712,USA
| | - E Ketterson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405,USA
| | - N A Levis
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47405,USA
| | - K M McCain
- Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Center, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612,USA
| | - G L Patricelli
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616,USA
| | - S H Paull
- Battelle, National Ecological Observatory Network, 1685 38th Street, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - N Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - R J Safran
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309,USA
| | - T S Schwartz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - H L Throop
- School of Earth and Space Exploration and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - L Zaman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,USA
- Center for the Study of Complex Systems, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - L B Martin
- Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Center and Center for Genomics, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612,USA
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10
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Zhang M, Yang X, Dong Z, Liu S, Chen H, Yi X. Behavioral adaptation of sympatric rodents to early germination of oak acorns: radicle pruning and embryo excision. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1135312. [PMID: 37229139 PMCID: PMC10203563 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1135312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The seed germination schedule is a key factor affecting the food-hoarding behavior of animals and the seedling regeneration of plants. However, little is known about the behavioral adaptation of rodents to the rapid germination of acorns. In this study, we provided Quercus variabilis acorns to several rodent species to investigate how food-hoarding animals respond to seed germination. We found that only Apodemus peninsulae adopted embryo excision behavior to counteract seed germination, which is the first report of embryo excision in nonsquirrel rodents. We speculated that this species may be at an early stage of the evolutionary response to seed perishability in rodents, given the low rate of embryo excision in this species. On the contrary, all rodent species preferred to prune the radicles of germinating acorns before caching, suggesting that radicle pruning is a stable and more general foraging behavior strategy for food-hoarding rodents. Furthermore, scatter-hoarding rodents preferred to scatter-hoard and prune more germinating acorns, whereas they consumed more nongerminating acorns. Acorns with embryos excised rather than radicles pruned were much less likely to germinate than intact acorns, suggesting a behavioral adaptation strategy by rodents to the rapid germination of recalcitrant seeds. This study provides insight into the impact of early seed germination on plant-animal interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Zhang
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xifu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhong Dong
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Shuyuan Liu
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Huanhuan Chen
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xianfeng Yi
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China
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11
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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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12
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Small mammal personalities generate context dependence in the seed dispersal mutualism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2113870119. [PMID: 35377818 PMCID: PMC9169644 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113870119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualisms are foundational components of ecosystems with the capacity to generate biodiversity through adaptation and coevolution and give rise to essential services such as pollination and seed dispersal. To understand how mutualistic interactions shape communities and ecosystems, we must identify the mechanisms that underlie their functioning. One mechanism that may drive mutualisms to vary in space and time is the unique behavioral types, or personalities, of the individuals involved. Here, our goal was to examine interindividual variation in the seed dispersal mutualism and identify the role that different personalities play. In a field experiment, we observed individual deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) with known personality traits predating and dispersing seeds in a natural environment and classified all observed interactions made by individuals as either positive or negative. We then scored mice on a continuum from antagonistic to mutualistic and found that within a population of scatter hoarders, some individuals are more mutualistic than others and that one factor driving this distinction is animal personality. Through this empirical work, we provide a conceptual advancement to the study of mutualism by integrating it with the study of intraspecific behavioral variation. These findings indicate that animal personality is a previously overlooked mechanism generating context dependence in plant–animal interactions and suggest that behavioral diversity may have important consequences for the functioning of mutualisms.
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