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Salgado R, Barja I, Hernández MDC, Lucero B, Castro-Arellano I, Bonacic C, Rubio AV. Activity patterns and interactions of rodents in an assemblage composed by native species and the introduced black rat: implications for pathogen transmission. BMC ZOOL 2022; 7:48. [PMID: 36042784 PMCID: PMC9412813 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-022-00152-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The degree of temporal overlap between sympatric wild hosts species and their behavioral interactions can be highly relevant to the transmission of pathogens. However, this topic has been scantly addressed. Furthermore, temporal overlap and interactions within an assemblage of wild rodents composed of native and introduced species have been rarely discussed worldwide. We assessed the nocturnal activity patterns and interactions between rodent taxa of an assemblage consisting of native species (Oligoryzomys longicaudatus, Abrothrix hirta, and Abrothrix olivaceus) and the introduced black rat (Rattus rattus) in a temperate forest from southern Chile. All rodent species in this study are known hosts for various zoonotic pathogens.
Results
We found a high nocturnal temporal overlap within the rodent assemblage. However, pairwise comparisons of temporal activity patterns indicated significant differences among all taxa. Rattus rattus showed aggressive behaviors against all native rodents more frequently than against their conspecifics. As for native rodents, agonistic behaviors were the most common interactions between individuals of the same taxon and between individuals of different taxa (O. longicaudatus vs Abrothrix spp.).
Conclusions
Our findings reveal several interactions among rodent taxa that may have implications for pathogens such as hantaviruses, Leptospira spp., and vector-borne pathogens. Furthermore, their transmission may be facilitated by the temporal overlap observed between rodent taxa.
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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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Morais T, Rosa C, Azevedo C, Viana-Junior A, Santos P, Passamani M. Factors affecting space use by wild boars (Sus scrofa) in high-elevation tropical forests. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The wild boar (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758) is considered one of the 100 worst invasive species in the world and is present in the high-elevation forests in Brazil. Our objective was to understand how landscape and atmospheric conditions affect space use by wild boars. We hypothesized that wild boars would be more frequent at lower elevations, warmer and wetter forested areas, and away from human disturbances. After three years of data collection (2013–2016) using 16 camera traps, 881 independent records were obtained with a mean of 4.44 ± 9.25 pigs per record. Wild boar frequency of occurrence was higher at lower elevations, in more humid and warmer areas, and farther away human disturbance factors, corroborating our initial hypothesis. Understanding space-use patterns of wild boars is necessary for the design of management strategies that target areas of more intense usage, as well as for defining more effective population-control techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- T.A. Morais
- Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Praça Frei Orlando, 170, Centro, CEP 36307-352, São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - C.A. Rosa
- Universidade Federal de Lavras, Departamento de Biologia. Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação de Mamíferos, Av. Central, s/n, Campus Universitário, CEP 37200-000, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - C.S. Azevedo
- Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Bauxita, CEP 35.400-000, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | | | - P. Santos
- Universidade de Évora. Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Departamento de Paisagem, Ambiente e Ordenamento, Largo dos Colegiais, 2, 7000, Évora, Portugal
| | - M. Passamani
- Universidade Federal de Lavras, Departamento de Biologia. Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação de Mamíferos, Av. Central, s/n, Campus Universitário, CEP 37200-000, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil
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Tella JL, Blanco G, Dénes FV, Hiraldo F. Overlooked Parrot Seed Dispersal in Australia and South America: Insights on the Evolution of Dispersal Syndromes and Seed Size in Araucaria Trees. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Gómez JM, Schupp EW, Jordano P. Synzoochory: the ecological and evolutionary relevance of a dual interaction. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:874-902. [PMID: 30467946 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José María Gómez
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Ctra Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, E-04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Eugene W Schupp
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, S. J. and Jesse E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, 5230 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230,, U.S.A
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Departamento de Ecología Integrativa, Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avda. Americo Vespucio S/N, E-41092 Sevilla, Spain
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Speziale KL, Lambertucci SA, Gleiser G, Tella JL, Hiraldo F, Aizen MA. An overlooked plant-parakeet mutualism counteracts human overharvesting on an endangered tree. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171456. [PMID: 29410848 PMCID: PMC5792925 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The exponential growth of the human population often causes the overexploitation of resources and disruption of ecological interactions. Here, we propose that the antagonist effect of humans on exploited species might be alleviated with the advent of a second predator species. We focused on the complex interactions between an endangered conifer (Araucaria araucana) and two seed exploiters: the Austral parakeet (Enicognathus ferrugineus) and human seed collectors. We tested the importance of partial seed consumption by parakeets as an escape from human seed harvesting. Although parakeets frequently ate whole seeds, a substantial proportion of the seeds found under trees were only partially eaten and avoided by human seed collectors. These seeds germinated at a similar proportion but faster than intact seeds under laboratory conditions. Our results revealed an overlooked mutualism between parakeets and an endangered tree. Incomplete seed eating by parakeets, plus selection against these eaten seeds by humans, may enhance regeneration possibilities for this conifer species subject to human seed collection, turning the scale of the antagonism-mutualism continuum to the mutualistic side. In this context, parakeets might be providing an important service in those forests subject to human harvesting by allowing a fraction of seeds to escape human predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina L. Speziale
- Grupo de Biología de la Conservación, Laboratorio ECOTONO, INIBIOMA (CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Sergio A. Lambertucci
- Grupo de Biología de la Conservación, Laboratorio ECOTONO, INIBIOMA (CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Gleiser
- Grupo de Ecología de la Polinización, Laboratorio ECOTONO, INIBIOMA (CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - José L. Tella
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación, Estación Biológica Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Fernando Hiraldo
- Departamento de Biología de la Conservación, Estación Biológica Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Marcelo A. Aizen
- Grupo de Ecología de la Polinización, Laboratorio ECOTONO, INIBIOMA (CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
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Milesi FA, Guichón ML, Monteverde MJ, Piudo L, Sanguinetti J. Ecological consequences of an unusual simultaneous masting ofAraucaria araucanaandChusquea culeouin North-West Patagonia, Argentina. AUSTRAL ECOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando A. Milesi
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA, UNCo-CONICET); Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Neuquén (CEAN); Ruta 61 Km. 3 8371 Junín de los Andes Argentina
| | - María Laura Guichón
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA, UNCo-CONICET); Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Neuquén (CEAN); Ruta 61 Km. 3 8371 Junín de los Andes Argentina
| | - Martín J. Monteverde
- Dirección de Ecosistemas Terrestres; Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Neuquén (CEAN); Junín de los Andes Argentina
| | - Luciana Piudo
- Dirección de Ecosistemas Terrestres; Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Neuquén (CEAN); Junín de los Andes Argentina
| | - Javier Sanguinetti
- Parque Nacional Lanín; Administración de Parques Nacionales (APN); San Martín de los Andes Argentina
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Ribeiro JF, Vieira EM. Interactions between a seed-eating neotropical rodent, the Azara's agouti (Dasyprocta azarae), and the Brazilian ‘pine’Araucaria angustifolia. AUSTRAL ECOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juliana F. Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia; Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos; Departamento de Ecologia; Universidade de Brasília; Brazil
| | - Emerson M. Vieira
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos - Zoologia; CP 04457. Universidade doVale do Rio dos Sinos; São Leopoldo RS 70919-970 Brazil
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