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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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2
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Mahoney SM, Pasch B. Evolutionary lability of food caching behaviour in mammals. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:862-875. [PMID: 38831563 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Food hoarding provides animals access to resources during periods of scarcity. Studies on mammalian caching indicate associations with brain size, seasonality and diet but are biased to a subset of rodents. Whether the behaviour is generalizable at other taxonomic scales and/or is influenced by other ecological factors is less understood. Population density may influence food caching due to food competition or pilferage, but this remains untested in a comparative framework. Using phylogenetic analyses, we assessed the role of morphology (body and brain size), climate, diet breadth and population density on food caching behaviour evolution at multiple taxonomic scales. We also used a long-term dataset on caching behaviour of red squirrels (Tamiasciurus fremonti) to test key factors (climate and population density) on hoarding intensity. Consistent with previous smaller scale studies, we found the mammalian ancestral state for food caching was larderhoarding, and scatterhoarding was derived. Caching strategy was strongly associated with brain size, population density and climate. Mammals with larger brains and hippocampal volumes were more likely to scatterhoard, and species living at higher population densities and in colder climates were more likely to larderhoard. Finer-scale analyses within families, sub-families and tribes indicated that the behaviour is evolutionary labile. Brain size in family Sciuridae and tribe Marmotini was larger in scatterhoarders, but not in other tribes. Scatterhoarding in tribe Marmotini was more likely in species with lower population densities while scatterhoarding in tribe Sciurini was associated with warmer climates. Red squirrel larderhoarding intensity was positively related to population density but not climate, implicating food competition or pilferage as an important mechanism mediating caching behaviour. Our results are consistent with previous smaller-scale studies on food caching and indicate the evolutionary patterns of mammalian food caching are broadly generalizable. Given the lability of caching behaviour as evidenced by the variability of our results at finer phylogenetic scales, comparative analyses must consider taxonomic scale. Applying our results to conservation could prove useful as changes in population density or climate may select for different food caching strategies and thus can inform management of threatened and endangered species and their habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Mahoney
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Bret Pasch
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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3
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Li D, Zhang C, Cao Y, Gao M, Chang S, Xu M, Jin Z, Ni H. Food preference strategy of four sympatric rodents in a temperate forest in northeast China. Zookeys 2023; 1158:163-177. [PMID: 37234253 PMCID: PMC10208086 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1158.96886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodents are well known as both seed predators and dispersers of various plant species in forest ecosystems, and they play an important role in the regeneration of vegetation. Thus, the research on seed selection and vegetation regeneration by sympatric rodents is an interesting topic. To understand the characteristics of preferences of rodents for different seeds, a semi-natural enclosure experiment was performed with four rodent species (Apodemuspeninsulae, Apodemusagrarius, Tscherskiatriton, and Clethrionomysrufocanus) and the seeds of seven plant species (Pinuskoraiensis, Corylusmandshurica, Quercusmongolica, Juglansmandshurica, Armeniacasibirica, Prunussalicina, and Cerasustomentosa) to investigate the differentiation in niches and patterns of resource utilization of sympatric rodents. The results showed that all the rodents had consumed many seeds of Pi.koraiensis, Co.mandshurica, and Q.mongolica but differed significantly in how they selected the different seeds. The rate of utilization (Ri) of Pi.koraiensis, Co.mandshurica, and Q.mongolica exhibited the highest values. The Ei values indicated that the rodents tested exhibited differences in their priorities used to select the seeds from different plant species. All four species of rodents exhibited obvious preferences for certain seeds. Korean field mice preferentially consumed the seeds of Q.mongolica, Co.mandshurica, and Pi.koraiensis. Striped field mice favor the seeds of Co.mandshurica, Q.mongolica, P.koraiensis, and Nanking cherry. Greater long-tailed hamsters prefer to consume the seeds of Pi.koraiensis, Co.mandshurica, Q.mongolica, Pr.salicina, and Ce.tomentosa. Clethrionomysrufocanus likes to eat the seeds of Pi.koraiensis, Q.mongolica, Co.mandshurica, and Ce.tomentosa. The results supported our hypothesis that sympatric rodents overlap in food selection. However, each rodent species has a marked preference for food selection, and different rodent species differ in their food preferences. This reflects the role of distinct food niche differentiation in their coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianwei Li
- Heilongjiang Academy of Forestry, No. 134 Haping Road, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, ChinaHeilongjiang Academy of ForestryHarbinChina
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, ChinaMudanjiang Normal UniversityMudanjiangChina
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, No. 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, ChinaNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
| | - Chengzhi Zhang
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, ChinaMudanjiang Normal UniversityMudanjiangChina
| | - Yuwei Cao
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, ChinaMudanjiang Normal UniversityMudanjiangChina
| | - Ming Gao
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, ChinaMudanjiang Normal UniversityMudanjiangChina
| | - Shiqi Chang
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, ChinaMudanjiang Normal UniversityMudanjiangChina
| | - Menghao Xu
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, ChinaMudanjiang Normal UniversityMudanjiangChina
| | - Zhimin Jin
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, ChinaMudanjiang Normal UniversityMudanjiangChina
| | - Hongwei Ni
- Heilongjiang Academy of Forestry, No. 134 Haping Road, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, ChinaHeilongjiang Academy of ForestryHarbinChina
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Liu H, Zhang J, Wang B. Contrasting seed traits of co-existing seeds lead to a complex neighbor effect in a seed-rodent interaction. Oecologia 2023; 201:1017-1024. [PMID: 36971820 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05365-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Scatter-hoarding rodents play important roles in seed dispersal and predation in many forest ecosystems. Existing studies have shown that the seed foraging preference of rodents is directly affected by seed traits and indirectly affected by the traits of other co-existing seeds nearby (i.e., neighbor effect). Plant seeds exhibit a combination of diverse seed traits, including seed size, chemical defense, and nutrient content. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate the influence of each single seed trait on such neighbor effects. Here, by using artificial seeds, we investigated the impacts of contrasts in seed size, tannin content, and nutrient content on neighbor effects. We tracked 9000 tagged artificial seeds from 30 seed-seed paired treatments in a subtropical forest in southwest China. The contrast in seed size between paired seeds created obvious neighbor effects measured through three seed dispersal related indicators: the proportion of seeds being removed, the proportion of seeds cached, and the distance transported by rodents. However, the magnitudes and the signs of the neighbor effects differed among pairs, including both apparent mutualism and apparent competition, depending on the contrast in seed size between paired seeds. The contrasts of tannin and nutrient content between paired seeds showed relatively few neighbor effects. Our results suggest that the contrast in seed traits between the target seed and its neighboring seeds should be considered when studying rodent-seed interactions. Furthermore, we expect that similar complex neighbor effects may also exist in other plant-animal interactions, such as pollination and herbivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Liu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Jinyu Zhang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Bo Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China.
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration (Anhui University), Hefei, 230601, China.
- Anhui Shengjin Lake Wetland Ecology National Long-Term Scientific Research Base, Dongzhi, Chizhou, 247230, China.
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5
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Schoepf I, Pillay N. Multiple interacting factors affect seed predation in an African savanna small mammal community. J Mammal 2023. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Multiple factors affect seed predation, including seed traits, habitat type, seed predator community composition, predation risk, and seasonality. How all these factors and their interactions simultaneously influence seed predation has rarely been tested experimentally in situ. Here, we assessed the relative contribution of the factors driving seed predation in an African savanna rodent community, comprising six ecologically similar species. We first conducted seed preference tests under semicaptive conditions to determine which seed trait (size, shell hardness, nutritional content) influenced seed predation. Then we performed in situ experiments to establish whether rodent community composition (diversity and abundance), seed type, habitat type, seasonality, predation risk, and their interactions affected seed predation. Semicaptive experiments showed that rodents preferred smaller, lighter seeds, containing relatively high water content. In situ experiments showed that predation risk was an important factor influencing seed predation, with rodents removing considerably more seeds in areas where predation risk was lower. Habitat type also affected seed predation, but its effects were strongly linked to predation risk. In areas where predation risk was higher, rodents removed more seeds in more heterogeneous habitats, whereas in areas where predation risk was lower, rodents removed more seeds in less heterogeneous habitats. Seasonality was the least influential factor shaping seed predation. Rodents removed more seeds in winter compared to other seasons, but only in areas where predation risk was low. We provide experimental evidence for a multifaceted approach to understanding the relative contribution of the different factors driving variation in seed predation in natural communities and show that these factors are likely hierarchically arranged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Schoepf
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Witwatersrand , Johannesburg , South Africa
- Department of Science, University of Alberta , Augustana Campus, Camrose, Alberta , Canada
| | - Neville Pillay
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Witwatersrand , Johannesburg , South Africa
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Li D, Liu J, Zhang C, Cao Y, Gao M, Jin Z, Shan H, Ni H. Effects of habitat differences on the scatter-hoarding behaviour of rodents (Mammalia, Rodentia) in temperate forests. Zookeys 2023; 1141:169-183. [DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1141.96883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
To discover the differences in hoarding strategies of rodents for different seeds in different habitats, we labelled and released three different types of seeds, including Pinus koraiensis, Corylus mandshurica, and Quercus mongolica, in temperate forests of northeastern China and investigated the fate of seeds in four different habitats that included a broad-leaved forest, mixed-forest edge, mixed forest, and artificial larch forest. Our research showed that the hoarding strategy of rodents was found to vary substantially in different habitats. The survival curves of seeds from different habitats showed the same trend, but the rates of consumption in different habitats varied. More than 50% of the seeds in the four habitats were consumed by the tenth day. It took 20 days to consume more than 70% of the seeds. The rate of consumption of P. koraiensis seeds reached 96.70%; 99.09% of the C. mandshurica seeds were consumed, and 93.07% of the Q. mongolica seeds were consumed. The seeds were consumed most quickly in the artificial larch forest. In general, most of the early seeds were quickly devoured. After day 20, the consumption gradually decreased. Rodents found the seeds in the artificial larch forest in a shorter average time than those in the other types of forests. The average earliest discovery time was 1.4 ± 0.9 d (1–3 d). The average earliest discovery time in all the other three habitats exceeded 7 d. The median removal times (MRT) was distributed around the seeds at 14.24 ± 10.53 d (1–60 d). There were significant differences in the MRT among different habitats. It was shortest in the artificial larch forest at 7.67 ± 6.80 d (1–28 d). In contrast, the MRT in the broad-leaved forest was the longest at 17.52 ± 12.91 d (4–60 d). There were significant differences in the MRT between the artificial larch forest and the other habitats. There was less predation of the three types of seeds at the mixed-forest edge, and the most seeds were dispersed. The rates of predation of the P. koraiensis, C. mandshurica, and Q. mongolica seeds were 28.33%, 15.83%, and 44.0%, and 59.17%, 84.17%, and 48.0% of the seeds were dispersed, respectively. The average dispersal distances of all the seeds were less than 6 m, and the longest distance recorded was 18.66 m. The dispersal distances and burial depths differed significantly among the four types of habitats. The distance of seed dispersal was primarily distributed in 1–6 m.
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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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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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Morán-López T, Sánchez-Dávila J, Torre I, Navarro-Castilla A, Barja I, Díaz M. Ungulate presence and predation risks reduce acorn predation by mice in dehesas. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0260419. [PMID: 35969588 PMCID: PMC9377575 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Foraging decisions by rodents are key for the long-term maintenance of oak populations in which avian seed dispersers are absent or inefficient. Decisions are determined by the environmental setting in which acorn-rodent encounters occur. In particular, seed value, competition and predation risks have been found to modify rodent foraging decisions in forest and human-modified habitats. Nonetheless, there is little information about their joint effects on rodent behavior, and hence, local acorn dispersal (or predation). In this work, we manipulate and model the mouse-oak interaction in a Spanish dehesa, an anthropogenic savanna system in which nearby areas can show contrasting levels of ungulate densities and antipredatory cover. First, we conducted a large-scale cafeteria field experiment, where we modified ungulate presence and predation risk, and followed mouse foraging decisions under contrasting levels of moonlight and acorn availability. Then, we estimated the net effects of competition and risk by means of a transition probability model that simulated mouse foraging decisions. Our results show that mice are able to adapt their foraging decisions to the environmental context, affecting initial fates of handled acorns. Under high predation risks mice foraged opportunistically carrying away large and small seeds, whereas under safe conditions large acorns tended to be predated in situ. In addition, in the presence of ungulates lack of antipredatory cover around trees reduced mice activity outside tree canopies, and hence, large acorns had a higher probability of survival. Overall, our results point out that inter-specific interactions preventing efficient foraging by scatter-hoarders can reduce acorn predation. This suggests that the maintenance of the full set of seed consumers as well as top predators in dehesas may be key for promoting local dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Morán-López
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Black River, Argentina
| | - Jesús Sánchez-Dávila
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change (BGC-MNCN-CSIC), National Museum of Natural Sciences, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignasi Torre
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Granollers (MCNG), Granollers, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alvaro Navarro-Castilla
- Departament of Biology, Unit of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Departament of Biology, Unit of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM) Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Díaz
- Department of Biogeography and Global Change (BGC-MNCN-CSIC), National Museum of Natural Sciences, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Zhang Y, Yu F, Yi X, Zhou W, Liu R, Holyoak M, Cao L, Zhang M, Chen J, Zhang Z, Yan C. Evolutionary and ecological patterns of scatter- and larder-hoarding behaviours in rodents. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1202-1214. [PMID: 35230727 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Scatter- and larder hoarding are the primary strategies of food-hoarding animals and have important implications for plant-animal interactions and plant recruitment. However, their origins and influencing factors have not been fully investigated across a wide range of taxa. Our systematic literature search amassed data for 183 seed-hoarding rodent species worldwide and tested relationships of seed-hoarding behaviours with phylogenetic signal, functional traits and environmental factors. We found that the evolution of hoarding strategies was not random in phylogeny, and scatter hoarding originated independently multiple times from larder hoarding. Rodents with higher encephalisation quotient (relative brain size), omnivorous diet (related to dependence on seeds) and inhabiting lower latitudes were disproportionately likely to scatter hoard. Despite body mass's potential relationship with competition through food defence, it was associated with food-hoarding strategy only in a few families. Our results show the need to study the community and ecological context of food-hoarding behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Fei Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Xianfeng Yi
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China
| | - Weiwei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Rui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Marcel Holyoak
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Lin Cao
- School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Mingming Zhang
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Jiani Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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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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Limited influence of experimentally induced predation risk on granivory in a tropical forest. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467422000050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Seed predation by rodents can strongly influence plant recruitment and establishment. The extent to which predation risk indirectly alters plant survival in tropical forests via impacts on granivory is unclear, making it difficult to assess the cascading impacts of widespread predator loss on tree recruitment and species composition. Experimental field studies that manipulate predation risk can help address these knowledge gaps and reveal whether antipredator responses among small mammals influence plant survival. We used camera traps and seed predation experiments to test the effects of perceived predation risk (via predator urine gel) on foraging behaviour of and seed removal by murid rodents in an unlogged and unhunted rainforest in Malaysian Borneo. We also explored the influence of seed traits (e.g., seed size) on removal by granivores and assessed whether granivore preferences for particular species were affected by predator urine. Murid visits to seed plots were positively related to overall seed removal, but were not affected by predator scent. Granivory was the lowest for the largest-seeded (>6 g) plant in our study, but was not influenced by predation risk. Predator urine significantly affected removal of one seed taxon (Dimoocarpus, ∼0.8 g), suggesting that removal by granivores may be affected by predation risk for some seed species but not others. This could have implications for plant species composition but may not affect the overall level of granivory.
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Chen S, Feng L, Wang B. Seed size affects rodent-seed interaction consistently across plant species but not within species: evidence from a seed tracking experiment of 41 tree species. Integr Zool 2021; 17:930-943. [PMID: 34936198 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Scatter-hoarding rodents play a crucial role in seed survival and seed dispersal. As one of the most important seed traits, seed size and its effect on rodent-seed interaction attract lots of attention. Current studies usually target one or a few species and show inconsistent patterns; however, few experiments include a large number of species although many plant species usually coexist in natural forest and overlap in fruiting time. Here, we tracked the dispersal and predation of 26,100 seeds belonging to 41 tree species in a subtropical forest for two years. Most species showed no relationships between seed size and rodent foraging preference, while the remaining species displayed diverse of patterns: monotonic decrease and increase trends, and hump-shaped and U-shaped patterns, indicating that a one-off study with a few species might give misleading information. However, the seed size effect across species was consistent in both years, indicating that including a large number of species that hold a sufficient range of seed size may avoid the aforementioned bias. Interestingly, seed size effect differed among rodent foraging processes: a negative effect on seed harvest, a hump-shaped effect on seed removal and removal distance, while a positive effect on overwinter survival of cached seeds, indicating that rodents may make trade-offs between large and small seeds both among foraging processes and within a single process, thus lead to a parabolic relationship between seed size and seed dispersal success, i.e., medium-sized seeds were more likely to be removed and cached, and transported with a further distance. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Chen
- Ailaoshan Station of Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Studies, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jingdong, China.,School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Li Feng
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Bo Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
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14
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Mittelman P, Dracxler CM, Santos-Coutinho PRO, Pires AS. Sowing forests: a synthesis of seed dispersal and predation by agoutis and their influence on plant communities. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2425-2445. [PMID: 34156131 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Granivorous rodents have been traditionally regarded as antagonistic seed predators. Agoutis (Dasyprocta spp.), however, have also been recognized as mutualistic dispersers of plants because of their role as scatter-hoarders of seeds, especially for large-seeded species. A closer look shows that such definitions are too simplistic for these Neotropical animals because agoutis can influence plant communities not only through seed dispersal of large seeds but also through predation of small seeds and seedlings, evidencing their dual role. Herein, we summarize the literature on plant-agouti interactions, decompose agouti seed dispersal into its quantitative and qualitative components, and discuss how environmental factors and plant traits determine whether these interactions result in mutualisms or antagonisms. We also look at the role of agoutis in a community context, assessing their effectiveness as substitutes for extinct megafaunal frugivores and comparing their ecological functions to those of other extant dispersers of large seeds. We also discuss how our conclusions can be extended to the single other genus in the Dasyproctidae family (Myoprocta). Finally, we examine agoutis' contribution to carbon stocks and summarize current conservation threats and efforts. We recorded 164 interactions between agoutis and plants, which were widespread across the plant phylogeny, confirming that agoutis are generalist frugivores. Seed mass was a main factor determining seed hoarding probability of plant species and agoutis were found to disperse larger seeds than other large-bodied frugivores. Agoutis positively contributed to carbon storage by preying upon seeds of plants with lower carbon biomass and by dispersing species with higher biomass. This synthesis of plant-agouti interactions shows that ecological services provided by agoutis to plant populations and communities go beyond seed dispersal and predation, and we identify still unanswered questions. We hope to emphasise the importance of agoutis in Neotropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Mittelman
- Wildlife Sciences, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Buesgenweg 3, 37077, Germany.,Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil
| | - Caroline Marques Dracxler
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 94240, Amsterdam, 1090 GE, The Netherlands
| | - Pollyanna R O Santos-Coutinho
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, 23890-000, Brazil
| | - Alexandra S Pires
- Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, 23890-000, Brazil
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15
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Gopal A, Mudappa D, Raman TRS, Naniwadekar R. Seed fates of four rainforest tree species in the fragmented forests of Anamalais in the southern Western Ghats, India. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2020.103698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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16
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Wang M, Yi S, Ju M, Yi X. Tracking Animal-Dispersed Seedlings Using 15N Xylem Injection Method. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:582530. [PMID: 33995426 PMCID: PMC8120291 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.582530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Although various seed-marking methods have been developed for seed dispersal, it remains difficult to track the actual patterns of seed dispersal and seedling recruitment. Thus, new labeling methods that accurately track seedling establishment along with seed movement would help us better understand seed dispersal. Here, we developed a new nondestructive method using 15N xylem injection to track seed dispersal and seedling recruitment based on the enriched isotopic signals in the mature seeds. Our results first showed that xylem injection of 15N successfully enriched 15N both in the acorns and seedlings of Quercus variabilis. By marking acorns and seedlings with 15N stable isotopes, we successfully tracked seedlings established from acorns dispersed by seed-eating animals in the field. Our xylem 15N injection caused little alteration to seeds and showed no significant effects on seed selection by seed-eating animals as well as seed germination and seedling establishment, verifying the validity of the 15N xylem injection method to track seedling establishment. Our xylem 15N injection method is expected to be a powerful tool for tracking seed dispersal and seedling recruitment mediated by seed-eating animals in seed dispersal ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China
| | - Sijie Yi
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Mengyao Ju
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China
| | - Xianfeng Yi
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, China
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17
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Li D, Liu Y, Shan H, Li N, Hao J, Yang B, Peng T, Jin Z. Effects of season and food on the scatter-hoarding behavior of rodents in temperate forests of Northeast China. Zookeys 2021; 1025:73-89. [PMID: 33814946 PMCID: PMC7997858 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1025.60972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
To explore the differences in hoarding strategies of rodents for different seeds in various seasons, we labeled and released the seeds of Pinuskoraiensis, Corylusmandshurica, Quercusmongolica and Prunussibirica in temperate forests of Northeast China and investigated the fate of the seeds in spring and autumn. The analysis showed that the hoarding strategies of the rodents varied substantially between seasons. The seeds were consumed faster in the spring than in the autumn. More than 50% of the seeds in the two seasons were consumed by the 16th day. It took 36 days to consume 75% of the seeds in the spring and 44 days in the autumn. The rate of consumption of the seeds in the spring was greater than in the autumn, and the rate of spread of the seeds was greater in the autumn. The distances of removal for the consumption and dispersal of seeds in the spring (3.26 ± 3.21 m and 4.15 ± 3.52 m, respectively) were both shorter than those in the autumn (3.74 ± 3.41 m and 4.87 ± 3.94 m, respectively). In addition, the fate of different seeds varied significantly owing to differences in hoarding strategies. The seeds of the three preferred species, P.koraiensis, C.mandshurica, and Q.mongolica, were quickly consumed. More than 90% of the seeds of these species were consumed. Only 21% of Pr.sibirica seeds were slowly consumed, and the two seasons had the same seed consumption rate patterns: the consumption rate of P.koraiensis seeds was the highest, followed by C.mandshurica, then Q.mongolica, and finally Pr.sibirica. The median removal times of the two seasons were different, but the rules were the same: P.koraiensis was the shortest, followed by C.mandshurica, and the third was Q.mongolica. In both seasons, the most predated in situ seeds were those of P.koraiensis; the most hoarded seeds were those of C.mandshurica, and the most unconsumed seeds were those of Pr.sibirica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianwei Li
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China.,College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, No. 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China Northeast Forestry University Harbin China.,Heilongjiang Academy of Forestry, No. 134 Haping Road, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China Heilongjiang Academy of Forestry Harbin China
| | - Yang Liu
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China
| | - Hongjia Shan
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China
| | - Na Li
- Mudanjiang Medical School No. 5 Fangzhier Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157009, China Mudanjiang Medical School Mudanjiang China
| | - Jingwei Hao
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China
| | - Binbin Yang
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China
| | - Ting Peng
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China
| | - Zhimin Jin
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China
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18
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Li D, Hao J, Yao X, Liu Y, Peng T, Jin Z, Meng F. Observations of the foraging behavior and activity patterns of the Korean wood mouse, Apodemus peninsulae, in China, using infra-red cameras. Zookeys 2020; 992:139-155. [PMID: 33223908 PMCID: PMC7677297 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.992.57028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Apodemuspeninsulae, a dominant rodent species in temperature forests of northeastern China, is a model animal to explore the ecological functions of reciprocal coevolution of animals and plants. From August to October 2016, 24 infra-red cameras were installed to study the feeding behavior and activity patterns of A.peninsulae in its natural environment. By analyzing 5618 video records, we found that feeding behavior, followed by motor and sentinel behaviors, was their main activity. In the behavior spectra, motor behavior (creep, walk, and skip), feeding behavior (forage, feeding, transport, hoarding, and clean), and sentinel behavior (alert, flee, banishment, and coexistence) accounted for 57.96%, 40.36%, and 1.68% of their behavior, respectively. The peak of feeding behavior occurred between 18:00 and 23:00, and feeding behavior frequency, duration, and activity rhythms differ among August to October. Furthermore, activity was the greatest after sunset and before sunrise, indicating a nocturnal lifestyle; however, from August to October, the start time of the activity was earlier, and the end time was later than usual. On average, mice spent 21.6 ± 11.6 times/night feeding, with a duration of 63.58 ± 98.36 s; while they spent less time in foraging, 39.05 ± 51.63 s. We found a significant difference in feeding and foraging frequency, with mice spending on average 10.84 ± 9.85 times/night and 9.23 ± 11.17 times/night, respectively. Our results show that feeding and foraging behavior is also influenced by light intensity, suggesting a preference for crepuscular periods of the day. Infra-red cameras are very useful in detecting activity patterns of animals that are not easily observable; these cameras are able to capture a large amount of valuable information for research into ecological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianwei Li
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China.,Heilongjiang Academy of Forestry, No. 134 Haping Road, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, China Heilongjiang Academy of Forestry Harbin China
| | - Jingwei Hao
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China
| | - Xu Yao
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China
| | - Yang Liu
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China
| | - Ting Peng
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China
| | - Zhimin Jin
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China
| | - Fanxing Meng
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, No. 191 Wenhua Road, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157011, China Mudanjiang Normal University Mudanjiang China
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19
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Wang B. Neighbour effects do not always show consistent patterns, contrast of seed trait matters: evidence from a seed-rodent mutualism study. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02900-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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20
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Seed nutrient content rather than size influences seed dispersal by scatterhoarding rodents in a West African montane forest. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467420000127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractRodents can be important in seed dispersal through their scatterhoarding behaviour, yet, the seed traits that are most influential in seed removal by Afrotropical scatterhoarding rodents remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of seed size and nutrient content of four seed species on the scatterhoarding behaviour of rodents in an Afromontane forest, Ngel Nyaki forest, Nigeria. To do this we marked with thread-tags the seeds of Santiria trimera, Beilschmedia mannii, Carapa oreophila and Anthonotha noldeae and observed their fate. We predicted that (1) caching frequency would be higher for larger than smaller seed species; (2) caching frequency would be higher for nutrient-rich than nutrient-poor seeds; (3) larger seeds would be taken across farther distances; and (4) survival of cached seeds would be higher for nutrient-rich seeds. In contrast to studies elsewhere we found no difference in caching probabilities based on seed size, although nutrient-rich (high fat content) seeds had a higher probability of being predated than seeds with lower fat content. Larger and smaller seeds were dispersed over the same distances and nutrient-poor (high fibre content) seeds survived longer in seed caches. Overall, our findings suggest that large, nutrient-rich seed species are less likely to be dispersed by rodents.
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21
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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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22
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Dylewski Ł, Ortega YK, Bogdziewicz M, Pearson DE. Seed size predicts global effects of small mammal seed predation on plant recruitment. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:1024-1033. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Dylewski
- Poznań University of Life Sciences Institute of Zoology Wojska Polskiego 71C Poznań 60‐625 Poland
- Institute of Dendrology Polish Academy of Sciences Parkowa 5 62‐035 Kórnik Poland
| | - Yvette K. Ortega
- Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service 800 E. Beckwith Ave. Missoula Montana 59801 USA
| | - Michał Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology Faculty of Biology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - Dean E. Pearson
- Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service 800 E. Beckwith Ave. Missoula Montana 59801 USA
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana 32 Campus Dr. Missoula Montana 59812 USA
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23
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Mortelliti A, Grentzmann IP, Fraver S, Brehm AM, Calkins S, Fisichelli N. Small mammal controls on the climate‐driven range shift of woody plant species. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Mortelliti
- Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall Orono ME 04469 USA
| | - Ilona P. Grentzmann
- Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall Orono ME 04469 USA
| | - Shawn Fraver
- School of Forest Resources, Univ. of Maine Orono ME USA
| | - Allison M. Brehm
- Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall Orono ME 04469 USA
| | - Samantha Calkins
- Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall Orono ME 04469 USA
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24
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Schupp EW, Zwolak R, Jones LR, Snell RS, Beckman NG, Aslan C, Cavazos BR, Effiom E, Fricke EC, Montaño-Centellas F, Poulsen J, Razafindratsima OH, Sandor ME, Shea K. Intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of intraspecific variation in seed dispersal are diverse and pervasive. AOB PLANTS 2019; 11:plz067. [PMID: 31857875 PMCID: PMC6914678 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plz067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
There is growing realization that intraspecific variation in seed dispersal can have important ecological and evolutionary consequences. However, we do not have a good understanding of the drivers or causes of intraspecific variation in dispersal, how strong an effect these drivers have, and how widespread they are across dispersal modes. As a first step to developing a better understanding, we present a broad, but not exhaustive, review of what is known about the drivers of intraspecific variation in seed dispersal, and what remains uncertain. We start by decomposing 'drivers of intraspecific variation in seed dispersal' into intrinsic drivers (i.e. variation in traits of individual plants) and extrinsic drivers (i.e. variation in ecological context). For intrinsic traits, we further decompose intraspecific variation into variation among individuals and variation of trait values within individuals. We then review our understanding of the major intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of intraspecific variation in seed dispersal, with an emphasis on variation among individuals. Crop size is the best-supported and best-understood intrinsic driver of variation across dispersal modes; overall, more seeds are dispersed as more seeds are produced, even in cases where per seed dispersal rates decline. Fruit/seed size is the second most widely studied intrinsic driver, and is also relevant to a broad range of seed dispersal modes. Remaining intrinsic drivers are poorly understood, and range from effects that are probably widespread, such as plant height, to drivers that are most likely sporadic, such as fruit or seed colour polymorphism. Primary extrinsic drivers of variation in seed dispersal include local environmental conditions and habitat structure. Finally, we present a selection of outstanding questions as a starting point to advance our understanding of individual variation in seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene W Schupp
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Rafal Zwolak
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Landon R Jones
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Rebecca S Snell
- Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | - Noelle G Beckman
- Department of Biology and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Clare Aslan
- Landscape Conservation Initiative, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Brittany R Cavazos
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Edu Effiom
- REDD & Biodiversity Unit, Cross River State Forestry Commission, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Evan C Fricke
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, University of Maryland, Annapolis, MD, USA
| | | | - John Poulsen
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Onja H Razafindratsima
- Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - Manette E Sandor
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
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25
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Brehm AM, Mortelliti A, Maynard GA, Zydlewski J. Land-use change and the ecological consequences of personality in small mammals. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1387-1395. [PMID: 31207017 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Many plants rely on animals for seed dispersal, but are all individuals equally effective at dispersing seeds? If not, then the loss of certain individual dispersers from populations could have cascade effects on ecosystems. Despite the importance of seed dispersal for forest ecosystems, variation among individual dispersers and whether land-use change interferes with this process remains untested. Through a large-scale field experiment conducted on small mammal seed dispersers, we show that an individual's personality affects its choice of seeds, as well as how distant and where seeds are cached. We also show that anthropogenic habitat modifications shift the distribution of personalities within a population, by increasing the proportion of bold, active, and anxious individuals and in-turn affecting the potential survival and dispersal of seeds. We demonstrate that preserving diverse personality types within a population is critical for maintaining the key ecosystem function of seed dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Brehm
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA
| | - Alessio Mortelliti
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA
| | - George A Maynard
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA
| | - Joseph Zydlewski
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA.,U.S. Geological Survey, Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469, USA
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26
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Li D, Jin Z, Yang C, Yang C, Zhang M. Scatter-Hoarding the Seeds of Sympatric Forest Trees by Apodemus peninsulae in a Temperate Forest in Northeast China. POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2018.66.4.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dianwei Li
- College of Wildlife Resource, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Zhimin Jin
- College of Wildlife Resource, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Changyu Yang
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, Mudanjiang 157011, China
| | - Chunwen Yang
- College of Life Sciences and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal University, Mudanjiang 157011, China
| | - Minghai Zhang
- College of Wildlife Resource, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
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27
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VANDER WALL SB, DIMITRI LA, LONGLAND WS, WHITE JDM. Seed value influences cache pilfering rates by desert rodents. Integr Zool 2019; 14:75-86. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen B. VANDER WALL
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology; University of Nevada; Reno USA
| | | | | | - Joseph D. M. WHITE
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Cape Town; Cape Town Republic of South Africa
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28
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Kuprewicz EK, García‐Robledo C. Deciphering seed dispersal decisions: Size, not tannin content, drives seed fate and survival in a tropical forest. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Erin K. Kuprewicz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs Connecticut 06269‐3043 USA
| | - Carlos García‐Robledo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs Connecticut 06269‐3043 USA
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29
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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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30
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Aliyu B, Thia JA, Moltchanova E, Forget PM, Chapman HM. Forest disturbance and seasonal food availability influence a conditional seed dispersal mutualism. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Babale Aliyu
- Department of Biological Sciences; Gombe State University; Tudan Wada Street Gombe Gombe State Nigeria
| | - Joshua A. Thia
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; Brisbane Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Elena Moltchanova
- School of Mathematics and Statistics; University of Canterbury; PB 4800 Christchurch New Zealand
| | - Pierre-Michel Forget
- UMR 7179 MECADEV CNRS-MNHN; Département Adaptations du vivant; Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; 1 avenue du Petit Château 91800 Brunoy France
| | - Hazel M. Chapman
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Canterbury; PB 4800 Christchurch New Zealand
- Nigerian Montane Forest Project; Yelwa Village Taraba State Nigeria
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31
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Cao L, Wang B, Yan C, Wang Z, Zhang H, Geng Y, Chen J, Zhang Z. Risk of cache pilferage determines hoarding behavior of rodents and seed fate. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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 (CAS), Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Chuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenyu Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Donghu District, Nanchang, China
| | - Hongmao Zhang
- Animal Behaviour Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Hongshan District, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuanzhao Geng
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Wuhou District, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Weed and Rodent Biology and Management, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Chen
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Chaoyang District, Beijing, China
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32
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Alves BC, Mendes CP, Ribeiro MC. Queen palm fruit selection and foraging techniques of squirrels in the Atlantic Forest. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Briza Cristina Alves
- Laboratório de Ecologia Espacial e Conservação (LEEC); Departamento de Ecologia; Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP); 13506-900 Rio Claro SP Brasil
| | - Calebe Pereira Mendes
- Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação (LABIC); Departamento de Ecologia; Universidade Estadual Paulista ‘Júlio de Mesquita Filho’ (UNESP); 13506-900 Rio Claro SP Brasil
| | - Milton Cezar Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Ecologia Espacial e Conservação (LEEC); Departamento de Ecologia; Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP); 13506-900 Rio Claro SP Brasil
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33
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Wróbel A, Zwolak R. Deciphering the effects of disperser assemblages and seed mass on patterns of seed dispersal in a rodent community. Integr Zool 2017; 12:457-467. [PMID: 28488781 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The sizes of both seed dispersers and seeds are traits that are likely to interact to influence seed fate in many synzoochoric plant species. Here, we examined whether members of a granivorous rodent community consisting of species of different body size vary in their effectiveness as seed dispersers, and how this relationship may be altered by seed size. We marked northern red oak (Quercus rubra) acorns with plastic tags and placed them in size-selective rodent exclosures. The exclosures allowed differential access of rodent groups based on different body size: (i) small (e.g. Peromyscus spp.); (ii) small and medium (e.g. Tamias striatus); and (iii) small, medium and large (e.g. Sciurus carolinensis) species of rodents. Acorn removal did not differ among exclosure types, but more seeds were missing when removed by small rodents, probably because of larderhoarding. The treatments did not influence the relative frequency of acorn consumption. However, small rodents cached considerably fewer and partially ate more acorns than the other 2 groups. The mean dispersal distance was the longest for cages with medium openings, intermediate for cages with large openings and the shortest for cages with small openings. Acorn mass positively affected the probability of caching and this relationship was unaffected by exclosure type. In conclusion, granivorous rodents of different body sizes strongly differed in their interactions with acorns, with small rodents acting primarily as acorn predators and medium and large species contributing significantly more to dispersal of red oaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Wróbel
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland
| | - Rafał Zwolak
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland
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34
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SUNDARAM M, LICHTI NI, WIDMAR NJO, SWIHART RK. Eastern gray squirrels are consistent shoppers of seed traits: insights from discrete choice experiments. Integr Zool 2017; 13:280-296. [PMID: 29168614 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mekala SUNDARAM
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources; Purdue University; West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | - Nathanael I. LICHTI
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources; Purdue University; West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | | | - Robert K. SWIHART
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources; Purdue University; West Lafayette Indiana USA
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35
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Context dependence of acorn handling by the Algerian mouse ( Mus spretus ). ACTA OECOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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36
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Corlett RT. Frugivory and seed dispersal by vertebrates in tropical and subtropical Asia: An update. Glob Ecol Conserv 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2017.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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37
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Cao L, Wang Z, Yan C, Chen J, Guo C, Zhang Z. Differential foraging preferences on seed size by rodents result in higher dispersal success of medium-sized seeds. Ecology 2017; 97:3070-3078. [PMID: 27870042 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 05/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Rodent preference for scatter-hoarding large seeds has been widely considered to favor the evolution of large seeds. Previous studies supporting this conclusion were primarily based on observations at earlier stages of seed dispersal, or on a limited sample of successfully established seedlings. Because seed dispersal comprises multiple dispersal stages, we hypothesized that differential foraging preference on seed size by animal dispersers at different dispersal stages would ultimately result in medium-sized seeds having the highest dispersal success rates. In this study, by tracking a large number of seeds for 5 yr, we investigated the effects of seed size on seed fates from seed removal to seedling establishment of a dominant plant Pittosporopsis kerrii (Icacinaceae) dispersed by scatter-hoarding rodents in tropical forest in southwest China. We found that small seeds had a lower survival rate at the early dispersal stage where more small seeds were predated at seed stations and after removal; large seeds had a lower survival rate at the late dispersal stage, more large seeds were recovered, predated after being cached, or larder-hoarded. Medium-sized seeds experienced the highest dispersal success. Our study suggests that differential foraging preferences by scatter-hoarding rodents at different stages of seed dispersal could result in conflicting selective pressures on seed size and higher dispersal success of medium-sized seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Cao
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China.,State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China.,Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Zhenyu Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
| | - Chuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jin Chen
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China
| | - Cong Guo
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China
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38
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Seed caching by rodents favours seedling establishment of two palm species in a lowland Atlantic forest remnant. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467417000128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:Scatter-hoarding by rodents is expected to benefit palm recruitment by allowing cached seeds to escape predation and to colonize new areas, but evidence that seedlings emerge from cached seeds is scarce. We aimed to assess to what extent seedling establishment of two palm species (Astrocaryum aculeatissimum and Attalea humilis) is favoured by seed caching by rodents in a large Atlantic Forest remnant. We mapped the location of conspecific seedlings within circular plots of 15-m radius around five adult individuals of each palm species, checking if seedlings established from dispersed (>2 m from parent palms) or non-dispersed seeds (0–2 m from parent palms), and from buried or unburied seeds. We found a total of 42 A. aculeatissimum seedlings and 16 A. humilis seedlings. Nearly all (98%) seedlings established from seeds dispersed away from parents (mainly located 10–15 m from parents), and 83% and 75% of seedlings of A. aculeatissimum and A. humilis, respectively, established from seeds buried in the soil. Results show that both palm species depend almost entirely on caching of seeds by rodents to establish seedlings. Our study suggests that checking for endocarps associated with established seedlings can accurately estimate the process behind seedling establishment, improving our understanding about the net outcome of seed caching for large-seeded palms.
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39
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Wang B, Corlett RT. Scatter‐hoarding rodents select different caching habitats for seeds with different traits. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- Center for Integrative Conservation Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences Mengla Yunnan Province 666303 China
| | - Richard T. Corlett
- Center for Integrative Conservation Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences Mengla Yunnan Province 666303 China
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40
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Zhang H, Chu W, Zhang Z. Cultivated walnut trees showed earlier but not final advantage over its wild relatives in competing for seed dispersers. Integr Zool 2017; 12:12-25. [PMID: 27734599 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12242] [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: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about seeding regeneration of cultivated trees compared to wild relatives in areas where seed dispersers are shared. Here, we investigated the differences in seed fates of cultivated walnut (Juglans regia) and wild Manchurian walnut (Juglans mandshurica) trees under rodent predation and dispersal. J. regia seeds have higher nutritional value (large size, mass and kernel mass) and lower mechanical defensiveness (thin endocarp) than J. mandshurica seeds. We tracked seeds of J. regia and J. mandshurica under both enclosure and field conditions to assess differences in competing for seed dispersers of the two co-occurring tree species of the same genus. We found that rodents preferred to harvest, eat and scatter-hoard seeds of J. regia as compared to those of J. mandshurica. Seeds of J. regia were removed and scatter-hoarded faster than those of J. mandshurica. Caches of J. regia were more likely to be rediscovered by rodents than those of J. mandshurica. These results suggest that J. regia showed earlier dispersal fitness but not the ultimate dispersal fitness over J. mandshurica in seeding regeneration under rodent mediation, implying that J. regia has little effect on seeding regeneration of J. mandshurica in the field. The effects of seed traits on seed dispersal fitness may vary at different dispersal stages under animal mediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmao Zhang
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Chu
- Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 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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41
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Wang B, Ives AR. Tree-to-tree variation in seed size and its consequences for seed dispersal versus predation by rodents. Oecologia 2016; 183:751-762. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3793-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/04/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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42
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Luna CA, Loayza AP, Squeo FA. Fruit Size Determines the Role of Three Scatter-Hoarding Rodents as Dispersers or Seed Predators of a Fleshy-Fruited Atacama Desert Shrub. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166824. [PMID: 27861550 PMCID: PMC5115819 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Scatter-hoarding rodents can act as both predators and dispersers for many large-seeded plants because they cache seeds for future use, but occasionally forget them in sites with high survival and establishment probabilities. The most important fruit or seed trait influencing rodent foraging behavior is seed size; rodents prefer large seeds because they have higher nutritional content, but this preference can be counterbalanced by the higher costs of handling larger seeds. We designed a cafeteria experiment to assess whether fruit and seed size of Myrcianthes coquimbensis, an endangered desert shrub, influence the decision-making process during foraging by three species of scatter-hoarding rodents differing in body size: Abrothrix olivaceus, Phyllotis darwini and Octodon degus. We found that the size of fruits and seeds influenced foraging behavior in the three rodent species; the probability of a fruit being harvested and hoarded was higher for larger fruits than for smaller ones. Patterns of fruit size preference were not affected by rodent size; all species were able to hoard fruits within the entire range of sizes offered. Finally, fruit and seed size had no effect on the probability of seed predation, rodents typically ate only the fleshy pulp of the fruits offered and discarded whole, intact seeds. In conclusion, our results reveal that larger M. coquimbensis fruits have higher probabilities of being harvested, and ultimately of its seeds being hoarded and dispersed by scatter-hoarding rodents. As this plant has no other dispersers, rodents play an important role in its recruitment dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia A. Luna
- Universidad de La Serena, Departamento de Biología, La Serena, Chile
- * E-mail:
| | - Andrea P. Loayza
- Universidad de La Serena, Departamento de Biología, La Serena, Chile
| | - Francisco A. Squeo
- Universidad de La Serena, Departamento de Biología, La Serena, Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Santiago, Chile
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile
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43
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Yi X, Wang Z, Zhang H, Zhang Z. Weak olfaction increases seed scatter-hoarding by Siberian chipmunks: implication in shaping plant-animal interactions. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xianfeng Yi
- College of Life Sciences; Jiangxi Normal University; CN-330022 Nanchang China
| | - Zhenyu Wang
- College of Life Sciences; Jiangxi Normal University; CN-330022 Nanchang China
| | - Hongmao Zhang
- School of Life Sciences; Central China Normal University; CN-430079 Wuhan China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Inst. of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; CN-100101 Beijing China
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44
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Auger J, Meyer SE, Jenkins SH. A mast-seeding desert shrub regulates population dynamics and behavior of its heteromyid dispersers. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:2275-96. [PMID: 27069574 PMCID: PMC4782247 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2015] [Revised: 01/31/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Granivorous rodent populations in deserts are primarily regulated through precipitation-driven resource pulses rather than pulses associated with mast-seeding, a pattern more common in mesic habitats. We studied heteromyid responses to mast-seeding in the desert shrub blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima), a regionally dominant species in the Mojave-Great Basin Desert transition zone. In a 5-year study at Arches National Park, Utah, USA, we quantified spatiotemporal variation in seed resources in mast and intermast years in blackbrush-dominated and mixed desert vegetation and measured responses of Dipodomys ordii (Ord's kangaroo rat) and Perognathus flavescens (plains pocket mouse). In blackbrush-dominated vegetation, blackbrush seeds comprised >79% of seed production in a mast year, but 0% in the first postmast year. Kangaroo rat abundance in blackbrush-dominated vegetation was highest in the mast year, declined sharply at the end of the first postmast summer, and then remained at low levels for 3 years. Pocket mouse abundance was not as strongly associated with blackbrush seed production. In mixed desert vegetation, kangaroo rat abundance was higher and more uniform through time. Kangaroo rats excluded the smaller pocket mice from resource-rich patches including a pipeline disturbance and also moved their home range centers closer to this disturbance in a year of low blackbrush seed production. Home range size for kangaroo rats was unrelated to seed resource density in the mast year, but resource-poor home ranges were larger (P < 0.001) in the first postmast year, when resources were limiting. Blackbrush seeds are higher in protein and fat but lower in carbohydrates than the more highly preferred seeds of Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides) and have similar energy value per unit of handling time. Kangaroo rats cached seeds of these two species in similar spatial configurations, implying that they were equally valued as stored food resources. Blackbrush mast is a key resource regulating populations of kangaroo rats in this ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janene Auger
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology University of Nevada Reno Nevada 89557; Present address: Monte L Bean Life Science Museum Brigham Young University Provo Utah 84602
| | - Susan E Meyer
- USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station Shrub Sciences Laboratory Provo Utah 84606
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45
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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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46
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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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47
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Sidhu S, Datta A. Tracking Seed Fates of Tropical Tree Species: Evidence for Seed Caching in a Tropical Forest in North-East India. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0134658. [PMID: 26247616 PMCID: PMC4527596 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodents affect the post-dispersal fate of seeds by acting either as on-site seed predators or as secondary dispersers when they scatter-hoard seeds. The tropical forests of north-east India harbour a high diversity of little-studied terrestrial murid and hystricid rodents. We examined the role played by these rodents in determining the seed fates of tropical evergreen tree species in a forest site in north-east India. We selected ten tree species (3 mammal-dispersed and 7 bird-dispersed) that varied in seed size and followed the fates of 10,777 tagged seeds. We used camera traps to determine the identity of rodent visitors, visitation rates and their seed-handling behavior. Seeds of all tree species were handled by at least one rodent taxon. Overall rates of seed removal (44.5%) were much higher than direct on-site seed predation (9.9%), but seed-handling behavior differed between the terrestrial rodent groups: two species of murid rodents removed and cached seeds, and two species of porcupines were on-site seed predators. In addition, a true cricket, Brachytrupes sp., cached seeds of three species underground. We found 309 caches formed by the rodents and the cricket; most were single-seeded (79%) and seeds were moved up to 19 m. Over 40% of seeds were re-cached from primary cache locations, while about 12% germinated in the primary caches. Seed removal rates varied widely amongst tree species, from 3% in Beilschmiedia assamica to 97% in Actinodaphne obovata. Seed predation was observed in nine species. Chisocheton cumingianus (57%) and Prunus ceylanica (25%) had moderate levels of seed predation while the remaining species had less than 10% seed predation. We hypothesized that seed traits that provide information on resource quantity would influence rodent choice of a seed, while traits that determine resource accessibility would influence whether seeds are removed or eaten. Removal rates significantly decreased (p < 0.001) while predation rates increased (p = 0.06) with seed size. Removal rates were significantly lower for soft seeds (p = 0.002), whereas predation rates were significantly higher on soft seeds (p = 0.01). Our results show that murid rodents play a very important role in affecting the seed fates of tropical trees in the Eastern Himalayas. We also found that the different rodent groups differed in their seed handling behavior and responses to changes in seed characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Sidhu
- Eastern Himalaya Programme, Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, Karnataka, India
- * E-mail:
| | - Aparajita Datta
- Eastern Himalaya Programme, Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, Karnataka, India
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Sundaram M, Willoughby JR, Lichti NI, Steele MA, Swihart RK. Segregating the Effects of Seed Traits and Common Ancestry of Hardwood Trees on Eastern Gray Squirrel Foraging Decisions. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0130942. [PMID: 26110828 PMCID: PMC4482146 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of specific seed traits in scatter-hoarded tree species often has been attributed to granivore foraging behavior. However, the degree to which foraging investments and seed traits correlate with phylogenetic relationships among trees remains unexplored. We presented seeds of 23 different hardwood tree species (families Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Juglandaceae) to eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), and measured the time and distance travelled by squirrels that consumed or cached each seed. We estimated 11 physical and chemical seed traits for each species, and the phylogenetic relationships between the 23 hardwood trees. Variance partitioning revealed that considerable variation in foraging investment was attributable to seed traits alone (27–73%), and combined effects of seed traits and phylogeny of hardwood trees (5–55%). A phylogenetic PCA (pPCA) on seed traits and tree phylogeny resulted in 2 “global” axes of traits that were phylogenetically autocorrelated at the family and genus level and a third “local” axis in which traits were not phylogenetically autocorrelated. Collectively, these axes explained 30–76% of the variation in squirrel foraging investments. The first global pPCA axis, which produced large scores for seed species with thin shells, low lipid and high carbohydrate content, was negatively related to time to consume and cache seeds and travel distance to cache. The second global pPCA axis, which produced large scores for seeds with high protein, low tannin and low dormancy levels, was an important predictor of consumption time only. The local pPCA axis primarily reflected kernel mass. Although it explained only 12% of the variation in trait space and was not autocorrelated among phylogenetic clades, the local axis was related to all four squirrel foraging investments. Squirrel foraging behaviors are influenced by a combination of phylogenetically conserved and more evolutionarily labile seed traits that is consistent with a weak or more diffuse coevolutionary relationship between rodents and hardwood trees rather than a direct coevolutionary relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mekala Sundaram
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Janna R. Willoughby
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Nathanael I. Lichti
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Steele
- Department of Biology, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Robert K. Swihart
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
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The Interplay among Acorn Abundance and Rodent Behavior Drives the Spatial Pattern of Seedling Recruitment in Mature Mediterranean Oak Forests. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0129844. [PMID: 26070129 PMCID: PMC4467087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The patterns of seedling recruitment in animal-dispersed plants result from the interactions among environmental and behavioral variables. However, we know little on the contribution and combined effect of both kinds of variables. We designed a field study to assess the interplay between environment (vegetation structure, seed abundance, rodent abundance) and behavior (seed dispersal and predation by rodents, and rooting by wild boars), and their contribution to the spatial patterns of seedling recruitment in a Mediterranean mixed-oak forest. In a spatially explicit design, we monitored intensively all environmental and behavioral variables in fixed points at a small spatial scale from autumn to spring, as well as seedling emergence and survival. Our results revealed that the spatial patterns of seedling emergence were strongly related to acorn availability on the ground, but not by a facilitation effect of vegetation cover. Rodents changed seed shadows generated by mother trees by dispersing most seeds from shrubby to open areas, but the spatial patterns of acorn dispersal/predation had no direct effect on recruitment. By contrast, rodents had a strong impact on recruitment as pilferers of cached seeds. Rooting by wild boars also reduced recruitment by reducing seed abundance, but also by changing rodent's behavior towards higher consumption of acorns in situ. Hence, seed abundance and the foraging behavior of scatter-hoarding rodents and wild boars are driving the spatial patterns of seedling recruitment in this mature oak forest, rather than vegetation features. The contribution of vegetation to seedling recruitment (e.g. facilitation by shrubs) may be context dependent, having a little role in closed forests, or being overridden by directed seed dispersal from shrubby to open areas. We warn about the need of using broad approaches that consider the combined action of environment and behavior to improve our knowledge on the dynamics of natural regeneration in forests.
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Acorns were good until tannins were found: Factors affecting seed-selection in the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius). Mamm Biol 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2014.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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