Effects of insect infestation on rodent-mediated dispersal of Quercus aliena: results from field and enclosure experiments

Integrative Zoology
Bo ZhangGang Chang

Abstract

Rodents influence plant establishment and regeneration by functioning as both seed predators and dispersers. However, these rodent-plant interactions can vary significantly due to various environmental conditions and the activity of other insect seed predators. Here, we use a combination of both field and enclosure (i.e. individual cage and semi-natural enclosure) experiments, to determine whether rodents can distinguish sound seeds from those infested with insects. We also demonstrate how such responses to insects are influenced by food abundance and other environmental factors. We presented rodents with 2 kinds of Quercus aliena seeds (sound and insect-infested seeds) in a subtropical forest in the Qinling Mountains, central China, from September to November of 2011 to 2013. The results showed that rodents preferred to hoard and eat sound seeds than infested seeds in the field and semi-natural enclosure, while they preferred to eat infested seeds over sound seeds in the individual cages. In addition, both hoarding and eating decisions were influenced by food abundance. Rodents hoarded more sound seeds in years of high food abundance while they consumed more acorns in years of food shortage. Compared with field results, rodent...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1992·Annual Review of Entomology·R Sallabanks, S P Courtney
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Aug 3, 2010·The New Phytologist·Eugene W SchuppJosé María Gómez
Apr 23, 2014·Behavioural Processes·Yang LuoHongmao Zhang
Dec 9, 2014·Physiology & Behavior·Takeshi EtoTetsuo Morita
Jan 11, 2016·Integrative Zoology·Yifeng ZhangJiqi Lu

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