Tracking individual seed fate confirms mainly antagonistic interactions between rodents and European beech

Biology Letters, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 21(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Food-hoarding granivores act as both predators and dispersers of plant seeds, resulting in facultative species interactions along a mutualism–antagonism continuum. The position this continuum is determined by the positive negative that vary with ratio between seed availability animal abundance, particularly for mast-seeding interannual variation spatial synchrony production. Empirical data on entire fate seeds up to germination influence rodents survival rare, lack consensus their Here, we quantified annual rain rodent abundance an old-growth European beech forest tracked 639 beechnuts seedling stage 84% successfully located. Over 4 study years covered range seed-to-rodent ratios, not single germinated after dispersal, illustrating predominantly antagonistic interaction beech. Therefore, our findings do support predator dispersal hypothesis partially contradict satiation hypothesis, highest number germinants intact were found situ intermediate crop, bumper crop. Our results underline necessity track germination.

Language: Английский

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Scatterhoarder abundance and advantages of seed burial drive dynamics of a tree–rodent interaction

Journal of Ecology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 112(9), P. 1940 - 1951

Published: June 27, 2024

Abstract Theoretical models suggest that species abundance plays a crucial role in mutualism; high densities can lead to overexploitation. Additionally, mutualistic benefits are expected increase under abiotic stress. We investigated the interplay between density dependence and factors conditional mutualism, focussing on interactions yellow‐necked mice ( Apodemus flavicollis ) common oaks Quercus robur across 3 years. controlled for seed abundance, while mouse varied. Our approach included monitoring measuring removal, determining fate of harvested seeds conducting seedling emergence trials assess advantages caching. found exerted strong influence all studied aspects dispersal. Higher led increased removal greater dispersal distances. However, they also decreased probability caching consumption, degrading quality shifting interaction towards antagonism. Furthermore, reliance recruitment burial varied over time, likely becoming more critical during dry conditions. This indicates plants face worst conditions when coincides with Synthesis : results supports notion rodent reduces plant recruitment, revealing conflicting interests interacting species. dynamics rodent–oak shaped not only by density‐dependent foraging decisions rodents, but These findings illustrate how population jointly dictate costs interactions.

Language: Английский

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Quality over size: acorn preference in Eurasian Jays (Garrulus glandarius)

Journal of Ornithology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 22, 2025

Language: Английский

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Impact of large herbivore rewilding on acorn dispersal dynamics

Global Ecology and Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. e03655 - e03655

Published: May 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Community-wide masting improves predator satiation in North American oaks

Forest Ecology and Management, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 569, P. 122172 - 122172

Published: Aug. 9, 2024

Language: Английский

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Parasitized but undeterred: how mice disperse seeds while coping with ectoparasites

Animal Behaviour, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 219, P. 123041 - 123041

Published: Dec. 14, 2024

Language: Английский

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