Teasing apart the effects of seed size and energy content on rodent scatter-hoarding behavior.
Scatter-hoarding rodents are known to play a crucial role in the seed dispersal of many plant species. Numerous studies have indicated that both seed size and the energy content of seeds can affect rodent foraging behavior. However, seed size is usually associated with energy content per seed, makin...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2014-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4211888?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818247418640072704 |
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| author | Bo Wang Xiaolan Yang |
| author_facet | Bo Wang Xiaolan Yang |
| author_sort | Bo Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Scatter-hoarding rodents are known to play a crucial role in the seed dispersal of many plant species. Numerous studies have indicated that both seed size and the energy content of seeds can affect rodent foraging behavior. However, seed size is usually associated with energy content per seed, making it difficult to isolate how seed size and energy affect rodent foraging preferences. This study used 99 treatments of artificial seeds (11 seed sizes×9 levels of energy content) to tease apart the effect of seed size and energy content on rodent seed-caching behavior. Both seed traits showed significant effects, but their details depended on the stage of the rodent foraging process. Seeds with higher energy content were harvested more rapidly while seed size only had a modest effect on harvest rate. However, after harvesting, seed size showed a much stronger effect on rodent foraging behavior. Rodents' choice of which seeds to remove and cache, as well as seed dispersal distance, seemed to reflect an optimal seed size. Our findings could be adapted in future studies to gain a better understanding of scatter-hoarding rodent foraging behavior, and the co-evolutionary dynamics between plant seed production and seed dispersers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T15:04:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-de09d6ebb92e4decb44dcac654c085fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T15:04:24Z |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-de09d6ebb92e4decb44dcac654c085fc2022-12-22T00:20:45ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-01910e11138910.1371/journal.pone.0111389Teasing apart the effects of seed size and energy content on rodent scatter-hoarding behavior.Bo WangXiaolan YangScatter-hoarding rodents are known to play a crucial role in the seed dispersal of many plant species. Numerous studies have indicated that both seed size and the energy content of seeds can affect rodent foraging behavior. However, seed size is usually associated with energy content per seed, making it difficult to isolate how seed size and energy affect rodent foraging preferences. This study used 99 treatments of artificial seeds (11 seed sizes×9 levels of energy content) to tease apart the effect of seed size and energy content on rodent seed-caching behavior. Both seed traits showed significant effects, but their details depended on the stage of the rodent foraging process. Seeds with higher energy content were harvested more rapidly while seed size only had a modest effect on harvest rate. However, after harvesting, seed size showed a much stronger effect on rodent foraging behavior. Rodents' choice of which seeds to remove and cache, as well as seed dispersal distance, seemed to reflect an optimal seed size. Our findings could be adapted in future studies to gain a better understanding of scatter-hoarding rodent foraging behavior, and the co-evolutionary dynamics between plant seed production and seed dispersers.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4211888?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Bo Wang Xiaolan Yang Teasing apart the effects of seed size and energy content on rodent scatter-hoarding behavior. PLoS ONE |
| title | Teasing apart the effects of seed size and energy content on rodent scatter-hoarding behavior. |
| title_full | Teasing apart the effects of seed size and energy content on rodent scatter-hoarding behavior. |
| title_fullStr | Teasing apart the effects of seed size and energy content on rodent scatter-hoarding behavior. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Teasing apart the effects of seed size and energy content on rodent scatter-hoarding behavior. |
| title_short | Teasing apart the effects of seed size and energy content on rodent scatter-hoarding behavior. |
| title_sort | teasing apart the effects of seed size and energy content on rodent scatter hoarding behavior |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4211888?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bowang teasingaparttheeffectsofseedsizeandenergycontentonrodentscatterhoardingbehavior AT xiaolanyang teasingaparttheeffectsofseedsizeandenergycontentonrodentscatterhoardingbehavior |