Dispersal and hoarding of sympatric forest seeds by rodents in a temperate forest from northern China

Zhang, Yifeng; Wang, C.; Tian, S.-L.; Lu, Jiqi

doi:10.3832/ifor1032-007

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Seed quality is affected by a variety of factors, including their size, perishability, nutrients and secondary compounds, affecting scatter-hoarding rodent behavior (Lichti et al 2017;Vander et al 2019). There are several reasons that squirrels may prefer pine seeds: (i) seeds provide sufficient energy for scatter-hoarding rodents; and, (ii) seeds with hard shells are suitable for storage (Molinari et al 2006;Zhang et al 2014;Sundaram et al 2018). A number of studies have focused on the relationship between seed traits and fate, and a few studies have examined the internal mechanism of active components on the behavior decisions of scatter-hoarding rodents.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of active molecules of Korean pine seed on rodent health and implications for forest regeneration

et al. 2021

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After maturation, Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc.) seeds often cannot disperse to reach a suitable germination site. It is therefore difficult to naturally regenerate by itself and relies on animal dispersal. Squirrels hoard pine seeds as winter food and Korean pine seeds stored for overwintering might become the source of regeneration of the species. From field observations, the pine seeds are the food preference for squirrels during autumn in the Lesser Khingan Mountains in Northeast China. Such preference by squirrels has been attributed to high seed energy content and the ease of seed storage. However, it may also be expected from nutritional aspects that a coevolutionary relationship between squirrels and Korean pine species could be partially explained by the effect of active seed components and their physiological regulatory effects on squirrels. To test this hypothesis, control experiments were carried out to examine the modulatory effects of Korean pine nut oil (PNO) on intestinal microbiota, inflammatory profile and oxidative stress in mice. The results showed that, compared with mice fed a high-fat diet, PNO significantly improved the physical and the healthy state of mice. Histological analysis of the liver and epididymal fat tissue showed that PNO alleviated liver and adipocyte lesions, and inflammation caused by high-fat diets. PNO also significantly decreased atherosclerotic index and ameliorate serum lipid accumulation to prevent cardiovascular disease, which effect the positive control SG group. Moreover, PNO elevated superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase enzyme activities and reduced malondialdehyde levels in the serum. 16S rRNA sequencing showed that PNO restored intestinal microbiota composition, significantly increasing the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Akkermansia bacteria. These results suggest that Korean pine seeds not only provide adequate fat, protein and energy for squirrels, but also promote physical health and improve body immunity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of active molecules of Korean pine seed on rodent health and implications for forest regeneration

et al. 2021

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“…The selection preference of rodents for seeds is the result of co–evolution between animals and plants. Seeds attract animals through morphological characteristics and nutritional components and induce animals to predate on, disperse, or hoard them, forming a mutually beneficial relationship ( Vander Wall 1990 ; Vander Wall 2001 ; Chang et al 2010 ; Zhang et al 2014 ; Lichti et al 2015 ). The four types of seeds used in the experiment induced differences in the predation and hoarding strategies of the rodents, such as more predation on P. koraiensis and Q.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Food resources fluctuate greatly, particularly in the Northeast China in which the seasonal changes in the habitat environment are significant; the climatic environment changes are significantly, and the habitat conditions are unstable (Li et al 2019 and 2020 ). Hoarding food is an important way to manage severe environments, effectively save predation time and energy consumption, and ensure that the rodents successfully survive the winter ( Zhang et al 2014 ; Li et al 2018 , 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of season and food on the scatter-hoarding behavior of rodents in temperate forests of Northeast China

Dianwei¹,

Liu²,

Shan³

et al. 2021

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To explore the differences in hoarding strategies of rodents for different seeds in various seasons, we labeled and released the seeds of Pinus koraiensis, Corylus mandshurica, Quercus mongolica and Prunus sibirica 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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Living near the limits: Effects of interannual variation in food availability on diet and reproduction in a temperate primate, the Taihangshan macaque (Macaca mulatta tcheliensis)

Cui

Wang

Zhang

et al. 2019

American J Primatol

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Nutrient intake of animals is influenced by an interplay of external and internal factors, such as food availability and reproductive state, respectively. We used the nutritional geometry framework to analyze individual‐based data on energy and nutrient intake in relation to reproductive state in a population of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta tcheliensis), which live in a harsh high‐latitude habitat, the Taihangshan mountains of China, and exhibit strong reproductive seasonality. We combined data over a 3‐year period on food availability, diets, reproductive output, and components of maternal investment to understand how Taihangshan macaques respond to variation in food availability and nutrition in reproduction. Our results show there was high interannual variation in availability of an important staple source of fat and carbohydrates (nonprotein energy), seeds of oak (Quercus spp). Despite this variability in seed availability skewing the dietary macronutrient ratios considerably (from 12.96% to 30.12% dietary energy from protein), total metabolizable energy intake was maintained across years during pregnancy. Lactating females had higher mean daily energy intakes than pregnant females. As in pregnant females, energy intake was maintained constant across years, but only when seed availability enabled the contribution of available protein to energy intake to be maintained between 15.32% (2013) and 17.97% (2015). In 2014, when seeds were scarce, lactating females had a shortfall in energy intake compared with 2013 and 2015. This corresponded with a reduction in the number of females giving birth (11 out of 23), but there was no interannual difference in survival rates. Compared to 2013 and 2015, in 2014 females had greater weight loss (drew on body reserves), moved less, and spent more time nursing their offspring. We discuss implications of these results for range limitation in Taihangshan macaques.

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Dispersal and hoarding of sympatric forest seeds by rodents in a temperate forest from northern China

Cited by 10 publications

References 52 publications

Effects of active molecules of Korean pine seed on rodent health and implications for forest regeneration

Effects of active molecules of Korean pine seed on rodent health and implications for forest regeneration

Effects of season and food on the scatter-hoarding behavior of rodents in temperate forests of Northeast China

Living near the limits: Effects of interannual variation in food availability on diet and reproduction in a temperate primate, the Taihangshan macaque (Macaca mulatta tcheliensis)

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