Some rodent-dispersed seeds have a hard seed-coat(e.g.woody endocarp).Specific scrapes or dental marks on the hard seed-coat left by rodents when they eat these seeds can be used to identify seed predators.In this stu...Some rodent-dispersed seeds have a hard seed-coat(e.g.woody endocarp).Specific scrapes or dental marks on the hard seed-coat left by rodents when they eat these seeds can be used to identify seed predators.In this study we measured the morphological traits of endocarp-remains of seeds of wild apricot Prunus armeniaca used by Chinese white-bellied rats Niviventor confucianus and Korean field mice Apodemus peninsulae.We established their Fisher's linear discriminant functions to separate endocarp-remains between the two predators.A total of 90.0% of the endocarp-remains left by Korean field mice and 88.0% of those left by Chinese white-bellied rats were correctly classified.The overall percentage of correct classification was 89.0%.One hundred and sixty endocarp-remains of unknown what species predated them were classified using the functions.The method may allow more reliable quantitative studies of the effects of Chinese white-bellied rats and Korean field mice on seed consumption and dispersal of wild apricot and this study might be used for reference in other studies of seed predators identification on hard seeds.展开更多
文摘研究了浙江天童国家森林公园鼠类对石栎(Lithocarpus glaber)(常绿阔叶林重要伴生种)种子的捕食和传播.共设置了带1、带2、带3(常绿阔叶林中)、带4(马尾松林中)和带5(灌丛中)5条样带及2种种子的布置方式(有无掩盖和有无标签).结果表明,社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)和针毛鼠(Niviventerfulvescens)是石栎种子潜在的捕食和传播者.损失种子可以分为3类:即Ⅰ类种子被吃,标签连着种子的残余部分;Ⅱ类种子被搬走,仅标签留在原地;Ⅲ类是标签和种子均消失.实验观察前期,种子损失量较大,随后逐渐降低;种子的日消失率在整个实验期间具有明显的波动,带2的日均消失率最高,为1.03%,带5的日均消失率最低(0.32%).3种种子命运所占比例在5个样带中存在差异,与不同样带的植被组成密切相关.有掩盖和无掩盖放置方式之间存在显著差异(P<0.05),前者的日消失率明显低于后者,而有无标签之间则无显著性差异(P>0.05).种子被鼠类搬运的最远距离为6.7 m.
基金Major Projectof the National Natural Foundation of China(No.3 98993 70 ) and Postdoctral Foundation of Guangdong Province(2 0 0 0 -0 2 2 -4 2 4 442 )
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(30800120) and the Foundation for New Teachers of Huazhong Normal University
文摘Some rodent-dispersed seeds have a hard seed-coat(e.g.woody endocarp).Specific scrapes or dental marks on the hard seed-coat left by rodents when they eat these seeds can be used to identify seed predators.In this study we measured the morphological traits of endocarp-remains of seeds of wild apricot Prunus armeniaca used by Chinese white-bellied rats Niviventor confucianus and Korean field mice Apodemus peninsulae.We established their Fisher's linear discriminant functions to separate endocarp-remains between the two predators.A total of 90.0% of the endocarp-remains left by Korean field mice and 88.0% of those left by Chinese white-bellied rats were correctly classified.The overall percentage of correct classification was 89.0%.One hundred and sixty endocarp-remains of unknown what species predated them were classified using the functions.The method may allow more reliable quantitative studies of the effects of Chinese white-bellied rats and Korean field mice on seed consumption and dispersal of wild apricot and this study might be used for reference in other studies of seed predators identification on hard seeds.
