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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 two kinds of Quercus aliena seeds (sound and insect-infested seeds) in a subtropical forest in Qinling Mountains, central China, from September to November of 2011 to 2013. The result showed that rodents prefer to hoarded and ate sound seeds than infested seeds in the field and semi-natural enclosure, while they prefer to ate infested seeds than 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 consume more acorns in years of food shortage. Compared with field results, rodents reduced scatter hoarding behavior in semi-natural enclosures and ate more insect-infested seeds in smaller individual cages. These results further confirm that rodents distinguish infested seeds form non-infested seeds but demonstrate that this behavior varies with conditions (environment and food abundance). We suggest that such interactions will influence the dispersal and natural regeneration of seeds as well as predation rates on insect larvae. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Ｖｏｌ．３４，Ｎｏ．１４ Ｊｕｌ．，２０１４ ｈｔｔｐ： ／ ／ ｗｗｗ．ｅｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａ．ｃｎ 基金项目：陕西省科学院科技计划项目(２０１１Ｋ•０７) ； 国家自然科学基金(３１１００２８３) ； 陕西省自然科学基金(２０１１ＪＱ３００３) ； 中央高校基本科研业 务费专项资金(ＧＫ２００９０２０３５) 资助 收稿日期：２０１２• １１• ２７； 网络出版日期：２０１４• ０２• ２７ * 通讯作者 Ｃｏｒｒｅｓｐｏｎｄｉｎｇ ａｕｔｈｏｒ．Ｅ•ｍａｉｌ： ｓｎｏｗ１１７８＠ ｓｎｎｕ．ｅｄｕ．ｃｎ ＤＯＩ： １０．５８４６ ／ ｓｔｘｂ２０１２１１２７１６８３ 张博，石子俊，陈晓宁，廉振民，常罡．昆虫蛀蚀对鼠类介导下的锐齿槲栎种子扩散的影响．生态学报，２０１４，３４(１４) ：３９３７• ３９４３． Ｚｈａｎｇ Ｂ， Ｓｈｉ Ｚ Ｊ， Ｃｈｅｎ Ｘ Ｎ， Ｌｉａｎ Ｚ Ｍ， Ｃｈａｎｇ Ｇ． Ｅｆｆｅｃｔｓ ｏｆ ｗｅｅｖｉｌ•ｉｎｆｅｓｔａｔｉｏｎ ｏｎ ｓｅｅｄ ｄｉｓｐｅｒｓａｌ ｏｆ Ｑｕｅｒｃｕｓ ａｌｉｅｎａ ｈａｎｄｌｅｄ ｂｙ ｒｏｄｅｎｔｓ． Ａｃｔａ Ｅｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａ Ｓｉｎｉｃａ，２０１４，３４(１４) ：３９３７• ３９４３．