Advantages of masting in European beech: timing of granivore satiation and benefits of seed caching support the predator dispersal hypothesis

Zwolak, Rafał; Bogdziewicz, Michał; Wróbel, Aleksandra; Crone, Elizabeth E.

doi:10.1007/s00442-015-3511-3

Cited by 77 publications

(101 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…We failed to see an increase in cache distances at the peak period of seed fall compared with the end period, which is contrary to the previous studies showing that scatter‐hoarding animals transport seeds farther from seed sources to caches at higher seed abundance (Hopewell, Leaver, & Lea, ; Li & Zhang, ; Moore et al, ), but in agreement with other studies (Gálvez et al, ; Jansen et al, ; Moore et al, ; Xiao et al, ; Zwolak, Bogdziewicz, Wróbel, & Crone, ). Inconsistent with the “optimal cache spacing model” predicting that dispersal distance increases with seed abundance, however, A. peninsulae and T. sibiricus cached seeds further away under low acorn abundance.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Scatter‐hoarding and cache pilfering of rodents in response to seed abundance

Yang

et al. 2019

Ethology

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Seed caching and reciprocal cache pilferage play an important role in the coexistence of food‐hoarding animals. Understanding what affects seed caching and how cache pilferage occurs is an important question in seed dispersal ecology. However, tracking seed fate and cache pilferage presents substantial practical difficulties. Siberian chipmunks Tamias sibiricus always remove the entire pericarp when scatter‐hoarding acorns of Mongolian oak Quercus mongolica, whereas wood mice Apodemus peninsulae often store whole acorns in their caches. These differences in behavior provide an opportunity to investigate unilateral cache pilferage of T. sibiricus from A. peninsulae in response to seed abundance. In this study, tagged acorns were released at the peak and end periods of seed rain from Q. mongolica. This allowed us to investigate seed caching and unilateral cache pilferage at different seed abundances. We found that a higher proportion of acorns were cached at lower level of seed abundance (toward the end of seed rain), mainly because T. sibiricus rather than A. peninsulae scatter‐hoarded significantly more acorns at this time. Cache distances decreased with increasing seed abundance, indicating that acorns were cached further away and into smaller caches at lower seed abundance. Unexpectedly, unilateral cache pilferage by T. sibiricus was not significantly influenced by seed abundance—remaining at around 28% during both periods of high and low seed abundance.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Scatter‐hoarding and cache pilfering of rodents in response to seed abundance

Yang

et al. 2019

Ethology

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“…; Zwolak, Bogdziewicz & Rychlik 2016; Zwolak et al . ). Nitrogen fertilization decreased the proportion of cached and non‐retrieved acorns from 6.3% of controls to 1.7% of low‐N acorns, and to only 0.008% of high‐N acorns.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of nitrogen deposition on reproduction in a masting tree: benefits of higher seed production are trumped by negative biotic interactions

et al. 2016

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Summary Relatively little is known about the effects of anthropogenic environmental changes on reproductive ecology of trees. Yet, recruitment is a primary determinant of the long‐term dynamics of plant populations in changing environments. We used the Long‐Term Ecological Research site at Harvard Forest to evaluate the effects of chronic (over 25 years) nitrogen fertilization on reproductive ecology of red oaks (Quercus rubra). Oaks growing in fertilized plots produced 4–9 times more acorns than control trees. However, nitrogen deposition simultaneously affected oaks’ biotic interactions. It increased pre‐dispersal seed predation by insects (primarily weevils, Curculio spp.) on fertilized plots, most likely as the result of the disruption of predator satiation. In addition, infestation by weevils was more likely to result in embryo destruction in fertilized than in control acorns. Furthermore, the proportion of acorns dispersed and cached by rodents decreased on fertilized plots. Finally, germination of fertilized acorns was lower than control acorns, even after controlling for the effects of weevils and rodents. Inclusion of the altered biotic interactions reversed the final picture of the effects of long‐term nitrogen fertilization on oak reproduction: the positive effects on acorn quantity were trumped by the nitrogen‐mediated changes in biotic interactions. Synthesis. Our results stress the importance of considering indirect effects and consumer interactions when evaluating the effects of environmental change on plant population dynamics. Long‐term nitrogen fertilization has a strong potential to decrease the recruitment of masting trees. Given the ubiquitous increase in the anthropogenic nitrogen deposition, processes similar to those found in our system might operate in others, resulting in a widespread alteration in trees’ recruitment dynamics.

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“…In addition to these effects, we cannot discard that the production of extraordinary large crops may also increase the chances of successful seed dispersal and recruitment in these species both by increasing the attraction of avian seed dispersers (Pesendorfer and Koenig ) and by reducing the removal of cached seeds during masting years (dispersal satiation hypothesis in vander Wall , see also Zwolak et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond predator satiation: Masting but also the effects of rainfall stochasticity on weevils drive acorn predation

et al. 2017

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Escaping seed predation is a classic “economy of scale” hypotheses (predator satiation hypothesis, Psh) to explain the selection for the synchronous production of massive and nil seed crops (masting) in plants. The Psh postulates that predator satiation occurs through a combination of (1) “functional satiation,” as not all seeds can be consumed during a massive crop, and (2) “numerical satiation,” as predator populations collapse during poor crop years. Many studies advocate for the Psh, but few have investigated the importance of masting compared to other factors for the control of predation extent. Namely, environmental cues prompting masting could also determine predator's success and, ultimately, influence directly and independently seed predation intensity. We explored this question in Mediterranean oaks, as they exhibit strong masting behavior; acorns are heavily predated upon by weevils; and rainfall stochasticity drives masting and the emergence of adult weevils from the soil. Results of two mid‐term studies (4 and 11 yr) showed that acorn production and predation were highly variable across years, while the abundance of adult weevils was positively related to autumn rainfall and to the number of infested acorns the previous years. Ultimately, acorn predation was negatively influenced by inter‐annual fluctuation of seed production (masting) yet, mainly and positively, prompted by autumn rainfall and acorn crop size (only in one site). Our results highlight the relevance of masting to reduce seed predation. Yet evidences that rainfall stochasticity directly determines the success of weevils, and it independently influences seed predation extent, indicate that environmental cues prompting masting may also fine‐tune the output of this reproductive behavior. Additionally, local differences suggest that the relevance of masting may change with tree characteristics (low vs. high seed production) and landscape structure (isolated vs. dense forests). We also discuss what can be the effects of increasing drought in Mediterranean areas for this antagonistic interaction, triggered by rainfall.

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Advantages of masting in European beech: timing of granivore satiation and benefits of seed caching support the predator dispersal hypothesis

Cited by 77 publications

References 69 publications

Scatter‐hoarding and cache pilfering of rodents in response to seed abundance

Scatter‐hoarding and cache pilfering of rodents in response to seed abundance

Effects of nitrogen deposition on reproduction in a masting tree: benefits of higher seed production are trumped by negative biotic interactions

Beyond predator satiation: Masting but also the effects of rainfall stochasticity on weevils drive acorn predation

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