Energy Values of Tree-Seeds Eaten by Small Mammals

Abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. . Wiley and Nordic Society Oikos are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Oikos. . Energy values of tree-seeds eaten by small mammals. -Oikos 21: 52-58. Copenhagen 1970.Caloric values were determined for 19 European tree-seeds (5 conifers and 14 deciduous), which constitute a potential food for mammals. With respect to weight these seeds may be divided into four groups: very light (birch, alders), light (larch, elm, pine, spruce, black locust, lime), heavy (hornbeam, fir, ash, maples, beech, stone pine), and very heavy (hazel and oaks). The nutritive content (seeds minus coats) varies from 24 to 85 % of the whole seed dry weight.There is no correlation between the seed size and nutritive content. The caloric value of whole seeds ranged from 4.4 to 6.8 kcal/g dry wt, with the highest values for conifers, beech and hazel (6.0-6.8), while the majority of deciduous seeds have a value of 5.0-5.3 kcal/g. The energy value of nutritive material exceeded that of the whole seeds and amounted to 4.4-7.9 kcal/g dry wt. Ash-free caloric values were higher by 1-7 %. Energy values of seeds are directly correlated with the lipid content.Most of these seeds are favorite foods of rodents (voles, mice, dormice, squirrels), although some of them are also eaten by shrews, as well as deer and wild boar.

Food of the striped field mouse in different types of urban green areas

“…Among tree seeds the rodents most often consumed such species as Acer platanoides, Tilia cordata, Aesculus hippocastanum, Quercus sp. Grodziński & Sawicka-Kapusta (1970) state that the calorific value of these seeds varies within limits of 5.5-6.0 kcal/g of dry mass, while, as shown by Falińska's studies (1969), the seeds of herb layer plants have a caloric value from 3.4 to 6.1 kcal/g of dry mass. The percentage of tree seeds of higher caloric value in the diet of urban rodents was higher than in that of suburban mice (city -80%, Białołęka -54%) (Fig.…”

Seasonal variation in the diet and food preference of the WoodpigeonColumba palumbusin Ireland

“…The main tree species exploited by Woodpigeons were Ivy and Beech, both found abundantly in the hedgerows of study area. The ability of Woodpigeons to feed on Ivy and Beech-mast (facilitated by the strong muscular gizzard) allows the bird to feed on an abundant food source that has a high calorific content and that is ignored by most other seed-eating birds (Grodzinski & Sawicka-Kapusta 1970). This plentiful food supply may facilitate a longer breeding season in Woodpigeon compared to many other granivorous birds.…”

FEEDING BY THE COMMON DORMOUSE (MUSCARDINUS AVELLANARIUS): A REVIEW

“…Hazelnuts, if they are available, are the principal source of food used for fattening up in autumn (Bright & Morris 1996Bright et al 2006). Hazelnut kernels have the highest calorific value among European tree seeds that constitute potential food for small mammals (Grodzinski & Sawicka-Kapusta 1970). However, dormice also live in habitats without hazel or in habitats where the importance of hazel as a food source for these animals is limited because good hazel crops occur only every few years (Juðkaitis 2007).…”