Large acorns benefit seedling recruitment by satiating weevil larvae in Quercus aliena

Yi, Xin; Yang, Yazhou

doi:10.1007/s11258-010-9730-0

Cited by 35 publications

(35 citation statements)

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“…In many cases, infested seeds can germinate, although the resulting seedlings may be less vigorous than their uninfested counterparts (Espelta, Bonal & Sánchez Humanes, 2009a;Espelta et al, 2009b;Yi & Yang, 2010;Dalgleish, Shukle & Swihart, 2012). In some cases, insect larvae may also represent a valuable food source in their own right.…”

Section: (7) Perishability: Dormancy and Infestationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed fate and decision‐making processes in scatter‐hoarding rodents

2015

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A mechanistic understanding of seed movement and survival is important both for the development of theoretical models of plant population dynamics, spatial spread, and community assembly, and for the conservation and management of plant communities under global change. While models of wind-borne seed dispersal have advanced rapidly over the past two decades, models for animal-mediated dispersal have failed to make similar progress due to their dependence on interspecific interactions and complex, context-dependent behaviours. In this review, we synthesize the literature on seed dispersal and consumption by scatter-hoarding, granivorous rodents and outline a strategy for development of a general mechanistic seed-fate model in these systems. Our review decomposes seed dispersal and survival into six distinct sub-processes (exposure, harvest, allocation, preparation, placement, and recovery), and identifies nine intermediate (latent) variables that link physical state variables (e.g. seed and animal traits, habitat structure) to decisions regarding seed allocation to hoarding or consumption, cache placement and management, and deployment of radicle-pruning or embryo excision behaviours. We also highlight specific areas where research on these intermediate relationships is needed to improve our mechanistic understanding of scatter-hoarder behaviour. Finally, we outline a strategy to combine detailed studies on individual functional relationships with seed-tracking experiments in an iterative, hierarchical Bayesian framework to construct, refine, and test mechanistic models for context-dependent, scatter-hoarder-mediated seed fate.

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Section: (7) Perishability: Dormancy and Infestationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed fate and decision‐making processes in scatter‐hoarding rodents

2015

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“…Although loss of nutritional reserves caused by partial seed predation exerts negative effects on seed germination and seedling performance (Westoby et al 1992;Bonal et al 2007;Hou et al 2010), it has been widely demonstrated that partially eaten acorns can germinate and develop into normal seedlings provided the vulnerable embryonic parts successfully escape predation of animals (Andersson and Frost 1996;Branco et al 2002;Xiao et al 2007;Pérez et al 2008;Hou et al 2010;Yi and Yang 2010a;Perea et al 2011a). Therefore, partial consumption of acorns may play an alternative role in shaping seed dispersal patterns and oak regeneration processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To our knowledge, partial consumption of the basal end of acorns by animals has mainly found in the section of Lobatae, Cerris, and Mesobalanus in subgenera of Quercus (Steele et al 1993(Steele et al , 1996(Steele et al , 1998Dunning et al 2002;Hou et al 2010;Perea et al 2011a;Yi and Yang 2010b); there are few reports on white oak species (section Quercus) (Yi and Yang 2010a). Our field observations indicate that wood mice and Siberian chipmunks selectively consume the basal portion of Quercus mongolica acorns, and the partially consumed acorns are more frequently left on the surface rather than cached, especially in the mast years.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, more partially eaten acorns can be expected due to high seed availability. To date, there is limited knowledge of acorn partial consumption at different levels of seed abundances; although large acorns are more likely to be partially eaten than small ones at individual level (Yi and Yang 2010a;Perea et al 2011a). Therefore, it is necessary to explore partial consumption of acorns by animals and its ecological role in seedling establishment with regard to seed abundance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Partial acorn consumption by small rodents: implication for regeneration of white oak, Quercus mongolica

Yang

2012

Plant Ecol

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Partial consumption of acorns by rodents, birds, and insects has been widely reported in various oak species. However, to what extent these partially eaten acorns contribute to the regeneration of oak trees is poorly understood. To date, there is limited knowledge of the effects of seed availability on partial consumption of acorns. Herein, we released tagged Quercus mongolica acorns in two consecutive years with different seed crops, to explore the probability of partial acorn consumption. We also placed simulated partially consumed acorns in the field to investigate their contribution to regeneration of white oak. Our results showed that more acorns were partially eaten in a good crop year than in poor crop year, reflecting an effect of predator satiation on acorn partial consumption by rodents at the population level. Partially eaten acorns were more likely to be damaged at the basal end, suggesting consistent consumption preferences of small rodents. Although, partially consumed acorns were less likely to be scatter-hoarded by small rodents, they germinated more rapidly than the intact acorns in the field, offsetting the negative effects of the nonburied deposition. Despite lower germination rates, lightly damaged acorns exhibited greater growth of roots and shoots, suggesting a compensatory response to partial acorn consumption. Partial consumption may spread predation pressure on acorns and thus appears to be much better for the plant than total consumption by seed-eating animals. Therefore, partially consumed acorns as dispersal leftovers may play a potential role in natural regeneration of Quercus mongolica, especially in mast years. However, this role and the underlying mechanisms of partial acorn consumption by rodents, birds, and herbivore insects need further investigation.

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“…the embryo remains alive) in partially predated seeds is strongly affected by seed size (Espelta et al 2009a) and embryo size, both within and among species (Perea et al 2018). Larger seeds, indeed, increase the likelihood of embryo survival as they satiate animals more easily (Mack 1998, Bonal et al 2007, Yi and Yang 2010. However, predator satiation by larger seeds might be precluded by higher levels of multi-larvae infestation (Bonal et al 2007) where more than one larva develops within the same seed (Bonal et al 2007, Fox et al 2012.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early plant development depends on embryo damage location: the role of seed size in partial seed predation

Perea

Fernándes

Dirzo

2019

Oikos

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Seed predators sometimes inflict non‐lethal seed damage. We asked whether seed size modulates the location of insect seed damage and examined whether location‐specific damage on the embryo influences early plant development (embryo survival, germination, seedling emergence and performance). We used intact and weevil‐infested seeds of a prevalent California oak tree Quercus agrifolia as study model. We conducted observational and manipulative studies (simulate partial embryo damage). Seed size significantly affected the location of insect damage within the seed and, in turn, the probability of embryo damage, with larger seeds showing lower probability of embryo damage. The location of the larva exit hole was strongly associated with the probability of embryo damage, with 0.9 probability when the exit hole is located <5 mm from the embryo. Partial damage on the embryo was found in ca 11% of the infested seeds (n = 250). Among them, 63% showed damage only on the inner part (plumule) of the embryo. Damage on the plumule (the rudimentary shoot) was more lethal than damage on the radicle, particularly at the emergence phase, when success rate of plumule‐damaged seeds decreased by half as compared to that of radicle‐damaged seeds. Plumule‐damaged seeds also emerged much later and performed more poorly than radicle‐damaged seeds. Furthermore, seedlings that emerged from plumule‐damaged seeds showed poorer physiological parameters (lower chlorophyll and nitrogen content) than those emerged from radicle‐damaged seeds. Overall, intact seeds performed better than both types of damaged seeds. We highlight that seed size and its associated differential location of seed damage determines the occurrence of embryo damage and the region affected within the embryo (e.g. plumule versus radicle) which, in turn, affects important components of plant fitness. Different selective pressures affecting mostly the plumule (insects) versus the radicle (embryo‐clipping rodents) may contribute to elucidate the co‐evolutionary dynamics of seeds and their predators.

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Large acorns benefit seedling recruitment by satiating weevil larvae in Quercus aliena

Cited by 35 publications

References 50 publications

Seed fate and decision‐making processes in scatter‐hoarding rodents

Seed fate and decision‐making processes in scatter‐hoarding rodents

Partial acorn consumption by small rodents: implication for regeneration of white oak, Quercus mongolica

Early plant development depends on embryo damage location: the role of seed size in partial seed predation

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