Nut Selection by Captive Blue Jays: Importance of Availability and Implications for Seed Dispersal

Moore, Jeffrey E.

doi:10.1650/0010-5422(2006)108[377:nsbcbj]2.0.co;2

Cited by 23 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…In extreme cases, large size and recalcitrant shells can effectively prevent animals from manipulating or opening seeds (e.g. Bossema, 1979;Ivan & Swihart, 2000;Moore & Swihart, 2006), but in other cases, these variables only reduce efficiency.…”

Section: (4) Handling Timementioning

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: (4) Handling Timementioning

confidence: 99%

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

2015

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“…Many small rodents and bird species mitigate seasons of food shortage by hoarding seeds in their caches or larders to use as long-term food supplies (Jansen et al 2006; Moore and Swihart 2006). However, germination of seeds in caches can be a major cause of food loss to hoarding animals (Elliott 1978;Fox 1982;Hadj-Chikh et al 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Repeated radicle pruning of Quercus mongolica acorns as a cache management tactic of Siberian chipmunks

Yang

2011

acta ethol

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Many rodents hoard seeds as a means of ensuring food availability during scarcity. Siberian chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus) feed on acorns of white oak Quercus mongolica and hoard them for future use. Such caches may deteriorate due to the early germination of the acorns in autumn, which can be inhibited by radicle pruning or embryo excision. Siberian chipmunks are found to frequently prune the radicles of germinated acorns of Q. mongolica; however, whether this behavior is a kind of cache management tactic remains unclear. Here, we performed semi-natural enclosure and field experiments to test the role of radicle pruning in cache management of T. sibiricus. We found that T. sibiricus preferred non-germinated acorns and tended to prune radicles of germinating acorns when scatter-hoarding them, but did not perform the behavior of embryo excision by squirrels. Both semi-natural enclosure and field experiments showed that T. sibiricus not only pruned radicles repeatedly but removed radicles varied in length from acorns, which significantly postponed acorn germination and radicle growth. These observations suggest that radicle pruning would be an evolutionary tactic for cache management of Siberian chipmunks.

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“…Larger acorns also have higher frost resistance and, in general, are more stress tolerant (Aizen & Woodcock 1992, Gómez 2004. However, larger acorns may suffer higher predation rates (Gómez 2004, Muñoz & Bonal 2008, Yi & Wang 2015, Zhang et al 2015 and bird dispersers usually prefer smaller acorns (Moore & Swihart 2006), suggesting the existence of conflicting selection pressures on acorn size (Gómez 2004).…”

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Climatic determinants of acorn size and germination percentage of Quercus rugosa (Fagaceae) along a latitudinal gradient in Mexico

et al. 2017

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Background. Abiotic constraints, historical effects of the last glaciation, and differential dispersal, have been proposed as potential explanations to account for the latitudinal decrease in acorn size of wide-ranging oak species distributed in the U.S. and Canada. Hypothesis. We specifically tested the abiotic constraints hypothesis on oak acorn size in a geographical area without the counfounding influence of glaciation and related dispersal history. Data description. Acorns from seven populations of the white oak Quercus rugosa were collected, encompassing the distribution of the species in Mexico. Study site and years of study. Mexico, 2009Mexico, -2010. Results. Acorn length, width, mass and volume differed significantly among populations and indicated a marked clinal latitudinal reduction in acorn size. A multiple regression model revealed that this reduction in size (measured as acorn volume) can be explained by two important bioclimatic variables (growing season precipitation and growing season degree-days above 5 °C), while spatial variables (latitude and longitude) are not significant. Furthermore, germination percentage was significantly correlated to acorn mass and volume. Conclusions. The main determinants of the latitudinal decline in acorn size are climate factors constraining seed development. This decline is maladaptive for seedling establishment, with important implications for the delination of northern limits of species ranges. Key words: acorn size, climate factors, geographical variation, latitudinal distribution, Quercus. Determinantes climáticos del tamaño de las bellotas y el porcentaje de germinación de Quercus rugosa (Fagaceae) a lo largo de un gradiente latitudinal en México ResumenAntecedentes. Las restricciones abióticas, el efecto histórico de la última glaciación y la dispersión diferencial son posibles explicaciones para la disminución latitudinal del tamaño de las bellotas en especies de encinos de amplia distribución en los EE.UU. y Canadá. Hipótesis. Se probó específicamente la hipótesis de las restricciones abióticas sobre el tamaño de las bellotas de encinos en un área geográfica sin influencia de la historia de colonización postglacial. Descripción de datos. Se colectaron bellotas procedentes de siete poblaciones del encino blanco Quercus rugosa, abarcando la distribución de la especie en México. Sitio de estudio y fechas. México, 2009México, -2010 Resultados. La longitud de las bellotas, el ancho, la masa y el volumen difirieron significativamente entre las poblaciones y mostraron una marcada reducción latitudinal clinal en el tamaño de la bellota. Un modelo de regresión múltiple reveló que esta reducción en el tamaño (medido como volumen de bellota) puede explicarse por dos variables bioclimáticas importantes (precipitación en la temporada de crecimiento y días-grado por encima de 5 °C de la temporada de crecimiento), mientras que las variables espaciales (latitud y longitud) no fueron significativas. Adicionalmente, el porcentaje de germinación se correlacionó...

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Nut Selection by Captive Blue Jays: Importance of Availability and Implications for Seed Dispersal

Cited by 23 publications

References 38 publications

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

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

Repeated radicle pruning of Quercus mongolica acorns as a cache management tactic of Siberian chipmunks

Climatic determinants of acorn size and germination percentage of Quercus rugosa (Fagaceae) along a latitudinal gradient in Mexico

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