The use of species‐specific cone remains of sympatric arboreal rodents to monitor their distribution

Rima, P.C.; Aloise, Gaetano; Cagnin, Mara; Wauters, Luc A.

doi:10.1080/11250000701286647

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 46 publications

(45 reference statements)

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“…Both 2009 and 2001 were mast years with seed-energy production higher than in all other year (DLSM, all p < 0.0001). There was no difference in seed production between 2003, 2004and 2007 or between these years and 2006 (DLSM, all p > 0.05, Fig. 1).…”

Section: Forest Composition and Seed Productionmentioning

confidence: 56%

“…Red squirrels use their sharp teeth to cut the base of a single cone from the branch and eat most of it in situ. They gnaw the base of bracts and tear bracts off (see also Rima et al, 2007), leaving a clean-cut seed-coat attached to the cone core, or extracting the entire seed (with coat = pericarp) and leaving seed-coats cut in two symmetric halves (our own observations). In some cases, when characteristics of cone remains did not allow us to attribute them to nutcrackers or squirrels, they were classified in category 'others'.…”

Section: Cone Survival and Predationmentioning

confidence: 93%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Annual variation in predation and dispersal of Arolla pine (Pinus cembra L.) seeds by Eurasian red squirrels and other seed-eaters

Zong

Wauters

Dongen

et al. 2010

Forest Ecology and Management

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Section: Forest Composition and Seed Productionmentioning

confidence: 56%

Section: Cone Survival and Predationmentioning

confidence: 93%

Annual variation in predation and dispersal of Arolla pine (Pinus cembra L.) seeds by Eurasian red squirrels and other seed-eaters

Zong

Wauters

Dongen

et al. 2010

Forest Ecology and Management

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“…Mature cones of Scots pine gnawed by G. glis were found in nestboxes in September 2010 when hazel nuts and acorns were absent (R. Juškaitis, unpublished). Elsewhere, feeding by G. glis on cones of different pine species has been recorded only in some coniferous forests in central and southern Italy (Santini 1978;Rima et al 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Diet of the fat dormouse (Glis glis) on the northern periphery of its distributional range

2015

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We studied the seasonal and annual variation in diet composition of the fat dormouse (Glis glis) in Lithuania, a locality situated on the northern periphery of the dormouse range and outside of the range of the European beech (Fagus sylvatica). After emergence from hibernation, dormice fed on oak acorns (from the previous year), inflorescences of various trees, vegetative parts of plants and food of animal origin (birds, their eggs and insects). In June, soft mast and seeds of birches supplemented the dormouse diet, and diet composition was the most diverse during this period. In July, raspberries and fruits of glossy buckthorn constituted the bulk of dormouse diet, but seeds of birches dominated in a specific year. Hard mast (mainly acorns) dominated the diet of G. glis from August until the beginning of hibernation in October. A high prevalence of acorns, comparatively high proportion of birch seeds and low proportion of food of animal origin in the diet, as well as feeding on fruits of glossy buckthorn, are specific features of feeding by G. glis in Lithuania. The diet of G. glis on the northern periphery of its range resembles its diet on the eastern periphery of the range where beech trees are also absent. According to the composition of G. glis diet, feeding conditions in both of these peripheral regions are poorer in comparison to central or southern regions.

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“…This does not mean that the trees do not allocate terpenoids in scales as a strategy to make manipulation of cones, in particular scale removal by tearing or cutting using the incisors (Rima et al 2007), more difficult. In fact, also scales contained high concentrations of terpenoids and ␣-pinene content was 13 times higher in fir than in spruce scales.…”

Section: Fir Versus Sprucementioning

confidence: 98%

Food choice of Eurasian red squirrels and concentrations of anti-predatory secondary compounds

et al. 2012

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a b s t r a c tSecondary metabolites (SMs) are organic compounds of low molecular mass that represent a vast chemical diversity. In plants, one of their preeminent roles is their repellent activity against predators. The Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) is one of the most important predators of conifer tree seeds in boreal and alpine forests in Europe. Its population dynamics and space use are strongly affected by the size of Norway spruce (Picea abies) seed-crops, but not by silver fir (Abies alba) seed-crops. Moreover, squirrel heavily feed on spruce seeds but tend to avoid fir seeds, although the latter has a higher seed-energy content per cone. We tested the hypothesis that a higher concentration of some SMs in fir than in spruce seeds and/or cone scales, the protective tissue of seeds, was related with squirrel feeding preferences. We determined terpene concentrations in the cyclohexane extract of seeds and scales by gas-chromatography-electron ionisation mass-spectrometry (GC/EI-MS), and measured the protein precipitation activity of tannin contained in spruce and fir seeds and scales. Of the nearly 300 separated chemical entities, only limonene, ␣-and ␤-pinene and myrcene occurred in all samples and their levels accounted for 80% or more of all cyclohexane-extractable materials of fir and for less than 50% of that of spruce. In fir, limonene was by far the most abundant compound, and fir scales had a 13 times higher concentration of ␣-pinene than spruce scales. Fir seeds had much higher limonene concentrations than fir scales and than seeds or scales of spruce. Tannin concentrations were higher in cone scales than in seeds, with no differences between the two tree species. This study suggests that high concentrations of limonene might reduce the feeding activity of red squirrels on fir seeds, and that the preferred spruce seeds had much lower monoterpene concentrations. Feeding trials using food items treated with different concentrations of limonene will be carried out to confirm this hypothesis.

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The use of species‐specific cone remains of sympatric arboreal rodents to monitor their distribution

Cited by 9 publications

References 46 publications

Annual variation in predation and dispersal of Arolla pine (Pinus cembra L.) seeds by Eurasian red squirrels and other seed-eaters

Annual variation in predation and dispersal of Arolla pine (Pinus cembra L.) seeds by Eurasian red squirrels and other seed-eaters

Diet of the fat dormouse (Glis glis) on the northern periphery of its distributional range

Food choice of Eurasian red squirrels and concentrations of anti-predatory secondary compounds

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