Article
Ecology
Hanami Suzuki, Hisashi Kajimura
Summary: Two mouse species, Apodemus speciosus and A. argenteus, were found to utilize the seeds of a dwarf bamboo species (Sasa borealis). They exhibited small-seed caching behavior by predating, removing, and sometimes burying the seeds. A. speciosus showed higher seed predation at covered sites and a shift in diet towards acorns in fall.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Hui Liu, Jinyu Zhang, Bo Wang
Summary: Scatter-hoarding rodents play important roles in seed dispersal and predation in forest ecosystems. This study investigated the impacts of seed traits on neighbor effects using artificial seeds. The results showed that seed size had a significant effect on seed dispersal, while tannin and nutrient content had relatively little impact on neighbor effects.
Article
Forestry
Paulina Celebias, Michal Bogdziewicz
Summary: Seeds produced by individual plants often vary in size, with larger seeds having higher chances of survival and establishment. However, larger seeds are also preferred by granivores. A study conducted on Quercus robur (English oak) found that the production of different size seeds by a plant might be a strategy to decrease predation and shift the interaction between trees and scatter hoarders away from predation and towards mutualism.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kimiko Hirayama, Kenta Mizo, Manaka Tatsuno, Mizuki Yoshikawa, Chieri Tachikawa
Summary: The production of acorns in Quercus serrata is influenced by temperature, seed predators, and other factors. The damage caused by Mechoris ursulus is a key factor contributing to the annual variation in acorn production, and its effects are synchronized among individuals and populations. The temperature in June also plays a significant role in the reproductive process of acorns.
ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Si Chen, Li Feng, Bo Wang
Summary: Scatter-hoarding rodents play a crucial role in seed survival and dispersal. The effect of seed size on rodent-seed interaction varies among species and different foraging processes. Including a large number of species in studies can avoid biased results. Seed size has a consistent effect on dispersal success across species over multiple years.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Joseph D. M. White, Jeremy J. Midgley
Summary: The study showed that gifboom seeds were predominantly removed and cached by small mammal Acomys subspinosus, while Micaelamys namaquensis ignored them. Gifboom seeds contain toxins with deterrent effects on seed predators and produce mucilage to enhance germination.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Li Feng, Si Chen, Bo Wang
Summary: The study revealed the fine-scale spatiotemporal variation in seed predation and dispersal in forests, with different plant species showing specific effects. The findings suggest that individual seeds have the potential to survive or disperse based on specific locations and times. Understanding this fine-scale spatiotemporal variation could help in better grasping species coexistence and biodiversity maintenance in plant-animal interactions.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Jie Chen, Wenwen Chen, Zhiyun Lu, Bo Wang
Summary: Scatter-hoarding rodents play a crucial role in seed predation and dispersal in forest ecosystems. Canopy openness has a significant influence on their foraging behavior, affecting seed fate and seedling regeneration. However, the impact of individual tree variation in canopy openness on seed-rodent interactions has been largely overlooked.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Sebastian Cordero, Francisca Galvez, Francisco E. Fonturbel
Summary: Exotic species are a major threat to biodiversity, affecting the structure and functioning of natural ecosystems. They can disrupt mutualistic interactions between plants and dispersers by altering dispersal behavior, predation, and transmission of pathogens. However, they can also have positive impacts on native plants and forest regeneration through increased visitation rates, facilitating colonization, enhancing seedling survival, and promoting seed rain and recruitment. Different studies show both similar and opposite results, highlighting the complex nature of native-exotic species interactions. Overall, exotic species management requires a comprehensive understanding of their ecological roles.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Nanako Abe, Kohei Koyama, Azumi Okamoto, Kowa Katayama, Yura Kato, Natsuki Mimura, Shoji Okoshi, Yuki Tanaka
Summary: This study investigates the seed dispersal mechanisms of Asian plantain through trampling and walking experiments. The results indicate that seed mucilage facilitates the attachment of seeds to dispersal agents, promoting seed dispersal.
Article
Ecology
Rodrigo Bello Carvalho, Marco A. Pizo
Summary: To avoid seed predation, plants invest in protective seed tissues, which can be influenced by dispersers. We explore the relationships between seed traits and seed removal rates in Myrtaceae species of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Seed traits affect removal rates, with tougher and heavier seeds having lower removal. Seed mass predicts seed coat proportion in some species, with bird-dispersed species exhibiting lower proportions as seed mass increases, and rodent-dispersed species showing the opposite trend.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Myo Min Thein, La-Mei Wu, Richard T. Corlett, Rui-Chang Quan, Bo Wang
Summary: The study examined seed-animal interactions along an elevation gradient in western Myanmar and found that the removal pattern of seeds by animals varied between seasons and among plant species. This suggests that a one-off survey with few species may not accurately represent overall macroecological patterns of biotic interactions. Future studies should take into account the seasonal and species-specific variability in these interactions.
Article
Ecology
William S. Longland, Lindsay A. Dimitri
Summary: The study explored the impact of inviable seeds on pre-dispersal seed predation by arthropods in western juniper, finding that in certain cases inviable seeds can reduce seed damage; Additionally, it discovered the relationships between arthropods and the number of inviable seeds in different seasons, as well as the correlation between high production of inviable seeds in juniper berries and decreased pre-dispersal seed damage.
Article
Zoology
Di Zeng, Tinghao Jin, Yuhao Zhao, Chuan Yan, Zhibin Zhang, Ping Ding
Summary: Density-dependent non-monotonic species interactions play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem stability and function. Rodents, acting as both seed dispersers and seed predators, have dual effects on plant regeneration and can lead to non-monotonic rodent-plant interactions. Empirical evidence shows that rodent abundance per seed triggers a switch between relative mutualism and predation in a rodent-seed system.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Donald R. Drake, Kim R. McConkey
Summary: Introduced rats (Rattus spp.) are considered major seed predators on many oceanic islands, but their capacity to assist in native plant recruitment through secondary dispersal, or diplochory, is poorly understood. Research in Tonga showed that diplochory, the combined effect of bats' primary dispersal and rats' secondary dispersal, increased the likelihood of seedling recruitment away from the parent crown by 34% compared to the effect of bats alone.
ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Martin D. Venturas, Henry N. Todd, Anna T. Trugman, William R. L. Anderegg
Summary: The study found that predicting tree mortality remains a scientific challenge, but hydraulic damage and carbon assimilation diagnostics can improve mortality prediction across broad spatial areas. Factors such as stand density and tree size play critical roles in explaining mortality patterns.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ramon Perea, Rodolfo Dirzo, Stephanie Bieler, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
Summary: The study found that Q. lobata had the highest gall incidence among the most common oak species, while Q. agrifolia supported the most diverse galling community. Differences in physiological variables between galled and ungalled leaves suggested a nutrient deficiency in the plants.
Article
Agronomy
Alvaro Rubio-Cuadrado, Cristina Gomez, Jesus Rodriguez-Calcerrada, Ramon Perea, Guillermo G. Gordaliza, J. Julio Camarero, Fernando Montes, Luis Gil
Summary: This study investigated the impact of a late frost event in 2017 on a mixed beech-oak forest in central Spain. Beech trees damaged by late frost maintained stable non-structural carbohydrate concentrations by reducing wood production, while frost-damaged oaks formed a second leaf cohort without differences in leaf individual area and phenology, suggesting a competitive advantage over beech.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Aaron Potkay, Anna T. Trugman, Yujie Wang, Martin D. Venturas, William R. L. Anderegg, Caio R. C. Mattos, Ying Fan
Summary: Trees optimize biomass partitioning in response to resource limitation and physiological activity, with allocation fractions influenced by net canopy photosynthesis rate and senescence rates. The THORP model predicts root biomass and shape simultaneously through efficient optimization, showing sensitivity to soil moisture profiles and groundwater presence. Groundwater serves as a buffer against water stress, stabilizing tree allometry and root profiles even at considerable depths.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. Montero-Botey, M. Solino, R. Perea, M. Martinez-Jauregui
Summary: Natural corridors are crucial for wildlife conservation, and the involvement of local communities is essential to ensure human-wildlife coexistence, especially in areas with elephants. Wildlife rangers play a key role in promoting coexistence and community awareness, as they have extensive experience in dealing with elephants and are closest to local communities. Their knowledge and preferences for strategies to enhance human-elephant coexistence can help in planning and implementing effective mitigation measures.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Aida Lopez-Sanchez, Sonia Roig, Rodolfo Dirzo, Ramon Perea
Summary: Cattle grazing has significantly altered plant architecture in silvopastoral systems, while sheep grazing leads to plants with higher height-diameter ratios. Young oak plants in deer grazing areas show less altered architecture and less damage. Multi-stemmed oak plants are more stunted in livestock-grazed areas compared to wildlife areas.
Article
Ecology
Marta Pelaez, Alfonso San Miguel, Carlos Rodriguez-Vigal, Angel Moreno-Gomez, Amanda Garcia del Rincon, Ramon Perea Garcia-Calvo
Summary: This study used retrospective life tables to analyze the impact of severe drought events on a wild red deer population in Mediterranean areas, revealing lasting cohort effects from extreme droughts in 2003 and 2005.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Maria Montero Botey, Mario Solino, Ramon Perea, Maria Martinez-Jauregui
Summary: The study demonstrates how a choice experiment can be used to understand local farmers' preferences for farm-based measures to mitigate African elephant crop damage. The results show that farmers' preferences are influenced by their experience and socioeconomic situation, with significant differences among respondents in different areas. This methodology is applicable to other areas where wildlife competes with local communities for resources and can help identify stakeholders' preferences in each specific context.
Article
Forestry
Aida Lopez-Sanchez, Miquel Capo, Jesus Rodriguez-Calcerrada, Marta Pelaez, Alejandro Solla, Juan A. Martin, Ramon Perea
Summary: Oak forests are facing multiple threats, with invasive pathogens being one of the most detrimental. This study found that a moderate concentration of the biological fertilizer Biohumin (R) improved the survival of oak seedlings, while a high concentration had negative effects. Further research is needed to understand the negative impact of high concentrations and evaluate the benefits of lower concentrations against soil pathogens.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Linnia R. Hawkins, Maoya Bassouni, William R. L. Anderegg, Martin D. Venturas, Stephen P. Good, Hyojung J. Kwon, Chad Hanson, Richard P. Fiorella, Gabriel J. Bowen, Christopher J. Still
Summary: This study compares semi-empirical stomatal models with hydraulic constraints to more mechanistic representations of stomatal and hydraulic functioning at a semi-arid pine site. The study finds that models generally perform similarly under unstressed conditions, but performance diverges under atmospheric and soil drought. The more empirical models better capture synergistic information flows, while the more mechanistic models are overly deterministic.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN MODELING EARTH SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ramon Perea, John W. Schroeder, Rodolfo Dirzo
Summary: The understory herbaceous community in tropical rainforests contributes significantly to the species richness and phylogenetic diversity of plant communities. In contrast to temperate forests, the understory plant community in tropical rainforests is less diverse but has higher phylogenetic diversity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Steven A. Kannenberg, Matthew A. Sturchio, Martin D. Venturas, Alan K. Knapp
Summary: A mechanistic analysis of plant physiological data from a commercial agrivoltaic facility in Colorado, USA, found that grass photosynthesis and evapotranspiration were only reduced by about 6% and 1%, respectively, despite a 38% reduction in light availability caused by the photovoltaic array.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Maria Montero-Botey, Ramon Perea
Summary: Elephant incursions into farms are a challenge for local communities and farmers, as well as for elephant conservation. This study shows that infrared barriers can effectively detect adult elephants and some subadult elephants, making them a promising early warning system in areas with high elephant populations.
Article
Forestry
J. Sobrino-Plata, C. Martinez-Arias, S. Ormeno-Moncalvillo, I Fernandez, C. Collada, L. Gil, C. M. J. Pieterse, J. A. Martin
Summary: In the study of Dutch elm disease resistance, it was found that the resistance is multifactorial with no common molecular response. The susceptible genotypes showed higher levels of oxidative damage and phenolic compounds after pathogen inoculation. Inoculation of the endophyte attenuated the plant molecular response induced by the pathogen.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Walisson K. Siqueira, Arthur L. Moura, Ramon Perea, Michel J. P. Alves, Geraldo W. Fernandes
Summary: The introduction of nurse species, such as Baccharis dracunculifolia, can effectively promote the recovery of degraded riparian forest, increase plant richness and diversity, and reduce the invasion of alien species.
NATURE CONSERVATION RESEARCH
(2022)