Impact of habitats on rodent-mediated seed fates of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata.

Abstract

Disturbance is the driving force of forest succession, which can change forest structure and surface vegetation. Disturbance also affects rodent-mediated seed dispersal. In this study, numbered plastic tags were used to examine the responses of rodent dispersal behavior to the fates of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata acorns at three habitats formed by different artificial disturbances in pine-oak mixed forests in the Qinling Mountains, i.e., unlogged stand, stand in the third year after tending thinning, and bare land. The results showed that seed removal rate from stands in the third year after tending was significantly higher than that in the other two habitats. The proportion of predation in bare land was significantly lower than that in the unlogged stand (25.0%) and in the stand in the third year after tending thinning (36.3%). In the third year after tending thinning, the seed predation rate after seed moving was significantly higher than those in the unlogged stand (17.3%) and bare land (5.0%). Moreover, the proportion of scatter hoarding after removal was also highest in the stand in the third year after tending thinning (4.3%). The longest average dispersal distance (26 m) occurred in the stand in the third year after tending thinning, which was significantly longer than those at the other two habitats. Therefore, the different habitat types significantly influenced the initial seed dispersal process by rodents, with consequences on the rates of seedling establishment. Habitat types affected the foraging strategies of rodents, thereby leading to different seed dispersal modes and natural regeneration patterns in the forest.