Empty seeds are not always bad: simultaneous effect of seed emptiness and masting on animal seed predation.

ABSTRACT: Seed masting and production of empty seeds have often been considered independently as different strategies to reduce seed predation by animals. Here, we integrate both phenomena within the whole assemblage of seed predators (both pre and post-dispersal) and in two contrasting microsites (open vs. sheltered) to improve our understanding of the factors controlling seed predation in a wind-dispersed tree (Ulmus laevis). In years with larger crop sizes more avian seed predators were attracted with an increase in the proportion of full seeds predated on the ground. However, for abundant crops, the presence of empty seeds decreased the proportion of full seeds predated. Empty seeds remained for a very long period in the tree, making location of full seeds more difficult for pre-dispersal predat

SUBMITTER: Perea R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3679161 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature