Effects of microhabitat on rodent-mediated seed removal of endangered Kmeria septentrionalis in the karst habitat.

ABSTRACT: Seed removal behaviors of rodents are largely influenced by microhabitat. Although the karst ecosystem is composed of a broad variety of microhabitats, we have no information on how they affect such behaviors. We investigated rodents' seed removal behaviors in four karst microhabitats (stone cavern, stone groove, stone surface, and soil surface) using three types of Kmeria septentrionalis seeds: fresh, black (intact seeds with black aril that dehydrates and darkens), and exposed (clean seeds without the aril). We show that Rattus norvegicus, Leopoldamys edwardsi and Rattus flavipectus were the predominant seed predators. Even though all seed types experienced a high removal rate in all four microhabitats, but rodents preferentially removed seeds from the three s

SUBMITTER: Wang G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7676351 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature