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Effects of relative abundance of Quercus mongolica acorns on five tree species seed dispersal in Xiaoxing’an Mountains, Northeast China.

YU Fei1,3, SHI Xiao-xiao2, YI Xian-feng3,4, WANG De-xiang1   

  1. (1College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; 2College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; 3Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, Henan, China; 4State Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China)
  • Online:2013-06-18 Published:2013-06-18

Abstract: An investigation was conducted in a forest farm in the Xiaoxing’an Mountains in autumn, 2009 and 2010 to study the effects of Quercus mongolica acorn quantity and rodent density on the seed dispersal of five tree species (Juglans mandshurica, Pinus koraiensis, Corylus mandshurica, Corylus heterophylla, and Q. mongolica). In the farm, there was an annual change in rodent density. The total capture rate of small rodents in 2009 (31.0%) was significantly higher than that in 2010 (16.7%). The acorn quantity and relative seed abundance (per capita rodent) of Quercus mongolica in 2009 (6.2±2.1 acorns·m-2 and 20.0, respectively) were significantly lower than those in 2010 (26.7±10.2 acorns·m-2 and 160.0, respectively). In 2009, all the seeds of the five tree species except J. mandshurica were dispersed or eaten in situ, among which, the acorns of Q. mongolica were scatter-hoarded most, and their average dispersal distance was the furthest. In 2010, the seeds of J. mandshurica were scatter-hoarded most, and their average dispersal distance was the furthest. The relative seed abundance of Q. mongolica could be the key factor determining the seed dispersal of the other tree species in the study area.