Volume 92, Issue 9, 9 August 2014, Pages 771-776
University of Notre Dame Environmental Research
Center, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame,
Notre Dame, IN, United States
Abstract
This study explores
foraging choices made by seed predators (white-footed mouse, Peromyscus
leucopus noveboracensis (Fischer, 1829), and woodland deer mouse,
Peromyscus maniculatus gracilis (LeConte, 1855)) presented with seeds of
two dominant tree species (sugar maple, Acer saccharum Marsh., and red maple, Acer rubrum L.). I hypothesized that both species would prefer A. saccharum
seeds, as they are larger and ostensibly contain more energy. Although
P. l. noveboracensis consumed more seed than P. m. gracilis, there was
also a species-specific difference in preference. Peromyscus maniculatus
gracilis clearly preferred A. rubrum over A. saccharum,
whereas preferences of P. l. noveboracensis were less specific.
Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis, being a habitat generalist, may
demonstrate higher plasticity in response to different food types.
Peromyscus maniculatus gracilis may prefer A. rubrum because of
differences in nutrition, handling costs, or germination schedules,
although this was not explicitly tested. This species-specific
difference in preference indicates the common assumption that Peromyscus
species are ecologically similar should be made with caution. © 2014,
National Research Council of Canada. All rights reserved.
Author keywords
Acer rubrum; Acer saccharum;
Foraging; Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis; Peromyscus maniculatus
gracilis; Red maple; Seed predation; Sugar maple; White-footed deer
mouse; Woodland deer mouse
Indexed keywords
GEOBASE Subject Index: deciduous tree; feeding
behavior; germination; habitat type; nutrition; pest species; phenotypic
plasticity; plant-herbivore interaction; preference behavior; rodent;
seed predation; woodland
Species Index: Acer; Acer rubrum; Acer saccharum; Peromyscus; Peromyscus leucopus; Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis; Peromyscus maniculatus
