Dual ecological functions of scatter-hoarding rodents:pollinators and seed dispersers of Mucuna sempervirens(Fabaceae)  

作　　者：Zhishu XIAO 

机构地区：[1]State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture,Institute of Zoology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing,China [2]University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing,China

出　　处：《Integrative Zoology》2022年第5期918-929,共12页整合动物学（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31971441,31770565)。

摘　　要：Double mutualism,that is,pollination and seed dispersal of the same plant species mediated by the same animal partners,is important but remains elusive in nature.Recently,rodent species were found as key pollinators(i.e.explosive openers)for some Mucuna species in(sub)tropical Asia,but no evidence has shown whether and how these rodents could also act as legitimate seed dispersers via scatter-hoarding for those producing large seeds.Here,my aim was to test the hypothesis that scatter-hoarding rodents could act as double mutualists for both pollination and seed dispersal of the same Mucuna species,that is,Mucuna sempervirens(Fabaceae).Based on camera-trapping survey at 2 locations with or without squirrel presence in the Dujiangyan subtropical forests,Southwest China,7 mammals and birds were identified as explosive openers for M.sempervirensflowers,but Leopoldamys edwardsi(rats)and Paguma larvata(civets)were the main pollinators at the squirrel-absent site,while Callosciurus erythraeus(squirrels)were the main pollinators at the squirrel-present site.By tracking the fate of individually-tagged seeds over 5 years at each site,I provide thefirst evidence for seed-eating rodents as legitimate seed dispersers via scatter-hoarding of seeds in this world-wide plant genus,although dispersal services were slightly reduced at squirrel-absent site.More importantly,the dual roles of scatter-hoarding rodents as key pollinators and seed dispersers for the same Mucuna species have shown a clear relationship of double mutualism,and their key services may be essential for population conservation of these Mucuna species in human-disturbed landscapes.

关 键 词：double mutualism Mucuna(Fabaceae) pollination scatter-hoarding rodents seed dispersal 

分 类 号：Q95[生物学—动物学]