The road effect on small rodent population is investigated at 8 fragmented forest areas in the Baekdudaegan mountain range, South Korea in September 2001. We especially focused on the distribution and body condition o...The road effect on small rodent population is investigated at 8 fragmented forest areas in the Baekdudaegan mountain range, South Korea in September 2001. We especially focused on the distribution and body condition of small rodents near the roads. Korean field mouse (Apodemus peninsulae) seems to be more sensitive to the existence of a road than striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius). Korean field mouse prefers interior forest area to around road. Striped field mouse is a habitat generalist and has wide distributional range around road, but Korean field mouse is forest-inhabiting species and their distribution is limited in forest area. These results suggest the effect of road is different on each small rodent species and their habitat preferences.展开更多
Some rodent-dispersed seeds have a hard seed-coat(e.g.woody endocarp).Specific scrapes or dental marks on the hard seed-coat left by rodents when they eat these seeds can be used to identify seed predators.In this stu...Some rodent-dispersed seeds have a hard seed-coat(e.g.woody endocarp).Specific scrapes or dental marks on the hard seed-coat left by rodents when they eat these seeds can be used to identify seed predators.In this study we measured the morphological traits of endocarp-remains of seeds of wild apricot Prunus armeniaca used by Chinese white-bellied rats Niviventor confucianus and Korean field mice Apodemus peninsulae.We established their Fisher's linear discriminant functions to separate endocarp-remains between the two predators.A total of 90.0% of the endocarp-remains left by Korean field mice and 88.0% of those left by Chinese white-bellied rats were correctly classified.The overall percentage of correct classification was 89.0%.One hundred and sixty endocarp-remains of unknown what species predated them were classified using the functions.The method may allow more reliable quantitative studies of the effects of Chinese white-bellied rats and Korean field mice on seed consumption and dispersal of wild apricot and this study might be used for reference in other studies of seed predators identification on hard seeds.展开更多
Background:Seed dispersal by scatter-hoarding animals can affect the developmental dynamics of plant communities.However,how animals might participate in plant inter-community competition has rarely been investigated....Background:Seed dispersal by scatter-hoarding animals can affect the developmental dynamics of plant communities.However,how animals might participate in plant inter-community competition has rarely been investigated.Forest community junction is an area where the competition between plant communities is most prominent and animal activity is more frequent.At present,little is known about how scatter-hoarding animals might assist competitions by adjacent plant communities.Thus,for 3 years(2015–2017),we tracked the fate of 2880 tagged seeds(Quercus aliena var.acuteserrata,Pinus tabuliformis,and P.armandii seed)placed near an edge where the forest composition changes from a pine forest to an oak forest in northwestern China.Results:We found that the seed fates differed when Quercus and Pinus seeds entered adjacent stands.In contrast to Pinus seeds,acorns that entered pine forests were characterized by higher caching rates and longer dispersal distances.Pinus seeds had the highest probability of being predated(85%)by rodents,and eleven Q.aliena var.acuteserrata seedlings were established in pine forests,although none survived in the later stages.In addition,rodents exhibited obvious selectivity in terms of the microhabitats for the seed caching sites.Conclusions:Seed fates differed when Quercus and Pinus seeds entered adjacent stands.The predation pressure by rodents on the seeds of Pinus species limited the germination of seeds and seedling establishment in oak forests.The different seed fates after their bidirectional dispersal could affect the differences in natural regeneration between pine and oak forests,and they might increase the recruitment rates for oak at the edge of an adjacent community.Rodent-mediated seed dispersal could potential unintentionally affect the competition between plant communities.展开更多
In this article,authors review the current knowledge of Bartonella infection in small mammals including rodents,insectivores,bats and exotic small mammal pets and their vectors in Asia.Species of Bartonella are Gram-n...In this article,authors review the current knowledge of Bartonella infection in small mammals including rodents,insectivores,bats and exotic small mammal pets and their vectors in Asia.Species of Bartonella are Gram-negative intracellular bacteria that infect erythrocytes of various mammalian and non-mammalian animals and mainly transmitted by blood sucking arthropod vectors.The genus Bartonella includes several species of important human diseases with severe clinical signs.Several new Bartonella species were isolated from rodents and other small mammals,and from human patients in Asia.Bartonella species are identified using standard polymerase chain reaction amplification and a sequencing targeting two housekeeping genes(glt.A and rpoB) and the internal transcribed spacer fragment.Authors also discuss the implications in term of potential emerging zoonotic diseases.展开更多
文摘The road effect on small rodent population is investigated at 8 fragmented forest areas in the Baekdudaegan mountain range, South Korea in September 2001. We especially focused on the distribution and body condition of small rodents near the roads. Korean field mouse (Apodemus peninsulae) seems to be more sensitive to the existence of a road than striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius). Korean field mouse prefers interior forest area to around road. Striped field mouse is a habitat generalist and has wide distributional range around road, but Korean field mouse is forest-inhabiting species and their distribution is limited in forest area. These results suggest the effect of road is different on each small rodent species and their habitat preferences.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(30800120) and the Foundation for New Teachers of Huazhong Normal University
文摘Some rodent-dispersed seeds have a hard seed-coat(e.g.woody endocarp).Specific scrapes or dental marks on the hard seed-coat left by rodents when they eat these seeds can be used to identify seed predators.In this study we measured the morphological traits of endocarp-remains of seeds of wild apricot Prunus armeniaca used by Chinese white-bellied rats Niviventor confucianus and Korean field mice Apodemus peninsulae.We established their Fisher's linear discriminant functions to separate endocarp-remains between the two predators.A total of 90.0% of the endocarp-remains left by Korean field mice and 88.0% of those left by Chinese white-bellied rats were correctly classified.The overall percentage of correct classification was 89.0%.One hundred and sixty endocarp-remains of unknown what species predated them were classified using the functions.The method may allow more reliable quantitative studies of the effects of Chinese white-bellied rats and Korean field mice on seed consumption and dispersal of wild apricot and this study might be used for reference in other studies of seed predators identification on hard seeds.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31470644).
文摘Background:Seed dispersal by scatter-hoarding animals can affect the developmental dynamics of plant communities.However,how animals might participate in plant inter-community competition has rarely been investigated.Forest community junction is an area where the competition between plant communities is most prominent and animal activity is more frequent.At present,little is known about how scatter-hoarding animals might assist competitions by adjacent plant communities.Thus,for 3 years(2015–2017),we tracked the fate of 2880 tagged seeds(Quercus aliena var.acuteserrata,Pinus tabuliformis,and P.armandii seed)placed near an edge where the forest composition changes from a pine forest to an oak forest in northwestern China.Results:We found that the seed fates differed when Quercus and Pinus seeds entered adjacent stands.In contrast to Pinus seeds,acorns that entered pine forests were characterized by higher caching rates and longer dispersal distances.Pinus seeds had the highest probability of being predated(85%)by rodents,and eleven Q.aliena var.acuteserrata seedlings were established in pine forests,although none survived in the later stages.In addition,rodents exhibited obvious selectivity in terms of the microhabitats for the seed caching sites.Conclusions:Seed fates differed when Quercus and Pinus seeds entered adjacent stands.The predation pressure by rodents on the seeds of Pinus species limited the germination of seeds and seedling establishment in oak forests.The different seed fates after their bidirectional dispersal could affect the differences in natural regeneration between pine and oak forests,and they might increase the recruitment rates for oak at the edge of an adjacent community.Rodent-mediated seed dispersal could potential unintentionally affect the competition between plant communities.
基金Supported by the French ANR CERoPath project(number ANR 07 BDIV 012)the French ANR BiodivHealthSEA project(number ANR 11 CPEL.002)
文摘In this article,authors review the current knowledge of Bartonella infection in small mammals including rodents,insectivores,bats and exotic small mammal pets and their vectors in Asia.Species of Bartonella are Gram-negative intracellular bacteria that infect erythrocytes of various mammalian and non-mammalian animals and mainly transmitted by blood sucking arthropod vectors.The genus Bartonella includes several species of important human diseases with severe clinical signs.Several new Bartonella species were isolated from rodents and other small mammals,and from human patients in Asia.Bartonella species are identified using standard polymerase chain reaction amplification and a sequencing targeting two housekeeping genes(glt.A and rpoB) and the internal transcribed spacer fragment.Authors also discuss the implications in term of potential emerging zoonotic diseases.
