都江堰地区小型哺乳动物群落与生境类型关系的初步研究

于2000年10月底至11月初,对都江堰地区中亚热带常绿阔叶林带不同生境类型中小型哺乳动物群落的多样性变化进行了初步研究。其捕获小型哺乳动物12种,其中啮齿目（Rodentia）鼠科（Muridae）10种,食虫目（Insce-tivora）JuQin科（Soricidae）2种,总捕获率为10.67%,在所调查的7个生境中,以干扰较轻的次生林中小型哺乳动物物种多样性指数（1.8438）和均匀度（0.9475）最高,灌丛、次生林1、原生林和弃耕地均有较高的多样性指数,农田受人类的干扰最严重,物种单一,优势度（0.5703）明显;柳杉林中的多样性指数（1.3380）和均匀度(0.8313）均较低。但原生林的物种多样性指数（1.4305）略低于次生林（1.8475和1.4610）,灌丛（1.6398）和弃耕地(1.6566）。根据不同生境内群落相似性指数进行系统聚类,7个生境在相似性指数0.0952处全部聚合在一起,灌丛、原生林和次生林中主要分布有森林型小型哺乳动物,聚为一类,为森林群落型;柳杉林和农田以大足鼠（Rattus nitidus）为优势种,聚为一类,为农田群落型;弃耕地一方面由于群落多样性指数较高（1.6566）,另一方面其农田型小型哺乳动物仍占较高比例（46.67%）,所以在聚类图中另成一类,为农林交错型。结果表明,人类活动过度干扰的生境（如农田、柳杉林）多样性指数最低,适度干扰的生境（如次生林、灌丛、弃耕地）多样性指数最高,干扰较少的生境（如原生林）多样性指数略低。     

西双版纳地区小型哺乳动物群落结构及其季节变动

2008年10月—2009年6月,选择云南西双版纳地区7个不同类型生境,分别在旱季、雾凉季和雨季,采用铗夜法对小型哺乳动物群落展开调查。共布2100铗日,捕得小型哺乳动物3科10种127只,其中啮齿目(Rodentia)鼠科(Muridae)8种,食虫目(Instectivo-ra)鼩鼱科(Soricidae)和猬科(Erinaceidae)各1种,平均捕获率为6%。社鼠(Niviventer con-fucianus)是该地区小型哺乳动物群落中的优势种,其捕获率在季节之间的差异达到显著水平(P=0.023),在生境之间的差异不显著(P0.05)。在所调查的7个生境中,以生境最原始的热带雨林中的小型哺乳动物物种多样性指数最高(1.91);热带山地常绿阔叶林物种均匀度最高(0.95);热带季节性湿润林物种优势度最高(0.94)。人工橡胶林中未捕获到小型哺乳动物。3个季节中以旱季捕获小型哺乳动物数量最多。对不同生境内群落相似性指数进行聚类分析,6个生境在相似性指数0.21处全部聚合在一起。本研究结果表明,不同生境中小型哺乳动物物种多样性的丰富度与人类干扰程度有关,在人类干扰越小的生境中,小型哺乳动物种类越丰富,生物多样性指数越高;人为干扰频繁的生境物种多样性较低。     

三峡水库运行后洞庭湖洲滩 小型兽类群落状况

为了探究三峡工程建成运行后洞庭湖区洲滩生境中小型兽类的群落状况,对洞庭湖区洲滩生境的小型兽类进行调查。调查采用铗日法,于2010至2018年,对洞庭湖区洲滩小型兽类群落的多样性进行了调查,并计算优势度、群落多样性指数、均匀性指数。对多样性指数采用t值法进行比较,各年份、生境的捕获率及鼠种组成差异则采用卡方检验。2010至2018年,共布放34 116铗日,捕获可以分辨种类的样本2 129只,主要有啮齿目(Rodentia)和鼩形目(Soricomorpha)2类,共7种,分别是啮齿目的东方田鼠(Microtus fortis)、黑线姬鼠(Apodemus agrarius)、褐家鼠(Rattus norvegicus)、巢鼠(Micromys minutes)、社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)、黄毛鼠(R. losea)和鼩形目的臭鼩(Suncus murinus)。总捕获率为6.36%,东方田鼠、黑线姬鼠捕获率较高,分别为1.83%、3.94%。从小型兽类组成看,黑线姬鼠和东方田鼠在群落中组成的比例较高,分别为63.18%和29.26%。在调查的5类生境中,植被组成以苔草(Carex sp.)、南荻(Miscanthus sp.)和美洲黑杨(Populus deltoides)为主的生境小型兽类群落多样性指数(1.0772)和均匀度指数(0.6662)均最大,其次是以苔草为主的生境(多样性指数和均匀度指数分别为0.9275、0.5723)、以南荻为主的生境(多样性指数和均匀度指数分别为0.8856、0.550 2)和以苔草加南荻为主的生境(多样性指数和均匀度指数分别为0.775 6、0.481 9),以美洲黑杨为主的生境多样性指数(0.323 6)和均匀度指数(0.180 6)最低,但其优势度最高,为0.881 2。结果表明,随着三峡工程的运行,洞庭湖区植被演替发生了变化,从而引起小型兽类群落动态的变化。在洞庭湖洲滩上,生境越复杂,小型兽类物种多样性越高。单一生境下,人类活动干扰程度越大,小型兽类物种多样性越低。目前,黑线姬鼠已经成为洞庭湖洲滩生境的第一优势鼠种。     

王朗自然保护区地栖脊椎动物群落结构和生境类型的关系

2006年8—11月,采用围栏陷阱法对四川省王朗自然保护区地栖脊椎动物的群落结构进行了研究,结合森林砍伐、旅游和植被恢复方式等干扰因子所推动的动物栖息生境变化,探讨了动物群落结构和生境类型的关系。监测历时75 d,8个样地共捕获3纲6目17科21种778只地栖脊椎动物,物种组成包括3种两栖类、1种鸟类和17种哺乳类。每百陷阱日的捕获率为32.4%;以普通鼩鼱、高山姬鼠、纹背鼩鼱、高原林蛙等4种为优势种,占全部捕获数的76.9%;其余17种的个体数均较少,物种多度和其分布区域呈显著线性相关(P0.001)。动物群落多样性指数,以干扰相对弱的原生针叶林物种多样性指数和均匀度指数为最高,而优势度指数最低;其次为旅游干扰的原生林灌丛和自然更新的次生林灌丛;人工种植的次生针叶林多样性指数和均匀度指数最低,而优势度指数最高。以动物群落相似性指数进行系统聚类,8个样地的动物群落聚为3类:即干扰相对弱的原生针叶林动物群落、严重干扰的人工针叶林动物群落、部分干扰的原生林灌丛和次生林灌丛动物群落。     

阿拉善地区不同生境小型兽类群落多样性研究

本文对内蒙古阿拉善地区不同生境中小型兽类群落的物种组成和多样性进行了初步研究。1998 年8～9 月和1999 年8～9 月, 2002 年10 月, 在8 种不同生境类型中共布放54 个样地, 22 606 个有效铗日, 捕获小型兽类标本866 只, 分属2 目6 科, 共20 种。多样性分析结果表明: 8 种不同生境的小型兽类群落Shannon-Wiener 多样性指数在1.186～1.589 之间; Pielou 均匀性指数在0.630 9～0.861 8 之间; Simpson 生态优势度指数在0.234 9～0.415 7 之间; Margalef 丰富度指数在0.931 8～2.020 之间。根据不同生境的小型兽类群落相似性指数聚类结果,可以将8 种生境的小型兽类群落大致划分为4 种类型: 耐旱型(群落Ⅴ和群落Ⅶ)、干旱型(群落Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ)、农林交错型(群落Ⅵ和群落Ⅷ) 和森林型(群落Ⅳ) 。生境条件的差异对小型兽类群落物种组成和多样性有一定的限制作用, 而人为干扰有明显影响。     

洞庭湖洲滩及滨湖区鼠类分布格局及其多样性

为全面了解洞庭湖洲滩及滨湖区鼠类分布格局,统计自2003—2013年该湖区15个调查点5种不同生境的鼠类群落调查数据,并对鼠类群落的物种多样性进行分析。结果表明:2003—2013年洞庭湖区捕获鼠类有10种,主要优势种为黑线姬鼠(Apodemus agrarius)和东方田鼠(Microtus fortis);不同生境下的优势种不同,东方田鼠为湖滩生境优势种,黑线姬鼠是滨湖农田和退田还湖洲滩生境优势种,针毛鼠(Niviventer fulvescens)和社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)为滨湖丘岗林地优势种,小家鼠(Mus musculus)及黄胸鼠(Rattus tanzumi)则多出现在农房生境;不同生境的鼠类群落物种多样性不同,滨湖丘岗林地生境受人类活动或洪水干扰程度最低,因此,优势集中性指数最低,而物种多样性Shannon-Wiener指数在干扰较少的滨湖丘岗林地生境物种多样性指数最高。尽管湖滩生境受三峡工程的影响,物种数大量增加,但由于仍受汛期洪涝的干扰,依然具有优势种突出的特征。研究表明,人类社会活动或洪涝等干扰因素降低了鼠类群落物种多样性,致使优势种突出,形成只利于少数几个种群栖息的环境,最终导致种群大暴发。     

四川美姑县大风顶国家级自然保护区小型兽类生物多样性分析

为评价美姑大风顶国家级自然保护区小型兽类多样性,利用香农一威纳多样性指数和一种基于信息测度的GF指数。经计算,香农一威纳多样性指数表明：农田一耕地为主的生境类型的小型兽类,以四川短尾鼩、高山姬鼠、黄胸鼠和社鼠为主要的群落组成,其物种多样性指数(H)和均匀性指数(J)分别是1．1374和0．8599;原始森林为主的生境类型的小型兽类,以川西白腹鼠和食虫类为主,其各多样性指数H=0．3307和J=0．3465;高山草甸为主的生境类型的小型兽类,以鼠兔类和姬鼠类为主,其H=0．3704和J=0．3881。为了得到补充和对照,参考了该区小型兽类已有的资料运用G-F指数评价其生物物种多样性,首先计算科间多样性(F)和属间多样性(G),然后,再利用F指数和G指数的比值进行标准化处理,得出GF指数值,说明保护区小型兽类种属间的多样性。该区小型兽类D-F指数为0．6977,即小型兽类种属间多样性较高,但和香农一威纳指数评定多样性有一定差异。保护区的建设还需进一步加强,包括人为干扰在内的一切干扰尚需排除。     

寒温带牧林交错区生境复杂度对啮齿类物种多样性的影响

采用铗日法对嫩江流域牧林交错区5个生境梯度中啮齿动物的多样性水平进行了研究,以探讨栖息地复杂程度对地面啮齿类物种多样性的影响.结果表明,黑线姬鼠、黑线仓鼠和大林姬鼠是嫩江流域牧林交错区中的优势种和常见种,不同物种在不同生境类型中呈明显的不均匀分布,反映了它们对不同生境的选择倾向性.同时,地面草本植物的覆盖度和丰富度对地面活动的小型哺乳动物的物种组成和群落结构具有较大的影响,啮齿动物的捕获率和生物量与草本植物的多样性水平呈现出显著的相关性关系,其物种丰富度随草本植物多样性指数的增加呈递增的趋势.此外,各生境中啮齿动物的物种多样性指数与草本植物多样性的相关关系并不显著,可能是因为灌丛区和林-灌交错区内大量的低矮灌丛与萌生丛改善了生境的隐蔽条件与食物资源,为更多物种的共存创造了良好的微环境,使得两生境中啮齿动物的物种多样性水平尤为突出.研究表明,小型啮齿动物的物种组成与栖息地的复杂程度有关,但地面植被对小型兽类生物量和物种多样性的影响力度并不是等同的,对地面小型兽类物种多样性影响的研究,统计生境复杂度或异质性时应考虑不同植被型/生境类型距地面的高度,不同植被型对小型兽类物种多样性的贡献程度随其距地面高度的增加而降低.     

洞庭湖区鼠类群落的物种多样性分析

通过对洞庭湖区黑线姬鼠褐家鼠主害区桃源的害鼠群落调查,揭示了平原农田生态类型区、丘陵农林复合生态类型区和山区林农复合生态类型区及其不同生境的鼠类群落的物种多样性。在人类干扰程度最高的平原生态类型区,鼠类群落的优势种突出,优势集中性指数最高,丘陵生态区次之,而具有大片森林、受干扰较低的山区林农复合生态区,优势集中性指数最低。物种多样性Shannon—Weiner指数和均匀性指数亦显示同样的规律：适度干扰的山区复合生态区的多样性指数最高,均匀性最好,丘陵生态区居中,平原生态区最低。不论何种生态类型区,农田生境鼠类群落的优势种都较突出,优势集中性指数也较高,群落多样性和均匀性较低;林地生境的优势集中性有较大下降,山区林地内的鼠种比丘陵区要多,优势集中性指数也较低,多样性指数和均匀度都有提高。林缘农田在同一生态类型不同生境内优势集中性最低、多样性指数和均匀性最高。比较不同生境鼠类群落的相似性,最不相似的群落是农田与受人类干扰较小的森林。这些现象说明人类的社会生产活动使害鼠群落的物种多样性降低、优势度下降、优势种突出、均匀性降低,形成了只利于少数几个种群栖息和生产发展的环境,最终导致少数种群的暴发,形成危害。但适度干扰能提高物种多样性。     

黑河流域中游地区荒漠-绿洲景观区啮齿动物群落结构

2005年4–5月和9月对黑河流域中游地区荒漠-绿洲景观区不同生境中啮齿动物群落结构进行了研究。在甘肃省张掖市高台县黑泉乡选择流动沙丘、含砾沙漠、固定沙地、荒漠灌丛、防护林带、灌耕草地、灌耕农田和河岸草地等8种代表性生境,采用活捕法(4,800铗日)共捕获啮齿动物254只,隶属于3科8属9种。利用捕获记录计算了群落结构特征指数,进一步利用Pearson相关系数考察了不同生境啮齿动物群落的相似性,并在此基础上对不同生境的啮齿动物群落作了聚类分析。群落结构特征指数表明,啮齿动物物种多样性(用Shannon-Wiener指数测度)在灌耕草地中最低(0.6859),在固定沙地中最高(1.7036);物种均匀度(用Pielou均匀度指数测度)在流动沙丘中最低(0.6531),在河岸草地中最高(1.0000)。聚类分析结果显示,研究区啮齿动物群落可以分成荒漠型群落和绿洲型群落两大类。三趾跳鼠(Dipussagitta)在荒漠型生境中密度较高,总体上具有优势地位,尤其是在流动沙丘生境中占据绝对优势;黑线仓鼠(Cricetulusbarabensis)在植被较好的绿洲型生境中占据优势地位,但在流动沙丘外的其他荒漠型生境中也有发现。除五趾跳鼠(Allactagasibirica)外,其他种类的跳鼠只在荒漠型生境中发现。本次调查没有在防护林内部生境中捕获啮齿动物,但在林缘区域仍有捕获记录。啮齿动物群落物种多样性指数与捕获率间无显著关联(r=0.240,P=0.566)。本研究提示人为干扰可能对维持研究区域的啮齿动物多样性有积极意义。     

The role of small ground‐foraging mammals in topsoil health and biodiversity: Implications to management and restoration

Summary Many early Australian records indicate that at the time of European settlement there were extensive tracts of highly productive, and species‐rich, grassy communities and chenopod shrublands. Topsoils in many areas were soft and friable. The rapid development of livestock industries led to most changes to the environment being simplistically ascribed to domestic stock grazing, land clearance, introduced pests (such as rabbits) or changed burning practices. It has also commonly been assumed that the hoof action of domestic stock was the principal cause of the compaction and surface sealing of soils in many areas. However, the rapid soil deterioration also coincided with the dramatic decline or complete extinction of many small native ground‐foraging mammals and the consequent cessation of the soil disturbances and interactions that they created. This paper reviews the role of small mammals in disturbing soils, and implications for incorporation of organic matter, aeration, improvement in infiltration and the provision of suitable sites for seed germination and seedling establishment. This can aid topsoil formation and health by providing substrate for microorganisms, improved water balance and mineral cycles and enhanced soil structure. Seeds and mycorrhizal fungi, that are integral to the establishment and growth of many plants, are spread. Such intermittent disturbance may be an important driving force in determining the pathway of succession and lead to greater biodiversity. Further ongoing research on Australia's small mammals is needed, especially in areas where they are able to move freely in a natural environment and are protected from introduced predators.     

Protein Bodies in Nature and Biotechnology

Protein bodies are natural structures containing protein aggregates that exist in many organisms ranging from bacteria to mammals and plants. In bacteria they are often a phenomenon associated to over-expression of heterologous proteins. In mammals the so called Russell bodies indicate an accumulation of mutated immune globulins. In plants the protein bodies play a major role as protein storage organelle in seeds. Besides these natural cases, protein bodies can also be artificially induced primarily using self-assembling peptides. Frequently plant derived proteins such as prolamins or their derivatives are used. In some cases the help of an endoplasmatic retention signal is needed to create artificial protein bodies. The biotechnological application of protein bodies offers novel solutions such as the simplification of downstream processing in protein manufacture, the utilisation as particle for immunisation as vaccines or as carrier free self immobilised enzyme particle for many industrial catalytic processes.     

Yeast, a model organism for iron and copper metabolism studies

Virtually all organisms on earth depend on transition metals for survival. Iron and copper are particularly important because they participate in vital electron transfer reactions, and are thus cofactors of many metabolic enzymes. Their ability to transfer electrons also render them toxic when present in excess. Disturbances of iron and copper steady-state levels can have profound effects on cellular metabolism, growth and development. It is critical to maintain these metals in a narrow range between utility and toxicity. Organisms ranging from bacteria and plants to mammals have developed sophisticated mechanisms to control metal homeostasis. In this review, we will present an overview of the current understanding of iron and copper metabolism in yeast, and the utility of yeast as a model organism to investigate iron and copper metabolism in mammals and plants.     

A review of the energetics of pollination biology

Pollination biology is often associated with mutualistic interactions between plants and their animal pollen vectors, with energy rewards as the foundation for co-evolution. Energy is supplied as food (often nectar from flowers) or as heat (in sun-tracking or thermogenic plants). The requirements of pollinators for these resources depend on many factors, including the costs of living, locomotion, thermoregulation and behaviour, all of which are influenced by body size. These requirements are modified by the availability of energy offered by plants and environmental conditions. Endothermic insects, birds and bats are very effective, because they move faster and are more independent of environmental temperatures, than are ectothermic insects, but they are energetically costly for the plant. The body size of endothermic pollinators appears to be influenced by opposing requirements of the animals and plants. Large body size is advantageous for endotherms to retain heat. However, plants select for small body size of endotherms, as energy costs of larger size are not matched by increases in flight speed. If high energy costs of endothermy cannot be met, birds and mammals employ daily torpor, and large insects reduce the frequency of facultative endothermy. Energy uptake can be limited by the time required to absorb the energy or eliminate the excess water that comes with it. It can also be influenced by variations in climate that determine temperature and flowering season.     

MicroRNA的结构、生物合成及功能

MicroRNA是真核生物中一类长度约为22个核苷酸的参与基因转录后水平调控的非编码小分子RNA。成熟的microRNA是由较长的可折叠形成发夹结构的前体转录物经过Dicer酶或类似Dicer酶的内切核酸酶加工而来。MicroRNA基因存在于基因组的基因间隔区或者内含子当中。这些小分子RNA通过碱基配对与靶mRNA序列的3′非翻译区或编码区结合以调控基因的表达。它们呈现出组织特异性或发育阶段特异性表达特征。MicroRNA具有调节细胞增殖、死亡、神经细胞分化、个体发育等生物学功能。     

DNA methylation in plants: relationship to small RNAs and histone modifications, and functions in transposon inactivation

DNA methylation is a type of epigenetic marking that strongly influences chromatin structure and gene expression in plants and mammals. Over the past decade, DNA methylation has been intensively investigated in order to elucidate its control mechanisms. These studies have shown that small RNAs are involved in the induction of DNA methylation, that there is a relationship between DNA methylation and histone methylation, and that the base excision repair pathway has an important role in DNA demethylation. Some aspects of DNA methylation have also been shown to be shared with mammals, suggesting that the regulatory pathways are, in part at least, evolutionarily conserved. Considerable progress has been made in elucidating the mechanisms that control DNA methylation; however, many aspects of the mechanisms that read the information encoded by DNA methylation and mediate this into downstream regulation remain uncertain, although some candidate proteins have been identified. DNA methylation has a vital role in the inactivation of transposons, suggesting that DNA methylation is a key factor in the evolution and adaptation of plants.     

The applicability of metapopulation theory to large mammals

Metapopulation theory has become a common framework in conservation biology and it is sometimes suggested that a metapopulation approach should be used for management of large mammals. However, it has also been suggested that metapopulation theory would not be applicable to species with long generations compared to those with short ones. In this paper, we review how and on what empirical ground metapopulation terminology has been applied to insects, small mammals and large mammals. The review showed that the metapopulation term sometimes was used for population networks which only fulfilled the broadest possible definition of a metapopulation, i.e. they were subpopulations connected by migrating individuals. We argue that the metapopulation concept should be reserved for networks that also show some kind of metapopulation dynamics. Otherwise it applies to almost all populations and loses its substance. We found much empirical support for metapopulation dynamics in both insects and small mammals, but not in large mammals. A possible reason is the methods used to confirm the existence of metapopulation dynamics. For insects and small mammals, the common approach is to study population turnover through patch occupancy data. Such data is difficult to obtain for large mammals, since longer temporal scales need to be covered to record extinctions and colonizations. Still, many populations of large mammals are exposed to habitat fragmentation and the resulting subpopulations sometimes have high risks of extinction. If there is migration between the subpopulations, the metapopulation framework could provide valuable information on their population dynamics. We suggest that a metapopulation approach can be interesting for populations of large mammals, when there are discrete breeding subpopulations and when these subpopulations have different growth rates and demographic fates. Thus, a comparison of the subpopulations’ demographic fates, rather than subpopulation turnover, can be a feasible alternative for studies of metapopulation dynamics in large mammals.     

Biological consequences of invasion by reed canary grass (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phalaris arundinacea</Emphasis>)

Although they are typically assumed to be negative, the consequences of plant invasions for native diversity or biological integrity are seldom broadly quantified (i.e., for multiple taxa or across large regions). We investigated the impacts associated with invasion of wetlands by reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.; RCG) on plants and several animal groups. In a local study, we compared plants, arthropods, and small mammals on treatment plots with reduced RCG dominance to those on highly invaded plots. We also conducted a companion study, where we measured RCG dominance and plants, arthropods, and birds in 82 randomly selected wetlands across Illinois (USA) to determine if our experimental results were consistent in communities across the region. Plant diversity, floristic quality, and diversity and abundance of Homopteran insects decreased with RCG dominance in all instances. Richness and abundance of all other arthropods decreased with increasing RCG in the local study, but no trend was detected in communities statewide. No relationship between total abundance or richness of small mammals (local) or birds (statewide) with RCG was detected. However, voles and shrews were more abundant, and mice less abundant, in RCG-dominated plots. These results support the hypothesis that there are negative effects for multiple taxa from RCG invasion. Because negative effects observed in the local study either corroborated, or were neutral with respect to results from statewide surveys, they suggest that native biodiversity and biological integrity are being dampened across wide areas of this invader’s range.     

The mouse: An “average” homeotherm

Mice, rats, and nearly all mammals and birds are classified as homeothermic, meaning that their core temperature is regulated at a constant level over a relatively wide range of ambient temperatures. In one sense, this homeothermic designation has been confirmed by the advent of radiotelemetry and other techniques that allow for the remote monitoring of awake, unrestrained animals in laboratory or natural settings. This technology confirmed that, when averaged over many hours, core temperature of mammals is regulated at a nearly constant level. On the other hand, telemetric sampling in relatively small mammals such as mice and rats also revealed that their core temperature often varies markedly from hour to hour. In other words, the mouse could be defined as a homeotherm only when core temperature is averaged over a relatively long period. Many researchers ascribe equal homeothermic capabilities to mice and other small rodents as they do to humans. Such an assumption could lead to errors in extrapolating physiological, pharmacological, and toxicological findings from experimental test species to humans.     

Spines protect plants against browsing by small climbing mammals

The presence of spines on woody plants has been shown to limit the loss of foliage to large mammalian browsers by restricting both bite size and biting rate. We tested the hypothesis that plant spines are also an effective defense against browsing by small mammals, such as rodents, that climb within the canopy of shrubs to harvest fruits, seeds, and foliage. Tame southern plains woodrats (Neotoma micropus) were allowed to harvest raisins impaled on the branches of blackbrush shrubs (Acacia rigidula Benth.) in five categories of spinescence: naturally spineless, moderately spiny, or very spiny branches, and moderately spiny and very spiny branches with the spines removed. Plant spinescence significantly reduced the woodrats foraging efficiency (P = 0.0001). Although plant spines are generally thought to be an evolved defense against browsing by ungulate herbivores, they may also reduce browsing by small mammals. Received: 15 May 1997 / Accepted: 29 August 1997