Herbivorous mammals as seed dispersers in a Mediterranean dehesa

Endozoochrous seed dispersal by herbivorous mammals has been verified repeatedly and its possible influence on the structure and function of herbaceous communities has been suggested. Quantitative studies, however, are lacking in the field of seed dispersal via the dung of herbivore guilds in little-altered environments. The present paper analyses seed dispersal via rabbit, fallow deer, red deer and cow dung in a Mediterranean dehesa (open woodland used for hunting and ranching) during the seeding season. Dung seed content was determined by the glasshouse cultivation of eight dung samples from each herbivore, collected fortnightly between February and August. The four herbivores disperse many seeds (spring averages are 6–15 seeds per gram of dry dung and maxima of 25–70) from a large number of species (totals between 52 and 78). Dispersal seems to be mainly determined by seed production of the plant comminity. This is reflected in (i) the dissemination of a high percentage of the species present in the dehesa, (ii) great seasonal variability, related to seed production, in the amount of seeds and number of species dispersed, and (iii) a high semi-quantitative similarity of seed content in the four types of herbivore dung throughout the year. There is also important quantitative variation that depends on animal traits and feeding habits. These results and the characteristics of species found in dung suggest the adaptation of plant species to the dispersal of their seeds via herbivore gut. This process may well have profound implications for vegetation dynamics and the evolution of plant traits.     

The ecological significance of annuals on a Mediterranean grassland (Mt Ventoux,France)

A study was carried out on a Mediterranean limestone grassland to search for the ecological significance of the occurrence of annuals. In the studied grassland, most of annuals are concentrated in patches. Authors tested if annuals (1) correspond to the R-strategy (ruderal) according to Grime's theory, i. e. they are adapted to live in disturbed, productive habitats, or (2) if they present an adaptation to a xeric climate in keeping with Raunkiaer.The correspondence analyses and the examination of plants strategies reveal that:(1) annuals are grouped with the more xerophytic perennials in the ordination,(2) the cover of annuals is higher in plots with a high cover of S species (stress-tolerators) and a lower cover of C species (competitors) and CS species (intermediate strategy).These results constitute arguments to integrate annuals of Mediterranean grasslands into stress-tolerators. In the discussion are examined the importance of patches in which annuals are preferentially located. Although patches are generated by disturbances, the presence of annuals is explained by their life cycle fitting the microclimate variations, characterized by an extreme summer drought. Their cycle is not adapted here to the frequency of disturbances (unless the summer drought is considered as annual disturbance - this last point of view is discussed). In the studied grassland, annuals are then better thought of as highly developed stress-tolerators than as ruderals. A generalization is put forward by distinguishing two cases: in xeric habitats, annuals are stress-tolerant, and in productive habitats, they are ruderal.Nomenclature: follows Kerguélen (1993)     

A stochastic model of seed dispersal pattern to assess seed predation by ants in annual dry grasslands

A combined field experiment and modelling approach has been used to provide evidence that ants may be responsible for an observed lower patchiness and higher plant diversity in the neighbourhood of ant nests, within Mediterranean dry grasslands belonging to the phytosociological class Tuberarietea guttatae. The hypothesis was that seeds occurring in clumps may have a higher probability to be harvested than seeds having a scattered distribution. In order to test this hypothesis, four analysis steps were performed. First, pattern of seed production and dispersal of four species was recorded; two of them were more abundant next to ant nests (Tuberaria guttata, Euphorbia exigua), whereas the other two were more abundant away from ant nests (Bromus scoparius and Plantago bellardi). Second, a stochastic model was developed to simulate the observed dispersal patterns of each studied species. Third, 10 seed spatial arrangements in accordance to the distribution patterns created by the model were offered to ants and the location of predated seeds was recorded. Finally, the observed pattern of seed predation was matched to models performed by different distributions of probability. Results showed that the probability of being predated decreased as distance among seeds increased. This preference of ants for high concentration of food items holds down the dominant species sufficiently to allow the subordinates to survive, thus increasing diversity near nests. The observed higher frequency of small-seeded, small-sized, or creeping therophytes close to the ant nests can be therefore seen as an example of indirect myrmecophily.     

卧龙巴郎山川滇高山栎群落植物生活型海拔梯度特征

川滇高山栎林隶属于亚高山硬叶栎林类型,是一种广泛分布在横断山地区的特殊植被类型,研究同一群落生活型谱的海拔梯度特征,可以阐明控制群落的重要气候特征以及群落对其气候生境的反映,揭示川滇高山栎种群对空间的利用、群落内部种群间可能产生的竞争及其发展趋势。用环境梯度法,研究卧龙自然保护区巴朗山川滇高山栎群落植物生活型特性随海拔梯度(15个海拔梯度,海拔2200—3600 m)的变化。卧龙巴朗山川滇高山栎群落植物生活型以高位芽植物为主,占36.01%;地面芽和地下芽植物相当,分别为25.92%和29.36%,地上芽植物最少,占0.92%。高位芽生活型物种在各个海拔梯度都占重要地位,占巴朗山全部生活型物种的21.74%—50.00%,随海拔的升高逐渐下降;地面芽植物(H)具有随海拔升高先升高后降低的趋势;地下芽植物(G)生活型随海拔的升高而升高;一年生植物(Th)在整个海拔梯度内占10.00%以下,随海拔的升高波动不大,即在5.67%—8.94%之间。高位芽生活型植物主要以常绿高位芽植物为主,随海拔升高而下降,常绿高位芽植物丰富度呈现随海拔升高逐渐降低的趋势,而且其物种丰富度小于落叶高位芽植物丰富度;在卧龙巴郎山阳坡海拔3300 m以上范围内,大、中高位芽植物仅占3.09%—4.26%,说明森林植被特征在逐渐弱化。比较分析了不同类型植物群落植物生活型特征,阐明了川滇高山栎林是区别于其他常绿阔叶林的特殊类型。