Predators or mutualists? Lack of dispersal distance benefits and small caching profits makes scatterhoarding rodents antagonists of oaks

摘要: Numerous interactions between plants and animals vary in their outcome antagonism mutualism, but it proved to be difficult quantify final outcome. Interactions scatterhoarding provide a prime example of this phenomenon. Scatterhoarders consume large quantities seeds (potentially reducing plant establishment), yet also disperse bury them shallow caches improving recruitment). However, has been rarely determined which role prevails for particular species. We experimentally evaluated the benefits rodent seed dispersal two model oak species (sessile Quercus petraea, red Q. rubra) used heuristic mathematical place at antagonism-mutualism continuum. Our results indicate that during period study, rodents both focal oaks were antagonistic. Even though acorn burial increased likelihood seedling establishment, effect was not strong enough compensate costs predation. Furthermore, we found no evidence short-distance transportation is usually provided by small mammals early recruitment. relatively improvements establishment after do necessarily render plant-scatterhoarder interaction mutualistic. study first separate directly most important services partners: away from parent topsoil. It demonstrates how readily accessible field data can gauge outcomes plant-granivore conditional mutualisms.