Disentangling factors controlling fruit and seed removal by rodents in temperate forests

AbstractFleshy fruits fall on to the ground together with cleaned seeds previously ingested by primary dispersers, offering a wide range of fruits and seeds to the ground foragers. Although nutritional properties strongly differ between fruits and seeds, this different seed presentation (cleaned seeds versus seeds within the pulp) has not been addressed in seed removal studies. This study reports on the removal of fruits versus their seeds in five fleshy-fruited species in a temperate forest. We found that rodents removed most of the seeds and partially consumed most of the fruits, preferring seeds to fruits. Rodents bit the fruits to extract the seeds, leaving most of the pulp. We found a preference ranking for the seeds (Sorbus aucuparia>Ilex aquifolium>Sorbus aria>Rosa canina>Crataegus monogyna) but no preferences were found for the fruits, probably due to their similarities in pulp constituents. Seed and fruit choice were affected by chemical and physical properties and not by their size. The presence of alternative and preferred seeds (nuts) delayed the encounter of the fruits and seeds and diminished their removal rates. We found that higher rodent abundance is not necessarily associated with higher removal rates of fleshy fruits. Rodent abundance, fruit size and seed size are minor factors in the removal of fleshy fruits and their seeds. This study underlines that scatter-hoarding rodents are important removers of fleshy fruits and their seeds, producing a differential seed removal depending on the seed presentation (with or without pulp), the nutritional properties of the seeds (but not of the fruits) and the presence of alternative food.

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Analysis of organic removal rates in the aerated submerged fixed film process

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1998.0809 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 38 (8-9) ◽

pp. 213-221 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mohamed F. Hamoda ◽

Ibrahim A. Al-Ghusain

Keyword(s):

Pilot Plant ◽

Removal Rate ◽

Domestic Wastewater ◽

Removal Rates ◽

Hydraulic Loading ◽

Organic Removal ◽

Wide Range ◽

Fixed Film ◽

Cod Removal Rate ◽

And Performance

Performance data from a pilot-plant employing the four-stage aerated submerged fixed film (ASFF) process treating domestic wastewater were analyzed to examine the organic removal rates. The process has shown high BOD removal efficiencies (> 90%) over a wide range of hydraulic loading rates (0.04 to 0.68 m3/m2·d). It could also cope with high hydraulic and organic loadings with minimal loss in efficiency due to the large amount of immobilized biomass attained. The organic (BOD and COD) removal rate was influenced by the hydraulic loadings applied, but organic removal rates of up to 104 kg BOD/ m2·d were obtained at a hydraulic loading rate of 0.68 m3/m2·d. A Semi-empirical model for the bio-oxidation of organics in the ASFF process has been formulated and rate constants were calculated based on statistical analysis of pilot-plant data. The relationships obtained are very useful for analyzing the design and performance of the ASFF process and a variety of attached growth processes.

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Bactrocera papayae. [Distribution map].

Distribution Maps of Plant Pests ◽

10.1079/dmpp/20056600547 ◽

1994 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Papua New Guinea ◽

Geographical Distribution ◽

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Peninsular Malaysia ◽

Distribution Map ◽

Fleshy Fruits ◽

Irian Jaya ◽

Christmas Island ◽

Wide Range ◽

New Distribution

Abstract A new distribution map is provided for Bactrocera papayae Drew & Hancock Diptera: Tephritidae. Attacks a wide range of fleshy fruits and vegetables. Information is given on the geographical distribution in ASIA, Brunei, Christmas Island, Indonesia, Bali, Flores, Java, Kalimantan, Lombok, Sulawesi, Sumbawa, Timor, Malaysia, Sabah, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, AUSTRALASIA, Australia, Queensland, Indonesia, Irian Jaya, Papua New Guinea.

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Pre-dispersal seed removal of fleshy fruits and Quercus coccifera (Fagaceae) acorns in a recently burned Mediterranean habitat

UNED Research Journal ◽

10.22458/urj.v7i1.855 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 7-17

Author(s):

Gabriela Jones ◽

Josep M. Bas ◽

Pere Pons

Keyword(s):

Burned Area ◽

Seed Removal ◽

Seed Fate ◽

Plant Composition ◽

Quercus Coccifera ◽

Fleshy Fruits ◽

Mediterranean Habitats ◽

Mediterranean Habitat ◽

Acorn Removal

The seed fate in early successional habitats can determine plant composition and regeneration capacity after disturbance. Predispersalseed removal has been poorly studied in Mediterranean habitats, especially in burned and logged habitats. We assessed it for two years in pine forests with experiments excluding vertebrates from fleshy fruits (infructescences of Smilax aspera and Rubia peregrina) and acorns (branches of Quercus coccifera). We compared one unburned and one burned area (control). Acorn removal was nil in the burned area while in the unburned habitat seed removal occurred from the beginning of the experiments. It is suggested that the greater vegetation cover in the unburned area shelter rodents from predators and increased their activity. In contrast, reduced cover in the burned area and the occurrence of gnawed acorns on the ground suggest acorn removalby rodents mainly in the post-dispersive stage. Smilax aspera seed removal was slower, and total loss of fruits due to senescence higher,in the burned area. Seed removal appears to be conditioned by interannualvariations related to the activity and density of granivores and frugivores, the availability of fleshy fruits, and the maturation of fruits.In post-fire managed areas the role of granivores and frugivores in the regeneration process should be taken into account.

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Seed Removal Rates in Forest Remnants Respond to Forest Loss at the Landscape Scale

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11111144 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 1144

Author(s):

Alain Hambuckers ◽

Franck Trolliet ◽

Astrid Simon ◽

Eliana Cazetta ◽

Larissa Rocha-Santos

Keyword(s):

Forest Cover ◽

Removal Rate ◽

Supply And Demand ◽

Landscape Scale ◽

Fast Method ◽

Seed Removal ◽

Removal Rates ◽

Forest Remnants ◽

Forested Landscapes ◽

Plant Animal Interactions

Seed removal is a key component of seed dispersal and may be influenced by both landscape-scale and local attributes, and it has been used as an indicator of the intensity of interactions between ecosystem components. We examined how the seed removal rates, which integrate the activity of seed dispersers and seed predators, vary with landscape-scale forest cover. We collected data under 34 trees belonging to two zoochoric species (Helicostylis tomentosa (Poepp. and Endl.) J. F. Macbr. and Inga vera Willd.) in 17 remnants in the Brazilian Atlantic forest, with different percentages of forest cover. The seed removal rate was estimated using a fast method based on the abundance of intact fruits and fruit scraps on the ground. The amount of forest cover affected the rate of seed removal in a humpbacked shape, with a maximum seed removal rate at intermediate forest cover. Seed removal rates must be related to the amount of food resources offered and diversity of dispersers and predators in the region. In landscapes with intermediate forest amount, there is a better balance between supply and demand for fruits, leading to a higher seed removal rate than more deforested or forested landscape. Our results also show that local factors, such as crop size and canopy surface, together with forest cover amount, are also important to the removal rate, depending on the species. In addition, our results showed that plant–animal interactions are occurring in all fragments, but the health status of these forests is similar to disturbed forests, even in sites immersed in forested landscapes.

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Diversity in jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.): insights into fruit characterization for the identification of superior genotypes

Plant Genetic Resources ◽

10.1017/s1479262120000325 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

M.K. Dhakar ◽

Bikash Das ◽

P.K. Sarkar ◽

Vishal Nath ◽

A.K. Singh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Agricultural Research ◽

Phenotypic Diversity ◽

Crop Improvement ◽

Fruit Size ◽

Selection Procedure ◽

Principal Component ◽

Eastern Region ◽

Artocarpus Heterophyllus ◽

Commercial Cultivation ◽

Wide Range

Abstract Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is a nutritious crop from the Moraceae family. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the phenotypic diversity of fruit characteristics using a set of 27 standardized fruit descriptors to describe 28 jackfruit genotypes. These data were used to identify the superior jackfruit genotype that could be used for commercial cultivation. The data revealed a wide range of differences among the genotypes for all the traits studied. Cluster analysis classified the genotypes into four major groups that confirmed the wide diversity among them. Principal component analysis (PCA) also revealed that 80.22% of the variability among the jackfruit genotypes was explained by the first five principal components (PCs). Based on the overall results, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR-RCER) JS 6/3 and 10/3 genotypes were found to be the most promising for table purposes (medium fruit size, pulp percentage >50 and total soluble solid (TSS) >20°Brix), whereas the ICAR-RCER JS 7/7 genotype with large fruit size, pulp percentage >50 and TSS >20°Brix was found to be suitable for processing. The coefficient of variation was the least for traits such as TSS (12.56%) and average seed length (13.56%). Hence, priority may also be given to the TSS and seed size when exploring promising genotypes and operating a selection procedure for crop improvement in jackfruit. The information generated under the study forms a potential baseline for fruit breeders to use in selecting genotypes with superior fruit qualities for jackfruit crop improvement programmes in the future.

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Seed Removal Rates Under Isolated Trees and Continuous Vegetation in Semiarid Thornscrub

Restoration Ecology ◽

10.1111/j.1526-100x.2006.00122.x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 204-209 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Enrique Jurado ◽

Joel Flores ◽

Anton G. Endress ◽

Mercedes Flores ◽

Eduardo Estrada ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seed Removal ◽

Removal Rates ◽

Isolated Trees

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Removal of trichloroethylene in groundwater with two oxidants: siderite catalyzed hydrogen peroxide and sodium persulfate

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2012.072 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 36-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Weiying Huang ◽

Fei Liu ◽

Ni Yan ◽

Anhuai Lu ◽

Honghan Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hydrogen Peroxide ◽

Hydroxyl Radicals ◽

Organic Contaminants ◽

Critical Role ◽

Oxidative Capacity ◽

Chemical Oxidation ◽

Sodium Persulfate ◽

Removal Rates ◽

Iron Minerals ◽

Wide Range

Trichloroethylene (TCE), a widely used solvent, is often determined in groundwater and is one of biologically refractory organic contaminants. The aim of the study is to use a new chemical oxidation method to degrade TCE source pollution in groundwater. Fenton-like reactions (hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by iron minerals generates hydroxyl radicals) and sodium persulfate activation (sodium persulfate activated by heat/iron minerals to produce sulfate radicals) have strong oxidative capacity to degrade a wide range of organic contaminants. In this work, hydrogen peroxide and/or sodium persulfate catalyzed by siderite (designated as STO, SO, PO systems, respectively) degrading TCE in groundwater were investigated. Removal rates of TCE in STO, SO, and PO systems were 100%, 57%, 20%, respectively. The order of TCE removal rates is in agreement with that of hydroxyl radicals generated in the systems, indicating that hydroxyl radicals play a critical role in removing TCE. No by-product except CO2, Cl− and H2O generated as final products in the STO system suggests that TCE was near completely mineralized. The results show that the STO is an effective method to treat TCE contaminated source in groundwater.

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COLLECTION OF FRAGARIA IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CHILE

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.25.9.1141f ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 25 (9) ◽

pp. 1141f-1141

Author(s):

Thomas M. Sjulin ◽

J. Scott Cameron ◽

Carl H. Shanks ◽

Carlos E. Munoz

Keyword(s):

Fruit Size ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Considerable Variability ◽

Southern Chile ◽

Reproductive Characteristics ◽

Wide Range ◽

Very High

In January, 1990, a team of U.S. and Chilean scientists collected native and cultivated Fragaria from central and southern Chile. During the course of this expedition, 363 new accessions of Fragaria were collected. Approximately 2,500 plants of 250 clones were collected from 66 sites in 19 different areas, and 113 seedlots (estimated at over 100,000 seeds) were obtained.Plants were collected from a wide range of habitats, and considerable variability was observed in vegetative and reproductive characteristics. Fruit were round to conical in shape, deep red to white in color, soft to moderately firm, with soluble solids ranging from 5-18%, dull to glossy skin, bland to strong flavor, low to very high aromatics, and difficult to moderately easy capping. Fruit size in situ approached 4 g, while fruit larger than 12 g were found under cultivated conditions. Strawberry aphids (Chaetosiphon fragaefolii) were found on plants in situ and under cultivation. Little or no evidence of other pests were observed on clones collected in situ.

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Predicted Crop Value for Nectarines and Cling Peaches of Different Harvest Season as a Function of Crop Load

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.42.2.239 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 239-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Gabino H. Reginato ◽

Víctor García de Cortázar ◽

Terence L. Robinson

Keyword(s):

Size Distribution ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Fruit Size ◽

Tree Size ◽

Crop Load ◽

Early Season ◽

Yield Efficiency ◽

Late Season ◽

Wide Range ◽

Fruit Load

Several field experiments to assess the effect of tree size and crop load on fruit size and yield efficiency were conducted in cling peach and nectarine orchards of different harvest seasons in Chile. Trees were randomly selected in each orchard and then hand-thinned at the beginning of pit hardening to a wide range of crop loads. The fraction of above-canopy photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) intercepted by the canopy (PAR i) was determined at harvest. All fruits were counted and weighed and average fruit weight calculated. Crop load and yield were normalized by tree size measured by intercepted PAR i. For each orchard, the relationship between crop load and fruit size or crop load and yield efficiency was assessed by regression analysis. Fruit size distribution was calculated from fruit size adjusted for fruit load assuming a normal fruit size distribution and valued according to shipment date and price obtained from a Chilean export company. Using crop load as a covariate, fruit size adjusted for crop load was compared for nectarine and peach cultivars. Fruit size adjusted for fruit load and yield efficiency was greater with late season cultivars than the early or midseason cultivars. Predicted crop value (PCV), normalized in terms of PAR intercepted, was calculated for all the cultivars. Large differences in predicted crop value were found for early, midseason, and late ripening nectarines. Early and late ripening cultivars had the highest predicted crop value, especially at lower crop loads and larger fruit sizes. The early season cultivars had high crop value as a result of higher fruit prices, whereas the late season cultivar had high crop value as a result of higher production. With cling peaches, the early season cultivar ‘Jungerman’ had a lower predicted crop value than the late season cultivars ‘Ross’ and ‘Davis’. For cling peaches, the highest PCV was achieved at a relatively high crop load with high yield and small fruit size.

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Effect of Winter Cover Crop Residue on No-till Pumpkin Yield

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.42.7.1568 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 42 (7) ◽

pp. 1568-1574 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

E. Ryan Harrelson ◽

Greg D. Hoyt ◽

John L. Havlin ◽

David W. Monks

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Fruit Size ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Surface Residue ◽

No Till ◽

Wide Range ◽

Winter Cover Crop ◽

Winter Cover

Throughout the southeastern United States, vegetable growers have successfully cultivated pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) using conventional tillage. No-till pumpkin production has not been pursued by many growers as a result of the lack of herbicides, no-till planting equipment, and knowledge in conservation tillage methods. All of these conservation production aids are now present for successful no-till vegetable production. The primary reasons to use no-till technologies for pumpkins include reduced erosion, improved soil moisture conservation, long-term improvement in soil chemical and microbial properties, and better fruit appearance while maintaining similar yields compared with conventionally produced pumpkins. Cover crop utilization varies in no-till production, whereas residue from different cover crops can affect yields. The objective of these experiments was to evaluate the influence of surface residue type on no-till pumpkin yield and fruit quality. Results from these experiments showed all cover crop residues produced acceptable no-till pumpkin yields and fruit size. Field location, weather conditions, soil type, and other factors probably affected pumpkin yields more than surface residue. Vegetable growers should expect to successfully grow no-till pumpkins using any of the winter cover crop residues tested over a wide range in residue biomass rates.

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