Effects of acorn attack by curculio weevils on the germination and early growth of Pasania edulis (Makino) seedlings

Published Date
August 2016, Volume 21, Issue 4, pp 185–192

Original Article

First Online: 

08 June 2016

DOI: 10.1007/s10310-016-0531-8

Cite this article as: 

Sone, K., Oishi, K., Shibato, T. et al. J For Res (2016) 21: 185. doi:10.1007/s10310-016-0531-8

Author

• Koichi SoneEmail author
• Keita Oishi
• Tatsuya Shibato
• Kunihiko Hata

Abstract

We conducted field studies to evaluate the impact that curculio weevil attacks on Pasania edulis (Fagacea) acorns have on the regeneration of this tree. The germination ratio of weevil-attacked acorns was significantly lower than that of sound acorns. The number and position of the attacks on acorns affected the germination ratio. The seedlings from weevil-attacked acorns were shorter and had a smaller leaf area than those from sound acorns. The negative effects on seedling height lasted for at least three years after germination. We also studied the handling of the two types of acorns by granivorous Apodemus mice in a broad-leaved forest dominated by P. edulis. The mice picked up, transported, hoarded, and recovered sound and weevil-attacked acorns similarly. In the study site, the seedlings from weevil-attacked acorns were estimated to account for 1.5–20.4 % of the total seedlings for cohorts of mast years and 0–3.7 % for those of poor or medium acorn production. From these results, we conclude that acorns with the lower part of their cotyledons slightly damaged by weevil larvae might still be able to contribute to the regeneration of P. edulis in the field but that their contribution would be negligible or small even in mast years in this study site.

References

1. Akashi N (1997) Dispersion pattern and mortality of seeds and seedlings of Fagus crenataBlume in a cool temperate forest in western Japan. Ecol Res 12:159–165CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2. Andersen AN (1989) How important is seed predation to recruitment in stable populations of long-lived perennials? Oecologia 81:310–315CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Bonfil C (1998) The effects of seed size, cotyledon reserves, and herbivory on seedling survival and growth in Quercus rugosa and Q. laurina (Fagaceae). Am J Bot 85:79–87CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
4. Forget P-M, Kitajima K, Foster RB (1999) Pre- and post-dispersal seed predation in Tachigali versicolor (Caesalpiniaceae): effects of timing and variation among trees. J Trop Ecol 15:61–81CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Fukumoto H, Kajimura H (2000) Effects of insect predation on hypocotyl survival and germination success of mature Quercus variabilis acorns. J For Res 5:31–35CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6. Gurnell J (1993) Tree seed production and food conditions for rodents in an oak wood in southern England. Forestry 66:291–315CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7. Hirata R, Takamatsu N, Nakamura M, Fuchigami M, Hata K, Sone K (2007) Secondary dispersal of Pasania edulis acorns by Apodemus speciosus into a coniferous plantation. J Jpn For Soc 89:113–120 (in Japanese with English summary)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8. Iida S (2006) Dispersal patterns of Quercus serrata acorns by wood mice in and around canopy gaps in a temperate forest. For Ecol Manage 227:71–78CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Kormanik PP, Sun SS, Kormanik TL, Schlarbaum SE, Zarnoch SJ (1988) Effects of acorn size on development of northern red oak (1-0) seedlings. Can J For Res 28:1805–1813CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10. Maeto K (1995) Relationship between size and mortality of Quercus mongolica var. grosseserrata acorns due to pre-dispersal infestation by frugivorous insects. J Jpn For Soc 77:213–219Google Scholar
11. Matsuda K (1982) Studies on the early phase of the regeneration of konara oak (Quercus serrata Thumb.) secondary forest. 1. Development and premature abscission of konara oak acorns. Jap J Ecol 32:293–302Google Scholar
12. Matsuda K (1989) Survival and growth of konara oak (Quercus serrata Thunb.) seedlings in an abandoned coppice forest. Ecol Res 4:309–321CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13. Nakamura M, Hirata R, Oishi K, Arakaki T, Takamatsu N, Hata K, Sone K (2013) Determinant factors in the seedling establishment of Pasania edulis (Makino) Makino. Ecol Res 28:811–820CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Nilsson SG (1985) Ecological and evolutionary interactions between reproduction of beech Fagus silvatica and seed eating animals. Oikos 44:157–164CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15. Sone K, Kohno A (1996) Application of radiotelemetry to survey of acorn dispersal by Apodemus mice. Ecol Res 11:187–192CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16. Sone K, Kohno A (1999) Acorn hoarding by the field mouse, Apodemus speciosus Temminck (Rodentia: Muridae). J For Res 4:167–175CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17. Sone K, Hiroi S, Nagahama D, Ohkubo C, Nakano E, Murao S, Hata K (2002) Hoarding of acorns by granivorous mice and its role in the population processes of Pasania edulis(Makino) Makino. Ecol Res 17:553–564CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18. Takahashi K, Sato K, Washitani I (2006) The role of the wood mouse in Quercus serrataacorn dispersal in abandoned cut-over land. For Ecol Manage 229:120–127CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19. Ueda A (1996) Insect infestation on acorns of Japanese chestnut, Castania crenata Sieb. et Zucc., in natural forest. Trans Jpn For Soc 107:233–236 (in Japanese)Google Scholar
20. Ueda A, Igarashi M, Ito K (1993) Acorn infestation by insects on three evergreen oaks, Quercus glauca, Q. myrsinaefolia and Pasania edulis. (II). Their invasion term and level after acorn dropping. Trans Jpn For Soc 104:681–684 (in Japanese)Google Scholar
21. Vander Wall SB (1990) Food hoarding in animals. University of Chicago Press, ChicagoGoogle Scholar
22. Xiao Z, Jansen PA, Zhang Z (2006) Using seed-tagging methods for assessing post-dispersal seed fate in rodent-dispersed trees. For Ecol Manage 223:18–23CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23. Yamagawa H, Ikebuchi M, Ito S, Ito H, Hirata R (2010) Acorn dispersal by wood mice in a secondary lucidophyllous forest on a steep slope in a warm-temperate region of Japan. J Jpn For Soc 92:157–161 (in Japanese with English summary)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24. Yu X, Zhon H, Luo T (2003) Spatial and temporal variations in insect-infested acorn fall in Quercus liaotungensis forest in north China. Ecol Res 18:155–164CrossRefGoogle Scholar

For further details log on website :
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10310-016-0530-9