种子气味对鼠类分散贮食行为及种子命运的影响

Seed hoarding behaviour of rodents and seed fates are affected by seed traits, such as seed size, seed coat thickness, nutrition status and secondary compunds. However, we have little knowledge of the effect of seed odour mediated by seed physical and chemical traits on scatterhoarding behaviour. Moreover, it remains unclear how seed odour affects food hoarding by rodents and seed fates. Therefore, the mechanism of chemical communication between seeds and food hoarding animals is needed to be clarified. Therefore, we, based on the interaction between seeds and food hoarding animals (Siberian chipmunks, red squirrels and wood mice), focusing on the chemical communication between seeds and rodents, plan to conduct experiments in the enclosures and the field to anwser the following scientific questions with the aid of headspace/GC-MS analysis on seed odours: 1) How environments mediate emission of seed odours and hoarding behaviours? 2) How seed odour evolves under the selection pressure of food hoarding of animals? 3) Do different plant seeds affect food hoarding of animals and seed fates through similar or identical seed odour encodings， and do different animals hoard and recover their food items based on different seed odours? Our project is expected to uncover the mechanism of chemical communication between seeds and hoarding animals and its effects on food hoarding of animals and seed fates, and to better understand the theory of seed dispersal ecology and animal-plant coevolution.

种子特征（如：大小、种皮厚度、营养成分、次生代谢物）在很大程度上影响鼠类的贮食行为进而决定种子的命运。然而，与这些物理化学特征密切关联的种子气味对鼠类分散贮食行为以及种子命运的影响还鲜见报道，鼠类分散贮食过程中与种子间的化学通讯机制也有待阐明。本项目以小兴安岭地区鼠类（花鼠、红松鼠和大林姬鼠）与植物种子间的关系为基础，以种子和鼠类间化学通讯为主线，基于种子气味组分的顶空/气相色谱-质谱分析，研究围栏和野外条件下鼠类的贮食行为，从而揭示：1）环境条件（水分和温度）如何调节种子气味并影响动物的分散贮食行为；2）种子是否通过相同的气味编码影响鼠类的贮食行为和种子命运以及不同鼠类是否依赖不同的气味组分分散贮藏种子并重新找回。项目旨在阐明种子与贮食动物间的化学通讯机制及其对动物分散贮食行为和种子命运的影响，进一步丰富种子扩散生态学以及协同进化理论。

种子特征（如：大小、种皮厚度、营养成分、次生代谢物）在很大程度上影响鼠类的贮食行为进而决定种子的命运。然而，与这些物理化学特征密切关联的种子气味对鼠类分散贮食行为以及种子命运的影响还鲜见报道，鼠类分散贮食过程中与种子间的化学通讯机制也有待阐明。本项目以小兴安岭地区鼠类（花鼠、红松鼠和大林姬鼠）与植物种子间的关系为基础，以种子和鼠类间化学通讯为主线，基于种子气味组分的顶空/气相色谱-质谱分析，研究围栏和野外条件下鼠类的贮食行为，揭示：1）环境条件（水分和温度）如何调节种子气味并影响动物的分散贮食行为；2）种子是否通过相同的气味编码影响鼠类的贮食行为和种子命运以及不同鼠类是否依赖不同的气味组分分散贮藏种子并重新找回。项目首次阐明种子与贮食动物间的化学通讯机制及其对动物分散贮食行为和种子命运的影响，揭示了种子气味和鼠类嗅觉在调节鼠类贮食行为中的作用，相关结果已发表在Oikos, Forest Ecology and Management, Animal Behaviour以及Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology等国际重要刊物之上，进一步丰富种子扩散生态学以及协同进化理论。