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Dryad

Physical seed damage, not rodent’s saliva, accelerates seed germination of trees in a subtropical forest

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Jun 03, 2024 version files 116.63 KB

Abstract

Many tree species adopt fast seed germination to escape the predation risk by rodents. Physical seed damage and the saliva of rodents on partially consumed seeds may also act as cues for the seed to accelerate the germination process. However, the impacts of these factors on seed germination rate and speed remain unclear. In this study, we investigated such impacts on the germination rate and speed (reversal of germination time) of four tree species (Quercus variabilis, Q. serrata, Q. acutissima, and Q. glauca) after partial consumption by four rodent species, through a series of experiments. We also examined how seed traits may affect the damage degree by rodents by analyzing the relationship between the germination rate and time of rodent-damaged seeds and the traits. We found that artificially and rodent-damaged seeds exhibited a significantly higher seed germination rate and speed, compared to intact seeds. Also, the rodent saliva on seeds showed no significant effect on seed germination rate and speed. Furthermore, We observed significant positive correlations between several seed traits (including seed mass, coat thickness, and protein content) and seed germination rate, but these seed traits had a positive correlation with the germination rate and speed. These correlations are likely due to the beneficial traits countering seed damage by rodents. Overall, our results highlight the significant role of physical seed damage by rodents (rather than their saliva) in facilitating seed germination of tree species and potential mutualism between rodents and trees. Additionally, our results may have some implications in forest restoration, such that intentionally sowing or dispersing slightly damaged seeds by humans or drones may increase the likelihood of successful seed regeneration.