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Foraging strategy of plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi thomas) when collecting food for winter caches

Xie J.-X., Lin G.-H., Zhang T.-Z., Su J. P.

Polish Journal of Ecology

2014

Vol. 62, nr 1

173--182

Subterranean life style is characterized by limited food resource and energy consuming burrow behavior. Subterranean rodents are usually recognized as dietary generalists. In the current study, we investigated the species composition of winter caches of plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi), and the dissimilarity of species composition in caches and in the vicinity of the burrows. We have made our research in Kobresia dominated vegetation at the altitude 3200 m a.s.l. We used the non-parametric method to test the similarities between the relative dry mass of the plant species within caches and their closed vicinity. This method was based on measures of distance between pairs of individual multivariate observations. Our results revealed that although plateau zokors cached most (60) of the plant species found in the vicinity of their burrow systems (66), the cached dry mass was dominated by a few species. Nine plant species accounted for 80% dry mass of plants present in zokors’ caches, Polygonum viviparum (50%) and other perennial poisonous forbs constitute 70% dry mass of the caches. Results showed that the dissimilarity between the relative dry mass of plant species within caches and in their vicinity was extremely significant (for Bray-Curtis distance measure, R = 0.355, P = 0.000; for Euclidean distance measure R =0.319, P =0.000). These results showed that plateau zokors don’t forage randomly when collecting food for winter caches. We suppose that rather than using a non-selective foraging strategy by dealing with high fiber-content plants, plateau zokors have forged another dietary strategy to meet the energy demands in the evolutionary process: to deal with poisonous forbs.

Competition between Formica cinerea mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and co-occurring ant species, with special reference to Formica rufa L. : direct and indirect interferences

Czechowski W., Markó B.

Polish Journal of Ecology

2005

Vol. 53, nr 4

467-489

Formica cinerea Mayr is supposed to be the top dominant of ant communities in successional sandy habitats, whereas wood ant species, e.g. F. rufa L., play this role in forests. These species often co-occur in overlapping habitats. The aim of the study was to recognize competitive interrelations between them in the broad ecological aspect of relations with local subordinate species, including F. fusca L., Tetramorium caespitum (L.) and Myrmica schencki Em. Study area was a sand dune slope surrounded by pine forest at Tvńrminne, S Finland, where F. cinerea nest complexes were encircled by F. rufa colonies. Baiting experiments, preceded by 'nudum' observations were carried out. The presumption that F. rufa would influence the activity of F. cinerea was not supported by the results. No-ant zones separated the territories of these two species almost through the total length of the boundary of the F. cinerea range. The outcome of interspecific interactions within the multi-species community studied corresponded with the species competitive status generally. The results are discussed in the context of interspecific competition hierarchy in ants and succession of ant communities.