Rodent seed predation on tree invader species in grassland habitats of the inland Pampa

Abstract

Woody plant invasion in grassland ecosystems is a worldwide phenomenon, and biotic interactions as competition and predation have been invoked as a possible barrier to woody encroachment in many ecosystems. We evaluated the role of rodents as seed predators in Pampean grasslands, and we assessed the differences in removal by rodents between one native species, Prosopis caldenia (Caldén) and one exotic species, Gleditisia triacanthos (Honey locust). The experiment was conducted at different phases of the rodent population cycle in two grassland communities, a remnant of a native grassland and a post agriculture grassland (old field). The amount of seed loss caused by predation was estimated by a bait-removal experiment in foraging stations. We estimated the frequency of foraging stations with consumption, the overall amount of seed predation and the individual rate of seed predation. The total amount of seed removal and the individual rate of seed removal were higher for P. caldenia than for G. triacanthos, in the native grassland than in the old field, and in autumn when rodent density was maximum. Overall, the role of rodents on woody seed removal varied according to the plant species and depending on the local conditions that vary through time and space.