Kwit Charles, Levey Douglas J, Greenberg Cathryn H, Pearson Scott F, McCarty John P, Sargent Sarah
Department of Zoology, University of Florida, Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Oecologia. 2004 Mar;139(1):30-4. doi: 10.1007/s00442-003-1470-6. Epub 2004 Jan 10.
We tested the hypothesis that winter removal rates of fruits of wax myrtle, Myrica cerifera, are higher in colder winters. Over a 9-year period, we monitored M. cerifera fruit crops in 13 0.1-ha study plots in South Carolina, U.S.A. Peak ripeness occurred in November, whereas peak removal occurred in the coldest months, December and January. Mean time to fruit removal within study plots was positively correlated with mean winter temperatures, thereby supporting our hypothesis. This result, combined with the generally low availability of winter arthropods, suggests that fruit abundance may play a role in determining winter survivorship and distribution of permanent resident and short-distance migrant birds. From the plant's perspective, it demonstrates inter-annual variation in the temporal component of seed dispersal, with possible consequences for post-dispersal seed and seedling ecology.
在较为寒冷的冬季，杨梅（Myrica cerifera）果实的冬季被清除率更高。在9年的时间里，我们在美国南卡罗来纳州13个面积为0.1公顷的研究地块中监测了杨梅的果实产量。果实成熟高峰期出现在11月，而被清除的高峰期出现在最寒冷的月份，即12月和1月。研究地块内果实被清除的平均时间与冬季平均温度呈正相关，从而支持了我们的假设。这一结果，再加上冬季节肢动物普遍数量较少，表明果实丰度可能在决定留鸟和短距离候鸟的冬季存活率及分布方面发挥作用。从植物的角度来看，它表明了种子传播时间成分的年际变化，可能会对种子传播后及幼苗生态产生影响。
