为了探究橡胶树种子中毒性氰苷类物质(HCN)的存在和含量变化对橡胶树种子捕食者取食行为的影响,将新鲜橡胶树种子置于室内自然放置不同天数,获得不同水分和氰苷含量的实验种子,并将其饲喂给野外半自然围栏场中的两种鼠类捕食者,观测其取食行为和格局。结果表明,黄胸鼠(Rattus flavipectus)对放置时间少于30d、水分和氰苷含量较高的种子主要进行分散贮藏(几乎100%);对放置30d以上、水分和氰苷含量低的种子是以分散贮藏为主(33%~100%),同时也会进行部分搬运后取食和巢内贮藏;但相关性分析表明,黄胸鼠对橡胶树种子的取食数量与放置天数或与水分及氰苷含量之间并无显著相关关系。红刺鼠(R.surifer)对放置少于30d水分和氰苷含量较高的种子更多是采取即时取食的方式,显然未受氰苷存在的影响;而对放置30d以上、水分和氰苷含量低的种子则主要是进行贮藏,可能是因为这样的种子更利于保存。综上所述,黄胸鼠和红刺鼠对橡胶树种子的取食行为仍是受其各自取食习性主导的,氰化物的存在和含量变化并未对其产生显著影响。该研究结果将有助于更好地理解小型啮齿类对橡胶树种子的捕食格局和传播能力,为橡胶林管理和森林保护提供某些依据。
In order to explore whether the presence and change of toxic cyanogenic glycoside(HCN)contained in fresh rubberseeds can affect the behavior of predators,fresh rubber seeds were placed under normal room conditions for different days toobtain experimental seeds with different contents of water and HCN,and then were fed to Rattus predators in semi-natural enclosuresto observe the predation behavior and pattern.The results showed that,for Rattus flavipectus,the seeds placed for lessthan30days with high water and HCN content were almost completely scatter hoarded,while the seeds placed for more than30days with less water and HCN were mainly hoarded(33%~100%)with some eaten or larder hoarded;the correlation analysesshowed no significant correlation between the predation behavior with placing days or water and HCN contents.For R.surifer,the seeds placed for less than30days with high water and HCN content were mainly eaten(>80%),apparently indicating thepredation behavior was not influenced by the presence of HCN;the seeds placed for more than30days with less water and HCNwere mainly hoarded(41%~64%)with some scattered-hoarded or lumped-hoarded,which may because they were more endurableto storage.In conclusion,the predation behaviors on rubber seeds of the two Rattus species were not dominated by thepresence of HCN.The study can help to better understand the predation pattern and dispersal ability,and supply basis for rubberplantationmanagement and forest conservation.