Relationship between birds of prey, rodents and acorns

Abstract

The relationship between some species of rodents and oak trees is collaborative because rodents participate in the seed dispersal process by transporting acorns, burying them and preserving their embryos. These long-established relationships can be disrupted by many factors. In this study, we aim to verify whether the presence of a third species that preys on rodents, birds of prey, can alter the collaborative relationship by preventing rodents from accessing acorns due to fear of the presence of birds of prey in the trees where rodents find acorns. To test this, we placed four specimens of four species of rodents in semi-wild conditions, providing them with acorns under trees with and without birds of prey to observe whether there was any difference in the feeding behaviour of the rodents.