A novel camera-based approach to understanding the foraging behaviour of mycophagous mammals

Title
A novel camera-based approach to understanding the foraging behaviour of mycophagous mammals
Publication Date
2014
Author(s)
Vernes, Karl A
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1635-9950
Email: kvernes@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:kvernes
Smith, Matthew
Jarman, Peter
Editor
Editor(s): Paul Meek, Peter Fleming, Guy Ballard, Peter Banks, Andrew Claridge, Jim Sanderson and Don Swann
Type of document
Book Chapter
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
CSIRO Publishing
Place of publication
Collingwood, Australia
Edition
1
UNE publication id
une:17242
Abstract
Mammal mycophagy (consumption of fungi by mammals) is an important process in forested ecosystems around the world. Of great interest to ecologists are those mammals that excavate and consume the below-ground truffle-forming fungi that are symbiotic with forest trees. By dispersing ingested spores a vital ecosystem function is performed by these mammals. Despite this importance, virtually nothing is known about how quickly a truffle patch is discovered and depleted by mammals, how different mammal species share a common food resource, or how truffles are excavated and handled by mycophagous mammals. Using passive infrared (PIR) video camera traps, we studied truffle excavation by mammals in two widely separated temperate ecosystems: (1) Conifer Forest in New Brunswick, Canada; and (2) Eucalyptus Woodland in Tasmania, Australia. Our results show that mammals discover and deplete localised truffle resources rapidly, and that very different mammals in both ecosystems (squirrels and voles in Canada; potoroos in Australia) respond similarly to the presence of truffles in terms of foraging rates and activity patterns. The technique yielded a novel dataset on truffle excavation by mammals and the first quantitative data on visitation rates to truffle patches by a range of mammal species, throwing light on how mammals exploit this food resource.
Link
Citation
Camera Trapping: Wildlife Management and Research, p. 215-224
ISBN
9781486300396
Start page
215
End page
224

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