关键词: 辽东栎, 更新, 鼠类, 埋藏, 种子采食, 出苗

Abstract: Liaodong oak (Q. liaotungensis) forest is the zonal typical vegetation in maintains of Beijing, China. Prior observation indicated that rodents might be involved in acorn predation and then affected oak regeneration. This study aims to investigate three questions: (1) what kind of rodent species attributed acorn disappearance of Liaodong oak? (2) can burial reduce acorn predation by rodents and improve seedling recruitment of Liaodong oak? (3) will ground vegetation affect seedling recruitment rate of the oak? In September of 1996, 37 plots of 5 sites were located for acorn placement test. Ten acorns were placed on the soil surface of each plot. Acorns on soil surface were checked 1, 10, 20 days later after acorn placement. Wooden snare traps baited with oak acorns and peanuts were used for identifying key rodent species of removing the acorns. Five sites were located for burying 50 acorns at 5 cm in soil within one square meters at each site. Seedling numbers and seedling height were measured next year. Three rodent species (i. e. Apodeinus speciosus, Rattus confucian and A. agrarius) were found to consume the acorns and the proportion of acorn consumed was related to their abundance. Among the 370 acorns which were placed on soil surface in 37 plots of 5 sites 15.1% of them disappeared next day, 78.1% disappeared 10 days later and all of them disappeared 20 days later. Among 250 acorns buried in five sites 11.2% of them sprouted out with an average height of 7.8 cm. Therefore, burial can effectively reduce acorn predation by rodents. The seedling recruitment rates in five sites tended to negatively correlate with grass cover and height. It was suggested that direct seeding can facilitate oak reforestation.

Key words: Quercus liaotungensis, Oak regeneration, Rodent, Burial, Seed predation, Seedling recruitment