What factors affect levels of seed predation in Scots pine?
Worthy, Fiona*,1, 2, Hulme, Phil1, Law, Richard2, Marquiss, Mick1, 1 Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom2 Department of Biology, York, England, United Kingdom ABSTRACT- The remnant native pinewoods of Scotland are dominated by Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). Native pinewoods support a characteristic plant and animal community comprising many rare and uncommon species. Such species include the Scottish crossbill (Loxia scotica), the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and the crested tit (Parus cristatus). These all feed on the seeds of Scots pine, as do a range of other species. Crossbills and red squirrels are specialist seed predators, adapted to eating seeds still protected by cones. Seeds only become vulnerable to generalists once the cones open to allow seed dispersal. Generalist seed predators include finches, tits, small mammals, ants and carabids. The availability of Scots pine seed varies seasonally, annually and spatially. Seed predat
