Secondary dispersal of seeds by the Magpie Pica pica L. in agricultural landscape
2012
Czarnecka, Joanna | Czarnecka, Bożenna | Garbacz, Monika
The aim of the study was to broaden the knowledge about the role played by the Magpie (Pica pica L.) in the secondary dispersal of seeds with help of nest material, which takes place in the agricultural landscape with the distinct dominance of arable fields. We also tried to assess which plant life-history traits can be helpful in the dispersal mediated by the Magpie. Six nests were collected after the breeding season; the mud (soil) layer was separated from the nests and the seed pool present there was studied with the use of the seedling emergence method. The number of seedlings detected in the study nests varied between 23 and 126 per 1000 g of soil dry weight, the total number of recorded taxa was 41 (the number of species in subsequent nests varied between 10 and 24). All recorded species can be divided into four ecological groups, which point to the source of the nest material: weeds, ruderal species, species connected with field roads, and grassland and meadow species. Among them, weeds are the best represented group. We think that the secondary dispersal by the Magpie is most beneficial for weeds with no adaptation for dispersal, with a persistent seed bank and a low seed weight.
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