Predicting forest management effects on oak–rodent mutualisms

Wood mice Apodemus sylvaticus are the main dispersers of acorns in highly managed Mediterranean holm-oak woodlands. Mice mobilize and cache acorns to store them for winter consumption. They carry acorns away from potential competitors, face predation risks during mobilization, and cache acorns in areas where pilfering risks are low. However, mice can act either as net predators or as moderately efficient dispersers, depending on the way landscape management affects intraspecific competition for acorns and shelter availability. To assess the influence of landscape structure and mouse behavior on acorn dispersal, we developed an agent-based model (ABM) that translates forest management into changes in key environmental factors driving mouse foraging decisions.

The model was able to predict accurately acorn dispersal patterns in a wide range of forest management practices based on information on forest habitat availability, stem density and shrub cover. Sensitivity analysis revealed tha...