title: Masting behaviour in a Mediterranean pine tree alters seed predator selection on reproductive output.
abstract: Context-dependency in species interactions is widespread and can produce concomitant patterns of context-dependent selection. Masting (synchronous production of large seed crops at irregular intervals by a plant population) has been shown to reduce seed predation through satiation (reduction in rates of seed predation with increasing seed cone output) and thus represents an important source of context-dependency in plant-animal interactions. However, the evolutionary consequences of such dynamics are not well understood. Here we describe masting behaviour in a Mediterranean model pine species (Pinus pinaster) and present a test of the effects of masting on selection by seed predators on reproductive output. We predicted that masting, by enhancing seed predator satiation, could in turn strengthen positive selection by seed predators for larger cone output. For this we collected six-year data (spanning one mast year and five non-mast years) on seed cone production and seed cone predation rates in a forest genetic trial composed by 116 P. pinaster genotypes. Following our prediction, we found stronger seed predator satiation during the masting year, which in turn led to stronger seed predator selection for increased cone production relative to non-masting years. These findings provide evidence that masting can alter the evolutionary outcome of plant-seed predator interactions. More broadly, our findings highlight that changes in consumer responses to resource abundance represent a widespread mechanism for predicting and understanding context dependency in plant-consumer evolutionary dynamics.
authors: Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Pontevedra, Spain. xmoreira1@gmail.com.
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Moreira
authors: Departamento de Ecología Tropical, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autόnoma de Yucatán, Mérida, México.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Abdala-Roberts
authors: Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Pontevedra, Spain.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Zas
authors: Madera Plus Company, Ourense, Spain.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Merlo
authors: Departamento de Producción Vegetal, Universidad de Santiago, Lugo, Spain.
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Lombardero
authors: Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), Pontevedra, Spain.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Sampedro
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
authors: K A
authors: KA
authors: Mooney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D018533:Biomass; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D065928:Forests; D005838:Genotype; D028223:Pinus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012098:Reproduction; D012527:Satiation; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: 
  Pinus pinaster
  ; Density dependence; functional response; genotype; predator satiation hypothesis; seed cones