fungal-mediated multitrophic interactions - do grass endophytes in diet protect voles from predatorsfungal-mediated multitrophic交互u2014u2014草内生菌在饮食保护田鼠的天敌.pdfVIP

Fungal-Mediated Multitrophic Interactions - Do Grass Endophytes in Diet Protect Voles from Predators? 1,2 3,6 4 2 5 ¨ 3 Susanna Saari *, Janne Sundell , Otso Huitu , Marjo Helander , Elise Ketoja , Hannu Ylonen , Kari Saikkonen1 1 Plant Production Research, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Jokioinen, Finland, 2 Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland, 3 Department of Biological ¨ ¨ and Environmental Science, Konnevesi Research Station, University of Jyvaskyla, Konnevesi, Finland, 4 Suonenjoki Research Unit, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Suonenjoki, Finland, 5 Services Unit, MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Jokioinen, Finland, 6 Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Lammi, Finland Abstract Plant-associated micro-organisms such as mycotoxin-producing endophytes commonly have direct negative effects on herbivores. These effects may be carried over to natural enemies of the herbivores, but this has been rarely explored. We examined how feeding on Neotyphodium endophyte infected (E+) and endophyte free (E 2) meadow ryegrass (Scherodonus pratensis) affects body mass, population size and mobility of sibling voles (Microtus levis), and whether the diet mediates the vulnerability of voles to least weasel (Mustela nivalis nivalis) predation. Because least weasels are known to be olfactory hunters, we also examined whether they are able to distinguish olfactory cues of voles fed on E+ and E 2 diets. Neither body mass of voles nor population size differed between diets. However, contrary to our prediction, least weasels preyed more often on voles fed with E2 grass than on voles fed w