啮齿类动物的搬运与埋藏植物种子是自然界中的一个重要的生态过程。对很多植物来说，通过啮齿类动物的搬运与埋藏是植物实现种子散布的主要形式；而对啮齿类动物本身而言，也直接关乎它在未来抵御食物短缺的能力。已有的研究通常把啮齿类动物的搬运与埋藏植物种子作为一单一的过程，而啮齿类动物是如何决策实现这一复杂的过程并不知晓。动植物关系组王博博士、陈进研究员等通过一精巧的实验和模型拟合，表明啮齿类动物的搬运埋藏植物种子是一多步骤决策过程，不同的种子性状对各个步骤有着不同的影响，研究结果以Dissecting the decision making process of scatter-hoarding rodents为题在线发表于国际期刊Oikos。
作者首先分析啮齿类动物埋藏种子的过程可能在四个环节需要决策：1）动物遇到植物种子，是忽略还是利用； 2）对于利用的种子，是就地取食还是搬运；3）对搬运的种子，要搬运多远；4）搬运后是取食还是埋藏。作者利用人工种子研究系统，探讨不同种子性状（种子大小、营养和单宁含量）对啮齿类动物埋藏过程四个步骤的影响。同时，作者引进三种可能的模型：线性模型、折线模型和抛物线模型，用三种模型检验上述三个性状对不同步骤的适合度。研究结果表明，啮齿类动物埋藏种子行为确实是一个分层决策的过程，不同种子性状对各步骤的影响不同；种子大小对上述四个步骤均有影响，而种子营养和单宁含量主要影响第一第三步骤。研究结果有助于人们更好理解啮齿类动物埋藏种子这一重要的生态过程。
决策过程
Dissecting the decision making process of scatter-hoarding rodents
Many animals scatter-hoard seeds to ensure an even supply of food throughout the year and this behavior requires similar foraging decisions. Seed-traits have been shown to affect the final foraging decision but little is known about the decision process itself. Here, we first defined four sequential steps comprising the decision process of scatter-hoarding rodents: 1) upon encountering a seed, should it be ignored or manipulated; 2) if manipulated, should it be eaten in situ or removed elsewhere; 3) upon removal, how far away should it be carried; and finally 4) whether to eat or cache the removed seed. Using experimental seeds with controlled differences in size, tannin and nutrient content, we evaluated how different traits influence each step in this decision process. We found that different traits had distinct effects on each step. Seed size affected all four steps, while nutrient and tannin content primarily affected the first and third steps. By dissecting foraging behavior in relation to experimentally controlled seed-traits, we have created an effective framework within which to understand the unique relationship between scatter-hoarding rodents that both predate and disperse plant seeds.