Of mice and maples

Deer mice play a key role in the forest food web, serving as prey for secondary consumers but also acting as consumers themselves. Many small mammals affect plant communities by consuming seeds, and deer mice are no exception. For mice, the decision to eat or cache maple seeds may depend on differences in the germination schedules of the trees. In temperate North America, northern hardwood forests contain both sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and red maple (Acer rubrum). Red maple seeds fall in late spring and germinate before winter, while sugar maple seeds drop in late summer, are dormant through winter, and germinate the following spring. From the mouse perspective, it is better to store sugar maple seeds, which will last longer in the cache. Red maple seeds are likely to germinate during storage, so it is preferable to eat them immediately. Two species of deer mouse live in these forests: woodland deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus gracilis,) and white‐footed deer mice (Peromyscus leucopus). Compared with white‐footed deer mice, woodland deer mice have larger ears relative to body size, and a range that extends farther north. Each has distinct foraging preferences when it comes to maple seeds: woodland deer mice consume red maple seeds preferentially, whereas their white‐footed cousins are less discriminating, and include more sugar maple seeds in their diet. Is there a seasonal component to these preferences? Evidence suggests woodland deer mice, the numerically dominant species, are more likely to cache sugar maple seeds, which may increase their overwinter survival, and contribute to their continued dominance in the small mammal community