Post-dispersal sugar maple (Acer saccharum) seed predation by sciurids and other small mammals in a northern hardwood forest

Seeds are important food resources for many small mammal species (Snyder 1982; Steele 1998). To maintain a more constant food supply, small mammals often store seeds, referred to as seed caching or hoarding behavior. Also, during periods of abundant food but adverse weather, food hoarders can avoid harsh conditions by relying on their stored food supply (Vander Wall 1990). Caching also allows individuals to benefit from a short-term rich food patch for a longer period. An individual can first satisfy its current energy demands, then store some items from the energy-rich patch, and consume those items at a later time after the patch is depleted (Clarke and Kramer 1994a).