Gillman and Ogden (2003): Seedling mortality and damage due to non-trophic animal interactions in a northern New Zealand forest.

Gillman, L.N. & Ogden, J. 2003. Seedling mortality and damage due to non-trophic animal interactions in a northern New Zealand forest. Austral Ecology 28: 48-52.

The influence of mammal browse on indigenous tree seedlings has been extensively studied in New Zealand. However, the importance of non-trophic damage by animals (such as biting and uprooting without consump-tion) has received little attention. In this study, seedling mortality due to non-trophic animal damage (37.5% of all mortalities) was greater than for any other cause. Most of the seedlings non-trophically damaged were bitten off close to the ground and left uneaten (73%), and the remainder were uprooted. Evidence is presented that suggests that the non-trophic damage to these seedlings was caused by rabbits.