| Granivory can dramatically alter the composition and diversity of plant communities, and the dietary preferences of granivores may have major impacts on these effects. This phenomenon is not well-studied or understood, but has the potential to play a vital role in mediating the process of exotic plant invasion. We evaluated seed preference of a native rodent consumer, Peromyscus maniculatus, in a coastal dune community by conducting cafeteria-style feeding trials. Evenly mixed seed trays of three native plants, Lathrys littoralis, Calystegia macrostegia, and Bromus carinatus, and one exotic plant, Lupinus arboreus, were used to test for preference of seed types. Feeding trials were conducted in both native- and exotic-dominated habitats to test for differences in preference between habitat types. Seed preference of native consumers may play a role in biotic resistance of dune communities to invasion, or alternatively, aid in establishment of exotic plants by increasing granivory on natives. Understanding the mechanisms of granivore influence on invasion dynamics will provide insight into how seed predation affects plant community assembly in a sensitive dune system. |