"Rodents often play vital roles in their ecosystems as seed predators and dispersers and can significantly influence the succession and assembly of plant communities. We conducted seed tray experiments to assess the nutritional and environmental factors that influence selection and foraging time of three common rodent granivores: the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), and the southern red-backed vole (Myodes gapperi) for three common seeds: American beech (Fagus grandifolia), red maple (Acer rubrum), and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). This work was conducted at Bartlett Experimental Forest located within White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire ... Our results illustrate the complexity of rodent foraging behaviors and decisions, with selections being driven by many factors. The most important of these factors is seed quality, though this can be influenced by other factors such as seed availability and environmental changes. These findings contribute to our understanding of rodent foraging patterns and underscore the importance of identifying factors influencing these patterns"--Page ix.