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Ballarin CS, Vizentin-Bugoni J, Hachuy-Filho L, Amorim FW. Imprints of indirect interactions on a resource-mediated ant-plant network across different levels of network organization. Oecologia 2024; 204:661-673. [PMID: 38448764 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05522-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Indirect interactions are pivotal in the evolution of interacting species and the assembly of populations and communities. Nevertheless, despite recently being investigated in plant-animal mutualism at the community level, indirect interactions have not been studied in resource-mediated mutualisms involving plant individuals that share different animal species as partners within a population (i.e., individual-based networks). Here, we analyzed an individual-based ant-plant network to evaluate how resource properties affect indirect interaction patterns and how changes in indirect links leave imprints in the network across multiple levels of network organization. Using complementary analytical approaches, we described the patterns of indirect interactions at the micro-, meso-, and macro-scale. We predicted that plants offering intermediate levels of nectar quantity and quality interact with more diverse ant assemblages. The increased number of ant species would cause a higher potential for indirect interactions in all scales evaluated. We found that nectar properties modified patterns of indirect interactions of plant individuals that share mutualistic partners, leaving imprints across different network scales. To our knowledge, this is the first study tracking indirect interactions in multiple scales within an individual-based network. We show that functional traits of interacting species, such as nectar properties, may lead to changes in indirect interactions, which could be tracked across different levels of the network organization evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caio S Ballarin
- Laboratório de Ecologia da Polinização e Interações, LEPI, Departamento de Biodiversidade e Bioestatística, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Rua Prof. Dr. Antonio Celso Wagner Zanin, Botucatu, São Paulo, CEP 18618-689, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Botucatu, São Paulo, CEP 18618-689, Brazil.
| | - Jeferson Vizentin-Bugoni
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biodiversidade Animal, Departamento de Ecologia, Zoologia e Genética, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Campus Universitário, Capão do Leão, RS, CEP 96010-900, Brasil
| | - Leandro Hachuy-Filho
- Laboratório de Ecologia da Polinização e Interações, LEPI, Departamento de Biodiversidade e Bioestatística, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Rua Prof. Dr. Antonio Celso Wagner Zanin, Botucatu, São Paulo, CEP 18618-689, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Botucatu, São Paulo, CEP 18618-689, Brazil
| | - Felipe W Amorim
- Laboratório de Ecologia da Polinização e Interações, LEPI, Departamento de Biodiversidade e Bioestatística, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP), Rua Prof. Dr. Antonio Celso Wagner Zanin, Botucatu, São Paulo, CEP 18618-689, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Botucatu, São Paulo, CEP 18618-689, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", Botucatu, São Paulo, CEP 18618-689, Brazil
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Calixto ES, de Oliveira Pimenta IC, Lange D, Marquis RJ, Torezan-Silingardi HM, Del-Claro K. Emerging Trends in Ant-Pollinator Conflict in Extrafloral Nectary-Bearing Plants. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:651. [PMID: 38475497 DOI: 10.3390/plants13050651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The net outcomes of mutualisms are mediated by the trade-offs between the costs and benefits provided by both partners. Our review proposes the existence of a trade-off in ant protection mutualisms between the benefits generated by the ants' protection against the attack of herbivores and the losses caused by the disruption of pollination processes, which are commonly not quantified. This trade-off has important implications for understanding the evolution of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs), an adaptation that has repeatedly evolved throughout the flowering plant clade. We propose that the outcome of this trade-off is contingent on the specific traits of the organisms involved. We provide evidence that the protective mutualisms between ants and plants mediated by EFNs have optimal protective ant partners, represented by the optimum point of the balance between positive effects on plant protection and negative effects on pollination process. Our review also provides important details about a potential synergism of EFN functionality; that is, these structures can attract ants to protect against herbivores and/or distract them from flowers so as not to disrupt pollination processes. Finally, we argue that generalizations regarding how ants impact plants should be made with caution since ants' effects on plants vary with the identity of the ant species in their overall net outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Denise Lange
- Department of Biology, Federal University of Technology-Parana, Campus Santa Helena, Santa Helena, Curitiba 80230-901, PR, Brazil
| | - Robert J Marquis
- Department of Biology and the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Helena Maura Torezan-Silingardi
- Postgraduation Program in Entomology, Department of Biology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-900, SP, Brazil
- Institute of Biology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-240, MG, Brazil
| | - Kleber Del-Claro
- Postgraduation Program in Entomology, Department of Biology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-900, SP, Brazil
- Institute of Biology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405-240, MG, Brazil
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Cardoso PB, Calixto ES, Torezan-Silingardi HM, Del-Claro K. Context-Dependent Ant-Pollinator Mutualism Impacts Fruit Set in a Hummingbird-Pollinated Plant. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3688. [PMID: 37960045 PMCID: PMC10650328 DOI: 10.3390/plants12213688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Context-dependence in mutualisms is a fundamental aspect of ecological interactions. Within plant-ant mutualisms, particularly in terms of biotic protection and pollination, research has predominantly focused on elucidating the benefits while largely overlooking potential costs. This notable gap underscores the need for investigations into the drawbacks and trade-offs associated with such mutualistic relationships. Here, we evaluated the role of pericarpial nectaries (PNs) in shaping the dynamics of ant-pollinator mutualisms. Specifically, we investigated whether ants visiting the PN of Palicourea rigida (Rubiaceae) could deter hummingbirds and disrupt pollination, ultimately influencing fruit production. Our research involved manipulative experiments and observation of ant-pollinator interactions on P. rigida plants in the Brazilian savannah. We found that visiting ants can deter hummingbirds and/or disrupt pollination in P. rigida, directly influencing fruit set. However, these results are species-specific. The presence of very aggressive, large predatory ants, such as E. tuberculatum, had a negative impact on hummingbird behavior, whereas aggressive mid-sized ants, such as C. crassus, showed no effects. Our study illuminates the multifaceted aspects of ant-plant mutualisms and underscores the importance of evaluating costs and unexpected outcomes within these ecological relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Bruno Cardoso
- Postgraduation Program in Entomology, Department of Biology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto 14040-900, SP, Brazil (H.M.T.-S.)
| | - Eduardo Soares Calixto
- Postgraduation Program in Entomology, Department of Biology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto 14040-900, SP, Brazil (H.M.T.-S.)
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Jay, FL 32583, USA
| | - Helena Maura Torezan-Silingardi
- Postgraduation Program in Entomology, Department of Biology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto 14040-900, SP, Brazil (H.M.T.-S.)
- Institute of Biology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia 38405-302, MG, Brazil
| | - Kleber Del-Claro
- Postgraduation Program in Entomology, Department of Biology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto 14040-900, SP, Brazil (H.M.T.-S.)
- Institute of Biology, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlandia 38405-302, MG, Brazil
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Porto GF, Pezzonia JH, Del-Claro K. Extrafloral Nectary-Bearing Plants Recover Ant Association Benefits Faster and More Effectively after Frost-Fire Events Than Frost. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3592. [PMID: 37896055 PMCID: PMC10610396 DOI: 10.3390/plants12203592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
The Cerrado confronts threats such as fire and frost due to natural or human-induced factors. These disturbances trigger attribute changes that impact biodiversity. Given escalating climate extremes, understanding the effects of these phenomena on ecological relationships is crucial for biodiversity conservation. To understand how fire and frost affect interactions and influence biological communities in the Cerrado, our study aimed to comprehend the effects of these two disturbances on extrafloral nectar (EFN)-bearing plants (Ouratea spectabilis, Ochnaceae) and their interactions. Our main hypothesis was that plants affected by fire would grow again more quickly than those affected only by frost due to the better adaptation of Cerrado flora to fire. The results showed that fire accelerated the regrowth of O. spectabilis. Regrowth in plants with EFNs attracted ants that proved to be efficient in removing herbivores, significantly reducing foliar herbivory rates in this species, when compared to the species without EFNs, or when ant access was prevented through experimental manipulation. Post-disturbance ant and herbivore populations were low, with frost leading to greater reductions. Ant richness and diversity are higher where frost precedes fire, suggesting that fire restores Cerrado ecological interactions better than frost, with less impact on plants, ants, and herbivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Fraga Porto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil;
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto—FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil;
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil
| | - José Henrique Pezzonia
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto—FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil;
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil
| | - Kleber Del-Claro
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38400-902, MG, Brazil
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Alencar CLDS, Nogueira A, Vicente RE, Coutinho ÍAC. Plant species with larger extrafloral nectaries produce better quality nectar when needed and interact with the best ant partners. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:4613-4627. [PMID: 37115640 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Few studies have explored the phenotypic plasticity of nectar production on plant attractiveness to ants. Here, we investigate the role of extrafloral nectary (EFN) size on the productivity of extrafloral nectar in three sympatric legume species. We hypothesized that plant species with larger EFNs (i) have higher induced nectar secretion after herbivory events, and (ii) are more likely to interact with more protective (i.e. dominant) ant partners. We target 90 plants of three Chamaecrista species in the field. We estimated EFN size and conducted field experiments to evaluate any differences in nectar traits before and after leaf damage to investigate the phenotypic plasticity of nectar production across species. We conducted multiple censuses of ant species feeding on EFNs over time. Plant species increased nectar descriptors after leaf damage, but in different ways. Supporting our hypothesis, C. duckeana, with the largest EFN size, increased all nectar descriptors, with most intense post-herbivory-induced response, taking its place as the most attractive to ants, including dominant species. EFN size variation was an excellent indicator of nectar productivity across species. The higher control over reward production in plants with larger sized EFNs reflects an induction mechanism under damage that reduces costs and increases the potential benefits of indirect biotic defences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cícero Luanderson da Silva Alencar
- Universidade Federal do Ceará, campus do Pici, Centro de Ciências, Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Morfoanatomia Funcional de Plantas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Anselmo Nogueira
- Laboratório de Interações Planta-Animal (LIPA), Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Eduardo Vicente
- Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovações, Santa Teresa, ES, Brazil
| | - Ítalo Antônio Cotta Coutinho
- Universidade Federal do Ceará, campus do Pici, Centro de Ciências, Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Morfoanatomia Funcional de Plantas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
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Staab M, Pietsch S, Yan H, Blüthgen N, Cheng A, Li Y, Zhang N, Ma K, Liu X. Dear neighbor: Trees with extrafloral nectaries facilitate defense and growth of adjacent undefended trees. Ecology 2023; 104:e4057. [PMID: 37078562 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Plant diversity can increase productivity. One mechanism behind this biodiversity effect is facilitation, which is when one species increases the performance of another species. Plants with extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) establish defense mutualisms with ants. However, whether EFN plants facilitate defense of neighboring non-EFN plants is unknown. Synthesizing data on ants, herbivores, leaf damage, and defense traits from a forest biodiversity experiment, we show that trees growing adjacent to EFN trees had higher ant biomass and species richness and lower caterpillar biomass than conspecific controls without EFN-bearing neighbors. Concurrently, the composition of defense traits in non-EFN trees changed. Thus, when non-EFN trees benefit from lower herbivore loads as a result of ants spilling over from EFN tree neighbors, this may allow relatively reduced resource allocation to defense in the former, potentially explaining the higher growth of those trees. Via this mutualist-mediated facilitation, promoting EFN trees in tropical reforestation could foster carbon capture and multiple other ecosystem functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Staab
- Ecological Networks, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Stefanie Pietsch
- Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Field Station Fabrikschleichach, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Haoru Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Ecological Networks, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Anpeng Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Naili Zhang
- College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Keping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Zhejiang Qianjiangyuan Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, Beijing, China
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7
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Moura RF, Del-Claro K. Plants with extrafloral nectaries share indirect defenses and shape the local arboreal ant community. Oecologia 2023; 201:73-82. [PMID: 36372829 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05286-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Associational resistance (AR) is a positive interaction in which a plant suffers less herbivore damage due to its association with a protective plant. Here, we evaluated whether plants with extra-floral nectaries (EFNs) can share indirect defenses with neighboring plants. We sampled 45 individuals of an EFN-bearing liana (Smilax polyantha) and recorded whether their support species had EFNs. In S. polyantha, we measured foliar herbivory and flower and fruit production. We examined the ant species composition and visitation of S. polyantha and whether they changed according to the supporting plant type (with or without EFNs). We experimentally determined whether S. polyantha supplemented with artificial nectaries could share indirect defenses with defenseless neighboring plants. Support plants with EFNs indirectly benefited S. polyantha by sharing mutualistic ant species. Smilax polyantha supported by plants with EFNs had a more specific ant species composition, a higher number of visiting ants and ant species richness, and exhibited nearly 3 times less foliar herbivory. However, we did not observe differences in fruit production between the two groups of S. polyantha. Finally, we observed that S. polyantha with artificial nectaries increased ant visitation on neighboring plants 2.5 times. We provide evidence that interspecific neighbors with EFNs can experience reciprocal benefits by sharing indirect defenses. Such local effects might escalate and affect the structure of plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renan Fernandes Moura
- Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Dead Sea and Arava Science Center, Masada, Israel.
- Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel.
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8
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Milligan PD, Martin TA, Pringle EG, Prior KM, Palmer TM. Symbiotic ant traits produce differential host-plant carbon and water dynamics in a multi-species mutualism. Ecology 2023; 104:e3880. [PMID: 36199213 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Cooperative interactions may frequently be reinforced by "partner fidelity feedback," in which high- or low-quality partners drive positive feedbacks with high or low benefits for the host, respectively. Benefits of plant-animal mutualisms for plants have been quantified almost universally in terms of growth or reproduction, but these are only two of many sinks to which a host-plant allocates its resources. By investigating how partners to host-plants impact two fundamental plant resources, carbon and water, we can better characterize plant-partner fidelity and understand how plant-partner mutualisms may be modulated by resource dynamics. In Laikipia, Kenya, four ant species compete for Acacia drepanolobium host-plants. These ants differ in multiple traits, from nectar consumption to host-plant protection. Using a 5-year ant removal experiment, we compared carbon fixation, leaf water status, and stem non-structural carbohydrate concentrations for adult ant-plants with and without ant partners. Removal treatments showed that the ants differentially mediate tree carbon and/or water resources. All three ant species known to be aggressive against herbivores were linked to benefits for host-plant resources, but only the two species that defend but do not prune the host, Crematogaster mimosae and Tetraponera penzigi, increased tree carbon fixation. Of these two species, only the nectivore C. mimosae increased tree simple sugars. Crematogaster nigriceps, which defends the tree but also castrates flowers and prunes meristems, was linked only to lower tree water stress approximated by pre-dawn leaf water potential. In contrast to those defensive ants, Crematogaster sjostedti, a poor defender that displaces other ants, was linked to lower tree carbon fixation. Comparing the effects of the four ant species across control trees suggests that differential ant occupancy drives substantial differences in carbon and water supply among host trees. Our results highlight that ant partners can positively or negatively impact carbon and/or water relations for their host-plant, and we discuss the likelihood that carbon- and water-related partner fidelity feedback loops occur across ant-plant mutualisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick D Milligan
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Biology, Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Timothy A Martin
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Elizabeth G Pringle
- Department of Biology, Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Kirsten M Prior
- Department of Biology, SUNY Binghamton, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Todd M Palmer
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya
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Demolin-Leite GL. Arthropods as possible loss or solution sources on Acacia mangium (Fabales: Fabaceae) saplings. BRAZ J BIOL 2023; 83:e267130. [PMID: 37075423 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.267130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Acacia mangium (Willd.) (Fabales: Fabaceae) tree shows applicability in programs to recover degraded areas due to its fast-growing, rustic, pioneer species, with the potential to fix nitrogen. However, this plant is attacked by pests. It is important to know, among them, the most important. This study aims to evaluate the herbivorous insects (loss sources) and their natural enemies (solution sources) on 48 A. mangium saplings. They were classified according to their ability to damage or reduce the source of damage on these saplings using the percentage of the Importance Index-Production Unknown (% I.I.-P.U.). The loss sources Trigona spinipes Fabr. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Aleyrodidae (Hemiptera), Phenacoccus sp. (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), Aethalion reticulatum L. (Hemiptera: Aethalionidae), and Tropidacris collaris Stoll. (Orthoptera: Romaleidae), showed the highest % I.I.-P.U. on leaves of A. mangium saplings. The solution sources Oxyopidae (Araneae), Pseudomyrmex termitarius (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), and Brachymyrmex sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), showed the highest % I.I.-P.U. on leaves of A. mangium saplings. The number of Lordops sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was reduced per number of Brachymyrmex sp.; that of T. collaris those of Oxyopidae and Brachymyrmex sp.; and that of Tettigoniidae that of P. termitarius, totaling 8.93% of reduction of these herbivorous insects (numbers) on A. mangium saplings. These herbivorous insects turn into problems in commercial plantations of this plant since to are related to pests in some crops. These tending ants and Oxyopidae can be important on A. mangium commercial crops because they can reduce the number of these herbivorous insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- G L Demolin-Leite
- Insetário G.W.G. Moraes, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias - ICA, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil
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Domingos SS, Alves Silva E. Effect of ants on herbivory levels of Inga laurina: the interplay between space and time in an urban area. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467423000044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Extrafloral nectary plants not only occur in natural areas but also in urban parks. These areas are prone to edge effects, and plants face different microenvironmental conditions. We investigated the spatial variation of ant–plant interactions in an urban park, and we examined if plants with ants would show lower herbivory levels and if it depended on habitat type (interior or edges). Seedlings of Inga laurina were set in 200-m long transects (which covered both the west and east edges, and the interior) in an urban park and then experimentally assigned to be either ant-present or ant-excluded plants. Leaf herbivory was investigated throughout the wet season and was influenced by the interaction effect between ants and habitat type. Ants decreased the herbivory on the west edge, but on the east edge results were the opposite. The east edge had higher temperature and sunlight exposure in comparison to the other sites and was assumed to disrupt the stability of ant–plant interactions. In the interior of the fragment, herbivory depended on ant presence/absence and on the location of plants along the transect. Our study highlights how the outcomes of ant–plant interactions are spatially conditioned and affected by different types of habitats.
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Mendes‐Silva I, Queiroga D, Calixto ES, Torezan‐Silingardi HM, Del‐Claro K. Ineffectiveness of ants in protecting two sympatric myrmecophilous plants against endophytic beetles. AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isamara Mendes‐Silva
- Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações (LECI) Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Brazil
| | - Drielly Queiroga
- Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações (LECI) Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Brazil
| | - Eduardo Soares Calixto
- Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações (LECI) Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Brazil
| | - Helena Maura Torezan‐Silingardi
- Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações (LECI) Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Brazil
| | - Kleber Del‐Claro
- Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações (LECI) Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia Brazil
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Chitchak N, Stewart AB, Traiperm P. Functional Ecology of External Secretory Structures in Rivea ornata (Roxb.) Choisy (Convolvulaceae). PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11152068. [PMID: 35956546 PMCID: PMC9370475 DOI: 10.3390/plants11152068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Plants have evolved numerous secretory structures that fulfill diverse roles and shape their interactions with other organisms. Rivea ornata (Roxb.) Choisy (Convolvulaceae) is one species that possesses various external secretory organs hypothesized to be ecologically important. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate five secretory structures (nectary disc, petiolar nectaries, calycinal glands, staminal hairs, and foliar glands) using micromorphology, anatomy, histochemistry, and field observations of plant–animal interactions in order to assess the functional contributions of these structures. Results show that the nectary disc and petiolar nectaries are complex working units consisting of at least epidermis and ground tissue, while the other structures are glandular trichomes. Various groups of metabolites (lipids, phenolic compounds, polysaccharides, terpenoids, flavonoids, and alkaloids) were detected in all structures, while starch grains were only found in the nectary disc, petiolar nectaries, and their adjacent tissues. Integrating preliminary observation of animal visitors with micromorphological, anatomical, and histochemical results, two hypotheses are proposed: (I) nectary disc and staminal hairs are important for pollination as they potentially attract and reward floral visitors, and (II) petiolar nectaries, calycinal glands, and foliar glands contribute to plant defense. Specifically, petiolar nectaries and calycinal glands provide protection from herbivores via guard ants, while calycinal and foliar glands may use plant metabolites to help prevent tissue damage from dehydration and insolation.
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13
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Scaling of indirect defences in Central American swollen-thorn acacias. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467422000293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Myrmecophytes may adjust the investment on ant rewards, depending on tree size and ant defence level. In swollen-thorn acacias (Vachellia collinsii), we tested whether the level of protection provided by the resident ants (defending vs. non-defending) influenced the relation between tree size and ant rewards, or between types of ant rewards (housing and food). We quantified ant rewards in trees occupied by defending and by non-defending ants. We predicted: (1) a positive relation between plant diameter and ant reward investment, with a steeper slope for defending than for non-defending ant species; and (2) that if there is any tradeoff between ant rewards, it should be aggravated (steeper slope) when inhabited by non-defending ants. We found that most structures for ants grew according to plant diameter, but contrary to our first prediction it was independent of the level of ant defence. Most ant rewards did not show a tradeoff between them, besides a weak negative relation between spine length and number of pinnules, which contrary to the prediction occurred when occupied by defending ants. The evidence shows that the interacting ants had a weaker influence on the scaling of defence structures in myrmecophytes than the habitat (location).
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14
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Temporal variation in the effect of ants on the fitness of myrmecophilic plants: seasonal effect surpasses periodic benefits. Naturwissenschaften 2022; 109:36. [PMID: 35763172 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-022-01805-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Plants provide extrafloral nectar, which is a food resource taken by ants, especially aggressive species that may act as plant guards. To our knowledge, no study has been conducted to concurrently investigate the fluctuation of plant fitness over its whole reproductive season, recording and comparing both short periods (different samplings during the plant's reproductive season) and the season/pooled data (all fruits produced during the reproductive season). Here, by assigning plants to either ant-present or absent treatments, we investigated the influence of the protective foliage-dwelling ant, Camponotus crassus, on the flower bud and fruit production of four extrafloral nectaried plants (Ancistrotropis firmula, Bionia coriacea, Cochlospermum regium, and Peixotoa tomentosa) throughout their annual reproductive season. Periodic samples in the field revealed a large variation in plant reproduction throughout the season; the increases in buds and fruits were not constantly higher in plants with ants, and in fact, plants without ants had more reproductive structures sometimes. Nonetheless, the examination of the pooled data, i.e., cumulative number of flower buds and fruits produced during the reproductive season, revealed the plants with ants produced more flower buds and fruits (e.g., up to two-fold greater in A. firmula) compared to ant-absent treatments. Our results indicate the effects of ants on plant reproduction are not constant over time, but the net benefits to plants with ants are reflected in increased fruit production. Therefore, the investigations of the benefit of ants on plants should consider the whole plant's reproductive season rather than single samplings within plant reproduction period.
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15
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Pareja M, Rezende L. Direct and indirect plant defenses reduce damage by a generalist but not by a specialist pod borer. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martín Pareja
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas –UNICAMP Campinas Brazil
| | - Luiz Rezende
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas –UNICAMP Campinas Brazil
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16
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Positive effects of ants on host trees are critical in years of low reproduction and not influenced by liana presence. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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17
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Demolin-Leite GL. Percentage of importance indice-production unknown: loss and solution sources identification on system. BRAZ J BIOL 2022; 84:e253218. [DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.253218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract Indices are used to help on decision-making. This study aims to develop and test an index, which can determine the loss (e.g., herbivorous insects) and solution (e.g., natural enemies) sources. They will be classified according to their importance regarding the ability to damage or to reduce the source of damage to the system when the final production is unknown. Acacia auriculiformis (Fabales: Fabaceae), a non-native pioneer species in Brazil with fast growth and rusticity, is used in restoration programs, and it is adequate to evaluate a new index. The formula was: Percentage of the Importance Indice-Production Unknown (% I.I.-PU) = [(ks1 x c1 x ds1)/Σ (ks1 x c1 x ds1) + (ks2 x c2 x ds2) + (ksn x cn x dsn)] x 100. The loss sources Aethalion reticulatum L., 1767 (Hemiptera: Aethalionidae), Aleyrodidae (Hemiptera), Stereoma anchoralis Lacordaire, 1848 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and Tettigoniidae, and solution sources Uspachus sp. (Araneae: Salticidae), Salticidae (Araneae), and Pseudomyrmex termitarius (Smith, 1877) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) showed the highest % I.I.-PU on leaves of A. auriculiformis saplings. The number of Diabrotica speciosa Germar, 1824 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) was reduced per number of Salticidae; that of A. reticulatum that of Uspachus sp.; and that of Cephalocoema sp. (Orthoptera: Proscopiidae) that of P. termitarius on A. auriculiformis saplings. However, the number of Aleyrodidae was increased per number of Cephalotes sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and that of A. reticulatum that of Brachymyrmex sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on A. auriculiformis saplings. The A. reticulatum damage was reduced per number of Uspachus sp., but the Aleyrodidae damage was increased per number of Cephalotes sp., totaling 23.81% of increase by insect damages on A. auriculiformis saplings. Here I show and test the % I.I.-PU. It is an new index that can detect the loss or solution sources on a system when production is unknown. It can be applied in some knowledge areas.
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18
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Chinarelli HD, Nogueira A, Leal LC. Extrafloral nectar production induced by simulated herbivory does not improve ant bodyguard attendance and ultimately plant defence. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Highly competitive and aggressive ant species are efficient bodyguards that monopolize the more attractive plants bearing extrafloral nectaries. Given that herbivory often increases the quality of extrafloral nectar, we hypothesized that plants damaged by herbivory would be more prone to interact with high-quality ant bodyguards and be better defended against herbivores. We performed an experiment with Chamaecrista nictitans plants. We induced anti-herbivore responses by applying jasmonic acid to a group of plants while keeping another group unmanaged. We measured extrafloral nectar production, censused ants visiting extrafloral nectaries and, subsequently, added herbivore mimics to measure the efficiency of ant anti-herbivore defence in both conditions. Induction increased the volume of extrafloral nectar and the mass of sugar per nectary without affecting the sugar concentration or the patterns of plant attendance and defence by ants. Thus, we found no evidence that defence-induced C. nictitans plants are more prone to interact with high-quality bodyguards or to receive better anti-herbivore defence. These findings highlight that increases in extrafloral nectar production are not always rewarded with increases in the biotic defences; instead, these rewards might be dependent on the traits of the nectar induced by herbivory events and/or on the ecological context in which the interaction is embedded. Consequently, herbivory might increase the costs of this induced biotic defence to plants bearing extrafloral nectaries when the induced defence does not increase the attractiveness of the plants to ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique D Chinarelli
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Artur Riedel, 275 , Eldorado, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anselmo Nogueira
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH), Universidade Federal do ABC, Alameda da Universidade, s/nº, Anchieta, São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Laura C Leal
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Artur Riedel, 275 , Eldorado, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil
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19
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Females restrict the position of domatia and suffer more herbivory than hermaphrodites in Myriocarpa longipes, a neotropical facultative myrmecophyte. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467421000584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDomatia are hollow structures in plants occupied by ant colonies, in turn ants provide protection against herbivores. In plants, competition for resources has driven sex-related changes in the patterns of resource allocation to life-history traits and defence traits. The resource-competition hypothesis (RCH) proposes that female plants due to their higher investment in reproduction will allocate fewer resources to defence production, showing greater herbivore damage than other sexual forms. We hypothesise the existence of sex-related differences in defensive traits of domatia-bearing plants, being female plants less defended due to differences in domatia traits, such as size, number of domatia and their position, exhibiting more herbivore damage than hermaphrodite plants of Myriocarpa longipes, a facultative neotropical myrmecophyte. We found eight species of ants inhabiting domatia; some species co-inhabited the same plant, even the same branch. Our results are consistent with the predictions of RCH, as female plants had ant-inhabited domatia restricted to the middle position of their branches and exhibited greater herbivore damage in leaves than hermaphrodites. However, we did not find differences in domatia size and leaf area between sexual forms. Our study provides evidence for intersexual differences in domatia position and herbivory in a facultative ant–plant mutualism in M. longipes. We highlight the importance of considering the plant sex in ant–plant interactions. Differences in resource allocation related to sexual reproduction could influence the outcome of ant–plant interactions.
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20
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Câmara T, Reis DQDA, Arnan X, Oliveira FMP, Arruda ECP, Leal IR. Drought‐induced reductions in plant defenses: Insights from extrafloral nectaries in the Caatinga dry forest. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Talita Câmara
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Universidade de Pernambuco Garanhuns PE Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biologia Vegetal Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Recife PE Brazil
| | | | - Xavier Arnan
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas Universidade de Pernambuco Garanhuns PE Brazil
| | | | | | - Inara Roberta Leal
- Departamento de Botânica Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Recife PE Brazil
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21
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Lima JS, Leite GLD, Guanabens PFS, Soares MA, Silva JL, Mota MVS, Lemes PG, Zanuncio JC. Insects and spiders on Acacia mangium (Fabaceae) saplings as bioindicators for the recovery of tropical degraded areas. BRAZ J BIOL 2021; 84:e252088. [PMID: 34755814 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.252088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Acacia mangium is a pioneer species with fast growth and frequently used in the recovery of degraded areas. The objectives were to evaluate insects and spiders, their ecological indices and interactions on A. mangium saplings in a tropical degraded area in recovering process. The experimental design was completely randomized with 24 replications, with treatments represented by the first and second years after A. mangium seedling planted. Numbers of leaves/branch, branches/sapling, and ground cover by A. mangium saplings, Hemiptera: Phenacoccus sp. and Pachycoris torridus; Hymenoptera: Tetragonisca angustula and Trigona spinipes, Brachymyrmex sp., Camponotus sp. and Cephalotes sp.; Blattodea: Nasutitermes sp. and Neuroptera: Chrysoperla sp.; abundance, species richness of pollinating insects, tending ants, and the abundance of Sternorrhyncha predators were greatest in the second year after planting. Numbers of Hemiptera: Aethalium reticulatum, Hymenoptera: Camponotus sp., Cephalotes sp., Polybia sp., T. angustula, T. spinipes, tending ants, pollinating insects, Sternorrhyncha predators and species richness of tending ants were highest on A. mangium saplings with greatest numbers of leaves or branches. The increase in the population of arthropods with ground cover by A. mangium saplings age increase indicates the positive impact by this plant on the recovery process of degraded areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Lima
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Insetário G.W.G. Moraes, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil
| | - G L D Leite
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Insetário G.W.G. Moraes, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil
| | - P F S Guanabens
- Instituto Federal de Minas Gerais - IFMG, Campus de São João Evangelista, São João Evangelista, MG, Brasil
| | - M A Soares
- Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri - UFVJM, Departamento de Agronomia, Diamantina, MG, Brasil
| | - J L Silva
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Insetário G.W.G. Moraes, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil
| | - M V S Mota
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Insetário G.W.G. Moraes, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil
| | - P G Lemes
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Insetário G.W.G. Moraes, Montes Claros, MG, Brasil
| | - J C Zanuncio
- Universidade Federal de Viçosa - UFV, Departamento de Entomologia/BIOAGRO, Viçosa, MG, Brasil
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22
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Gale CC, Lesne P, Wilson C, Helms AM, Suh CPC, Sword GA. Foliar herbivory increases sucrose concentration in bracteal extrafloral nectar of cotton. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258836. [PMID: 34714845 PMCID: PMC8555782 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cultivated cotton, such as Gossypium hirsutum L., produces extrafloral (EF) nectar on leaves (foliar) and reproductive structures (bracteal) as an indirect anti-herbivore defense. In exchange for this carbohydrate-rich substance, predatory insects such as ants protect the plant against herbivorous insects. Some EF nectar-bearing plants respond to herbivory by increasing EF nectar production. For instance, herbivore-free G. hirsutum produces more bracteal than foliar EF nectar, but increases its foliar EF nectar production in response to herbivory. This study is the first to test for systemically induced changes to the carbohydrate composition of bracteal EF nectar in response to foliar herbivory on G. hirsutum. We found that foliar herbivory significantly increased the sucrose content of bracteal EF nectar while glucose and fructose remained unchanged. Sucrose content is known to influence ant foraging behavior and previous studies of an herbivore-induced increase to EF nectar caloric content found that it led to increased ant activity on the plant. As a follow-up to our finding, ant recruitment to mock EF nectar solutions that varied in sucrose content was tested in the field. The ants did not exhibit any preference for either solution, potentially because sucrose is a minor carbohydrate component in G. hirsutum EF nectar: total sugar content was not significantly affected by the increase in sucrose. Nonetheless, our findings raise new questions about cotton’s inducible EF nectar responses to herbivory. Further research is needed to determine whether an herbivore-induced increase in sucrose content is typical of Gossypium spp., and whether it constitutes a corollary of systemic sucrose induction, or a potentially adaptive mechanism which enhances ant attraction to the plant
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody C. Gale
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Pierre Lesne
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Caroline Wilson
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Anjel M. Helms
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Charles P-C. Suh
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Gregory A. Sword
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
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23
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Yamawo A, Suzuki N, Tagawa J. Species diversity and biological trait function: Effectiveness of ant–plant mutualism decreases as ant species diversity increases. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akira Yamawo
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences Faculty of Agriculture Saga University Saga Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Suzuki
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences Faculty of Agriculture Saga University Saga Japan
| | - Jun Tagawa
- Department of Biosphere–Geosphere System Science Faculty of Informatics Okayama University of Science Okayama Japan
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Calixto ES, Lange D, Moreira X, Del‐Claro K. Plant species specificity of ant–plant mutualistic interactions: Differential predation of termites by
Cam
ponotus crassus
on five species of extrafloral nectaries plants. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Soares Calixto
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Entomologia Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil
| | - Denise Lange
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Recursos Naturais e Sustentabilidade Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná Santa Helena PR Brazil
| | - Xoaquín Moreira
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG‐CSIC Pontevedra, Galicia Spain
| | - Kleber Del‐Claro
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia MG Brazil
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25
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Calixto ES, Lange D, Del‐Claro K. Net benefits of a mutualism: Influence of the quality of extrafloral nectar on the colony fitness of a mutualistic ant. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Soares Calixto
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Entomologia Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil
| | - Denise Lange
- Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná Santa Helena PR Brazil
| | - Kleber Del‐Claro
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia MG Brazil
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26
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Mathis KA, Bronstein JL. Our Current Understanding of Commensalism. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-011720-040844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Commensalisms, interactions between two species in which one species benefits and the other experiences no net effect, are frequently mentioned in the ecological literature but are surprisingly little studied. Here we review and synthesize our limited understanding of commensalism. We then argue that commensalism is not a single type of interaction; rather, it is a suite of phenomena associated with distinct ecological processes and evolutionary consequences. For each form of commensalism we define, we present evidence for how, where, and why it occurs, including when it is evolutionarily persistent and when it is an occasional outcome of interactions that are usually mutualistic or antagonistic. We argue that commensalism should be of great interest in the study of species interactions due to its location at the center of the continuum between positive and negative outcomes. Finally, we offer a roadmap for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn A. Mathis
- Department of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts 01610, USA
| | - Judith L. Bronstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
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27
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Lopes VL, Costa FV, Rodrigues RA, Braga ÉM, Pichorim M, Moreira PA. High fidelity defines the temporal consistency of host-parasite interactions in a tropical coastal ecosystem. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16839. [PMID: 33033317 PMCID: PMC7545182 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73563-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Host-parasite interactions represent a selective force that may reduce hosts’ lifespan, their reproductive success and survival. Environmental conditions can affect host-parasite communities, leading to distinct patterns of interactions with divergent ecological and evolutionary consequences for their persistence. Here, we tested whether climatic oscillation shapes the temporal dynamics of bird-haemosporidian associations, assessing the main mechanisms involved in the temporal dissimilarity of their interactions’ networks. For two years, we monthly sampled birds in a tropical coastal ecosystem to avian malaria molecular diagnosis. The studied networks exhibited high specialization, medium modularity, with low niche overlap among parasites lineages. Moreover, alpha and β-diversity of hosts, parasites and their interactions, as well as the structure of their networks were temporally consistent, i.e., stable under fluctuations in temperature or precipitation over seasons. The structure and temporal consistency of the studied antagonistic networks suggest a high fidelity between partners, which is likely relevant for their evolutionary persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- V L Lopes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Biomas Tropicais, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400-000, Brazil
| | - F V Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Biomas Tropicais, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - R A Rodrigues
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - É M Braga
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - M Pichorim
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - P A Moreira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Biomas Tropicais, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil. .,Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400-000, Brazil.
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28
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Contrasting effects of herbivore damage type on extrafloral nectar production and ant attendance. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2020.103638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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29
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Vasconcelos HL, Koch EBA, Camarota F, Tito R, Zuanon LA, Maravalhas J. Severe fires alter the outcome of the mutualism between ants and a Neotropical savanna tree. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPhysical disturbances, such as fire, may affect the relationship between ants and plants. We evaluated the extent to which severe fires alter the protective effect of ants against the herbivores of an extrafloral-nectary bearing tree. We performed an ant removal experiment and sampled the ant fauna from the same trees over 4 years: the pre-fire year, the fire-year, and again 1 and 2 years later. Ants reduced insect herbivory in the pre-fire year and in the fire-year but failed to provide any plant protection in the two years after fire. The magnitude of the ant effect on herbivory did not differ between the pre-fire year and the fire-year. Fire reduced the abundance of ants with strictly arboreal-nesting habits. However, in the fire year (but not in the subsequent ones), this decline was compensated by an increase in the abundance of arboreal generalists and ground-nesting ants foraging in trees. Our results indicate that severe fires can affect the strength and direction of the ant effects on herbivory by altering the structure of the arboreal ant community and the abundance of insect herbivores. Fire disturbance is thus an important factor of conditionality of ant-plant mutualisms in fire-prone habitats, like the Cerrado savannas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heraldo L Vasconcelos
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, CEP, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Elmo B A Koch
- Laboratório de Mirmecologia, Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau–Comissão Executiva Plano da Lavoura Cacaueira, CEP, Ilhéus-BA, Brazil
| | - Flávio Camarota
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, CEP, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
| | - Richard Tito
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Naturaleza, Territorio y Energías Renovables, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
| | - Lino A Zuanon
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, CEP, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Jonas Maravalhas
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, CEP, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
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Díaz-Castelazo C, Martínez-Adriano CA, Dáttilo W, Rico-Gray V. Relative contribution of ecological and biological attributes in the fine-grain structure of ant-plant networks. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8314. [PMID: 32161686 PMCID: PMC7050545 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ecological communities of interacting species analyzed as complex networks have shown that species dependence on their counterparts is more complex than expected at random. As for other potentially mutualistic interactions, ant-plant networks mediated by extrafloral nectar show a nested (asymmetric) structure with a core of generalist species dominating the interaction pattern. Proposed factors structuring ecological networks include encounter probability (e.g., species abundances and habitat heterogeneity), behavior, phylogeny, and body size. While the importance of underlying factors that influence the structure of ant-plant networks have been separately explored, the simultaneous contribution of several biological and ecological attributes inherent to the species, guild or habitat level has not been addressed. Methods For a tropical seasonal site we recorded (in 48 censuses) the frequency of pairwise ant-plant interactions mediated by extrafloral nectaries (EFN) on different habitats and studied the resultant network structure. We addressed for the first time the role of mechanistic versus neutral determinants at the ‘fine-grain’ structure (pairwise interactions) of ant-plant networks. We explore the simultaneous contribution of several attributes of plant and ant species (i.e., EFN abundance and distribution, ant head length, behavioral dominance and invasive status), and habitat attributes (i.e., vegetation structure) in prevailing interactions as well as in overall network topology (community). Results Our studied network was highly-nested and non-modular, with core species having high species strengths (higher strength values for ants than plants) and low specialization. Plants had higher dependences on ants than vice versa. We found that habitat heterogeneity in vegetation structure (open vs. shaded habitats) was the main factor explaining network and fine-grain structure, with no evidence of neutral (abundance) effects. Discussion Core ant species are relevant to most plants species at the network showing adaptations to nectar consumption and deterrent behavior. Thus larger ants interact with more plant species which, together with higher dependence of plants on ants, suggests potential biotic defense at a community scale. In our study site, heterogeneity in the ant-plant interactions among habitats is so prevalent that it emerges at community-level structural properties. High frequency of morphologically diverse and temporarily-active EFNs in all habitats suggests the relevance and seasonality of plant biotic defense provided by ants. The robust survey of ecological interactions and their biological/ecological correlates that we addressed provides insight of the interplay between adaptive-value traits and neutral effects in ecological networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Díaz-Castelazo
- Red de Interacciones Multitróficas, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Cristian A Martínez-Adriano
- Red de Interacciones Multitróficas, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, México.,Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Linares, Nuevo León, México
| | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Victor Rico-Gray
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
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Antoniazzi R, García‐Franco J, Janda M, Leponce M, Dáttilo W. Diurnal foraging ant–tree co‐occurrence networks are similar between canopy and understorey in a Neotropical rain forest. Biotropica 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Milan Janda
- Laboratorio Nacional de Análisis y Síntesis Ecológica Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Morelia México
| | - Maurice Leponce
- Biodiversity Monitoring & Assessment Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Brussels Belgium
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels Belgium
| | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología Instituto de Ecología A.C. Xalapa México
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Gall-Colonizing Ants and Their Role as Plant Defenders: From 'Bad Job' to 'Useful Service'. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10110392. [PMID: 31698832 PMCID: PMC6920797 DOI: 10.3390/insects10110392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Galls are neoformed structures on host plant tissues caused by the attack of insects or other organisms. They support different communities of specialized parasitic insects (the gall inducers), and can also provide refuge to other insects, such as moths, beetles and ants, referred to as secondary occupants. This study focuses on galls induced by the oak gall wasp Andricus quercustozae and secondarily colonized by ants in a mixed oak forest. A field survey and two experiments were carried out to a) study ant (species-specific) preferences for different features of the galls, b) describe differences in gall architecture due to ant activity, c) analyse the effects of the presence of gall-dwelling ants on plant health. The results show that there are differences between ant species in gall colonization and in the alteration of gall opening and inner structure. We verified that gall-dwelling ants protect their host plants efficiently, offering them an indirect defence mechanism against enemies (predators and pathogens). The data suggest a new paradigm in ant–plant relationships mediated by the presence of galls on the plants whose ecological and evolutionary implications are discussed.
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Lange D, Calixto ES, Rosa BB, Sales TA, Del-Claro K. Natural history and ecology of foraging of the Camponotus crassus Mayr, 1862 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J NAT HIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1660430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Denise Lange
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Campus Santa Helena, Santa Helena, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Soares Calixto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Bianca Bonami Rosa
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Tiago Amaral Sales
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Kleber Del-Claro
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
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35
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Miranda PN, Ribeiro JELDS, Luna P, Brasil I, Delabie JHC, Dáttilo W. The dilemma of binary or weighted data in interaction networks. ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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36
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Santos ATF, Leal LC. My plant, my rules: bodyguard ants of plants with extrafloral nectaries affect patterns of pollinator visits but not pollination success. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Thiciane F Santos
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Laura C Leal
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, Brazil
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37
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Fagundes R, Lange D, Anjos DV, Paixão de Lima F, Nahas L, Corro EJ, Gomes Silva PB, Del-Claro K, Ribeiro SP, Dáttilo W. Limited effects of fire disturbances on the species diversity and structure of ant-plant interaction networks in Brazilian Cerrado. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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38
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Koch EBA, Dáttilo W, Camarota F, Vasconcelos HL. From species to individuals: does the variation in ant–plant networks scale result in structural and functional changes? POPUL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10144-018-0634-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elmo B. A. Koch
- Instituto de Biologia, Programa de Pós‐graduação em Ecologia e BiomonitoramentoUniversidade Federal da BahiaSalvadorBahiaBrazil
| | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Instituto de Ecología A.C., Red de EcoetologíaXalapaVeracruzMexico
| | - Flávio Camarota
- Department of Biological SciencesThe George Washington UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Heraldo L. Vasconcelos
- Instituto de BiologiaUniversidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU)UberlândiaMinas GeraisBrazil
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39
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Cruz NG, Almeida CS, Bacci L, Cristaldo PF, Santana AS, Oliveira AP, Ribeiro EJM, Araújo APA. Ant associations in the Neotropical shrubTurnera subulata(Turneraceae): Costs or benefits to the host plant? AUSTRAL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nayara G. Cruz
- Laboratório de Interações Ecológicas; Departamento de Ecologia; Universidade Federal de Sergipe; São Cristóvão SE 49100-000 Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação; Universidade Federal de Sergipe; São Cristóvão SE Brazil
| | - Camilla S. Almeida
- Laboratório de Interações Ecológicas; Departamento de Ecologia; Universidade Federal de Sergipe; São Cristóvão SE 49100-000 Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação; Universidade Federal de Sergipe; São Cristóvão SE Brazil
| | - Leandro Bacci
- Departamento de Engenharia Agronômica; Universidade Federal de Sergipe; São Cristóvão SE Brazil
| | - Paulo F. Cristaldo
- Laboratório de Interações Ecológicas; Departamento de Ecologia; Universidade Federal de Sergipe; São Cristóvão SE 49100-000 Brazil
| | - Alisson S. Santana
- Departamento de Engenharia Agronômica; Universidade Federal de Sergipe; São Cristóvão SE Brazil
| | - Alexandre P. Oliveira
- Departamento de Engenharia Agronômica; Universidade Federal de Sergipe; São Cristóvão SE Brazil
| | - Efrem J. M. Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Interações Ecológicas; Departamento de Ecologia; Universidade Federal de Sergipe; São Cristóvão SE 49100-000 Brazil
| | - Ana P. A. Araújo
- Laboratório de Interações Ecológicas; Departamento de Ecologia; Universidade Federal de Sergipe; São Cristóvão SE 49100-000 Brazil
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Câmara T, Leal IR, Blüthgen N, Oliveira FMP, Queiroz RTD, Arnan X. Effects of chronic anthropogenic disturbance and rainfall on the specialization of ant-plant mutualistic networks in the Caatinga, a Brazilian dry forest. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1022-1033. [PMID: 29504629 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic disturbance and climate change might negatively affect the ecosystem services provided by mutualistic networks. However, the effects of such forces remain poorly characterized. They may be especially important in dry forests, which (1) experience chronic anthropogenic disturbances (CADs) as human populations exploit forest resources, and (2) are predicted to face a 22% decline in rainfall under climate change. In this study, we investigated the separate and combined effects of CADs and rainfall levels on the specialization of mutualistic networks in the Caatinga, a seasonally dry tropical forest typical of north-eastern Brazil. More specifically, we examined interactions between plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) and ants. We analysed whether differences in network specialization could arise from environmentally mediated variation in the species composition, namely via the replacement of specialist by generalist species. We characterized these ant-plant networks in 15 plots (20 × 20 m) that varied in CAD intensity and mean annual rainfall. We quantified CAD intensity by calculating three indices related to the main sources of disturbance in the Caatinga: livestock grazing (LG), wood extraction (WE) and miscellaneous resource use (MU). We determined the degree of ant-plant network specialization using four metrics: generality, vulnerability, interaction evenness and H2 '. Our results indicate that CADs differentially influenced network specialization: we observed positive, negative, and neutral responses along LG, MU and WE gradients, respectively. The pattern was most pronounced with LG. Rainfall also shaped network specialization, markedly increasing it. While LG and rainfall were associated with changes in network species composition, this trend was not related to the degree of species specialization. This result suggests that shifts in network specialization might be related to changes in species behaviour, not species composition. Our study highlights the vulnerability of such dry forest ant-plant networks to climate change. Moreover, dry forests experience highly heterogeneous anthropogenic disturbances, creating a geographic mosaic of selective forces that may shape the co-evolution of interactions between ants and EFN-bearing plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talita Câmara
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Inara R Leal
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Ecological Networks Research Group, Department of Biology, Technische Universidad Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Fernanda M P Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Rubens T de Queiroz
- Department of Systematics and Ecology, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Xavier Arnan
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.,CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalunya, Spain
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41
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Monteiro I, Viana-Junior AB, de Castro Solar RR, de Siqueira Neves F, DeSouza O. Disturbance-modulated symbioses in termitophily. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:10829-10838. [PMID: 29299261 PMCID: PMC5743531 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiosis, the living-together of unlike organisms, underlies every major transition in evolution and pervades most ecological dynamics. Among examples of symbioses, the simultaneous occupation of a termite nest by its builder termites and intruding invertebrate species (so-called termitophily) provides suitable macroscopic scenarios for the study of species coexistence in confined environments. Current evidence on termitophily abounds for dynamics occurring at the interindividual level within the termitarium, but is insufficient for broader scales such as the community and the landscape. Here, we inspect the effects of abiotic disturbance on termitophile presence and function in termitaria at these broader scales. To do so, we censused the termitophile communities inhabiting 30 termitaria of distinct volumes which had been exposed to increasing degrees of fire-induced disturbance in a savanna-like ecosystem in southeastern Brazil. We provide evidence that such an abiotic disturbance can ease the living-together of termitophiles and termites. Putative processes facilitating these symbioses, however, varied according to the invader. For nonsocial invaders, disturbance seemed to boost coexistence with termites via the habitat amelioration that termitaria provided under wildfire, as suggested by the positive correlation between disturbance degree and termitophile abundance and richness. As for social invaders (ants), disturbance seemed to enhance associational defenses with termites, as suggested by the negative correlation between the presence of ant colonies and the richness and abundance of other termitarium-cohabiting termitophiles. It is then apparent that disturbance-modulated distinct symbioses in these termite nests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Monteiro
- Departamento de EcologiaInstituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte MG Brazil.,Pós-graduação em Ecologia Departamento de Biologia Geral Universidade Federal de Viçosa Viçosa MG Brazil
| | - Arleu Barbosa Viana-Junior
- Departamento de EcologiaInstituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte MG Brazil.,Pós-graduação em Ecologia Departamento de Biologia Geral Universidade Federal de Viçosa Viçosa MG Brazil
| | - Ricardo Ribeiro de Castro Solar
- Departamento de EcologiaInstituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte MG Brazil.,Pós-graduação em Ecologia Departamento de Biologia Geral Universidade Federal de Viçosa Viçosa MG Brazil
| | - Frederico de Siqueira Neves
- Departamento de EcologiaInstituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte MG Brazil.,Pós-graduação em Ecologia Departamento de Biologia Geral Universidade Federal de Viçosa Viçosa MG Brazil
| | - Og DeSouza
- Departamento de Entomologia Universidade Federal de Viçosa Viçosa MG Brazil
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