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Oliveira FMP, Silva CHF, Moir ML, Leal IR, Andersen AN. Fire and ant interactions mediated by honeydew and extrafloral nectar in an australian tropical savanna. Oecologia 2024:10.1007/s00442-024-05628-6. [PMID: 39369081 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05628-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 10/07/2024]
Abstract
Fire is a major disturbance affecting ecosystems globally, but its impact on mutualisms has received minimal attention. Here, we use a long-term field experiment to investigate the impact of different fire regimes on globally important ant-honeydew and ant-extrafloral nectar (EFN) mutualistic interactions in an Australian tropical savanna. These interactions provide ants with a key energy source, while their plant and hemipteran hosts receive protection services. We examined ant interactions on species of Eucalyptus (lacking EFNs) and Acacia (with EFNs) in three replicate plots each of burning every 2 and 3 years early in the dry season, burning late in the dry season every 2 years, and unburnt for > 25 years. The proportions of plants with ant-honeydew interactions in Acacia (44.6%) and Eucalyptus (36.3%) were double those of Acacia plants with ant-EFN interactions (18.9%). The most common ants, representing 85% of all interactions, were behaviourally dominant species of Oecophylla, Iridomyrmex and Papyrius. Fire promoted the incidence of ant interactions, especially those involving EFNs on Acacia, which occurred on only 3% of plants in unburnt plots compared with 24% in frequently burnt plots. Fire also promoted the relative incidence of behaviourally dominant ants, which are considered the highest quality mutualists. Contrary to expectations, frequent fire did not result in a switching of behaviourally dominant ant partners from forest-adapted Oecophylla to arid-adapted Iridomyrmex. Our findings that frequent fire increases ant interactions mediated by honeydew and extrafloral nectar, and promotes the quality of ant mutualists, have important implications for protective services provided by ants in highly fire-prone ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda M P Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Carlos H F Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Melinda L Moir
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, South Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Inara R Leal
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Alan N Andersen
- Research School for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia.
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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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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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Experimental manipulation of biotic and abiotic parameters changes the outcome of insect-plant interactions. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Donald ML, Miller TEX. Does ant-plant mutualism have spillover effects on the non-partner ant community? Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8524. [PMID: 35127034 PMCID: PMC8796954 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualism benefits partner species, and theory predicts these partnerships can affect the abundance, diversity, and composition of partner and non-partner species. We used 16 years of monitoring data to determine the ant partner species of tree cholla cacti (Cylindropuntia imbricata), which reward ants with extrafloral nectar in exchange for anti-herbivore defense. These long-term data revealed one dominant ant partner (Liometopum apiculatum) and two less common partners (Crematogaster opuntiae and Forelius pruinosus). We then used short-term characterization of the terrestrial ant community by pitfall trapping to sample partner and non-partner ant species across ten plots of varying cactus density. We found that the dominant ant partner tended a higher proportion cacti in plots of higher cactus density, and was also found at higher occurrence within the pitfall traps in higher density plots, suggesting a strong positive feedback that promotes ant partner occurrence where plant partners are available. Despite the strong association and increased partner occurrence, ant community-wide effects from this mutualism appear limited. Of the common ant species, the occurrence of a single non-partner ant species was negatively associated with cactus density and with the increased presence of L. apiculatum. Additionally, the composition and diversity of the ant community in our plots were insensitive to cactus density variation, indicating that positive effects of the mutualism on the dominant ant partner did not have cascading impacts on the ant community. This study provides novel evidence that exclusive mutualisms, even those with a strong positive feedback, may be limited in the scope of their community-level effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion L. Donald
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BioSciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
- Biocontrol & Molecular EcologyManaaki Whenua Landcare ResearchLincolnNew Zealand
| | - Tom E. X. Miller
- Program in Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyDepartment of BioSciencesRice UniversityHoustonTexasUSA
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Arnan X, Silva CHF, Reis DQA, Oliveira FMP, Câmara T, Ribeiro EMS, Andersen AN, Leal IR. Individual and interactive effects of chronic anthropogenic disturbance and rainfall on taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic composition and diversity of extrafloral nectary-bearing plants in Brazilian Caatinga. Oecologia 2021; 198:267-277. [PMID: 34767071 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05074-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Chronic anthropogenic disturbance (CAD) and climate change represent two of the major threats to biodiversity globally, but their combined effects are not well understood. Here we investigate the individual and interactive effects of increasing CAD and decreasing rainfall on the composition and taxonomic (TD), functional (FD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD) of plants possessing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) in semi-arid Brazilian Caatinga. EFNs attract ants that protect plants against insect herbivore attack and are extremely prevalent in the Caatinga flora. EFN-bearing plants were censused along gradients of disturbance and rainfall in Catimbau National Park in north-eastern Brazil. We recorded a total of 2243 individuals belonging to 21 species. Taxonomic and functional composition varied along the rainfall gradient, but not along the disturbance gradient. There was a significant interaction between increasing disturbance and decreasing rainfall, with CAD leading to decreased TD, FD and PD in the most arid areas, and to increased TD, FD and PD in the wettest areas. We found a strong phylogenetic signal in the EFN traits we analysed, which explains the strong matching between patterns of FD and PD along the environmental gradients. The interactive effects of disturbance and rainfall revealed by our study indicate that the decreased rainfall forecast for Caatinga under climate change will increase the sensitivity of EFN-bearing plants to anthropogenic disturbance. This has important implications for the availability of a key food resource, which would likely have cascading effects on higher trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Arnan
- Universidade de Pernambuco - Campus Garanhuns, Rua Capitão Pedro Rodrigues 105, Garanhuns, PE, 55290-000, Brazil.
| | - Carlos H F Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Professor Moraes Rego s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Daniela Q A Reis
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Professor Moraes Rego s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Fernanda M P Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Professor Moraes Rego s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Talita Câmara
- Universidade de Pernambuco - Campus Garanhuns, Rua Capitão Pedro Rodrigues 105, Garanhuns, PE, 55290-000, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Professor Moraes Rego s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Elâine M S Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Professor Moraes Rego s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil.,Colegiado de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Pernambuco-Campus Petrolina, BR 203, km 2, s/n, Vila Eduardo, Petrolina, PE, 56328-903, Brazil
| | - Alan N Andersen
- Charles Darwin University, Ellengowan Dr, Casuarina, Northern Territory, 0810, Australia
| | - Inara R Leal
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Professor Moraes Rego s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, 50670-901, Brazil
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Ribeiro LF, Solar RRC, Sobrinho TG, Muscardi DC, Schoereder JH, Andersen AN. Different trophic groups of arboreal ants show differential responses to resource supplementation in a neotropical savanna. Oecologia 2019; 190:433-443. [PMID: 31069514 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04414-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Resource-ratio theory predicts that consumers should achieve optimal ratios of complementary nutrients. Accordingly, different trophic groups are expected to vary in their N-limitation depending on the extent to which they feed primarily on carbohydrate (CHO) or protein. Among arboreal ants, N-limitation ranges from high (for trophobiont tenders), intermediate (leaf foragers) and low (predators). We report results from a manipulative field experiment in a Brazilian savanna that tests the differential attractiveness of nitrogen and CHO to arboreal ants, as well as experimentally examines changes in broader ant foraging patterns in response to protein and CHO supplementation. Every tree within 32 20 × 20 m plots were supplemented with either protein, CHO; protein + CHO or a water control (n = 8 in each case) for a 7-day period in each of the wet and dry seasons. As predicted, different trophic groups responded differentially to supplementation treatment according to the extent of their N-limitation. The richness and abundance of the most N-limited group (trophobiont tenders) was highest at protein supplements, whereas less N-limited trophic groups showed highest species richness (leaf foragers) or abundance (predators) at CHO supplements. Protein supplementation markedly increased the general foraging abundance of trophobiont tenders, but decreased the abundance of leaf foragers. We attribute the latter to increased competition from behaviorally dominant trophobiont tenders. Our study provides experimental evidence that nutrient availability is a major factor influencing arboreal ant communities, both directly through the provision of different resources, and indirectly through increased competitive pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila F Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Avenida P.H. Rolfs, s/n, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, MG, CEP 36570-000, Brazil.
| | - Ricardo R C Solar
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Tathiana G Sobrinho
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR 101 Norte, Km 60, São Mateus, ES, CEP 29932-540, Brazil
| | - Dalana C Muscardi
- Departamento de Educação e Ciências Humanas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, BR 101 Norte, Km 60, São Mateus, ES, CEP 29932-540, Brazil
| | - José H Schoereder
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Avenida P.H. Rolfs, s/n, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, MG, CEP 36570-000, Brazil
| | - Alan N Andersen
- Research School for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT, 0909, Australia
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Pacelhe FT, Costa FV, Neves FS, Bronstein J, Mello MAR. Nectar quality affects ant aggressiveness and biotic defense provided to plants. Biotropica 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fábio T. Pacelhe
- Graduate School in Ecology, Conservation and Wildlife Management; Federal University of Minas Gerais; Belo Horizonte Brazil
| | - Fernanda V. Costa
- Graduate School in Ecology of Tropical Biomes; Federal University of Ouro Preto; Ouro Preto Brazil
| | - Frederico S. Neves
- Graduate School in Ecology, Conservation and Wildlife Management; Federal University of Minas Gerais; Belo Horizonte Brazil
- Department of Biological Sciences; George Washington University; Washington District of Columbia
| | - Judith Bronstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Arizona; Tucson Arizona
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