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Grossklaus MR, Pilliod DS, Caughlin TT, Robertson IC. Spatial patterns of seed removal by harvester ants in a seed tray experiment. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2024:nvae069. [PMID: 39105609 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvae069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Using a selection of native grass and forb seeds commonly seeded in local restoration projects, we conducted a field experiment to evaluate the effects of seed species, distance of seed patches from nests, and distance between patches on patterns of seed removal by Owyhee harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex salinus (Olsen) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). To provide context for ants' seed preferences, we evaluated differences in handling time among seed species. In addition, we assessed the influences of cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum (L.) (Poales: Poaceae), and Sandberg bluegrass, Poa secunda (J. Presl) (Poales: Poaceae), cover on seed removal. We found significant differences in removal rates among seed species. In general, seeds placed closer to nests were more vulnerable to predation than those placed farther away, and seeds in closely spaced patches were more vulnerable than seeds in widely spaced patches. However, the strength of these effects differed by seed species. Differences in handling time among seed species may help to explain these findings; the protective effect of from-nest distance was weaker for species that required less time to transport. For 2 of the seed species, there was an interaction between the distance of seed patches from nests and the distance between patches such that the protective effect of distance between patches decreased as the distance from nests increased. Cheatgrass and bluegrass cover both had small protective effects on seeds. Taken together, these results offer insight into the spatial ecology of harvester ant foraging and may provide context for the successful implementation of restoration efforts where harvester ants are present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela R Grossklaus
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID 83702, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
| | - David S Pilliod
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID 83702, USA
| | - T Trevor Caughlin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
| | - Ian C Robertson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
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Muschetto E, Chaneton EJ, Mazía N, Tripodi MA, Busch M. Biotic resistance in a stochastic world: Do rodents act as a filter to alien tree invasion in pampean old fields? Ecol Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Muschetto
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires–IEGEBA (UBA‐CONICET) Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Enrique J. Chaneton
- IFEVA—CONICET and Facultad de Agronomía Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Noemí Mazía
- Cátedra de Dasonomía, Facultad de Agronomía Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Mariel A. Tripodi
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires–IEGEBA (UBA‐CONICET) Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - María Busch
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires–IEGEBA (UBA‐CONICET) Ciudad Universitaria Buenos Aires Argentina
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Paolini KE, Modlin M, Suazo AA, Pilliod DS, Arkle RS, Vierling KT, Holbrook JD. Harvester ant seed removal in an invaded sagebrush ecosystem: Implications for restoration. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13731-13741. [PMID: 33391676 PMCID: PMC7771150 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A better understanding of seed movement in plant community dynamics is needed, especially in light of disturbance-driven changes and investments into restoring degraded plant communities. A primary agent of change within the sagebrush-steppe is wildfire and invasion by non-native forbs and grasses, primarily cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). Our objectives were to quantify seed removal and evaluate ecological factors influencing seed removal within degraded sagebrush-steppe by granivorous Owyhee harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex salinus Olsen). In 2014, we sampled 76 harvester ant nests across 11 plots spanning a gradient of cheatgrass invasion (40%-91% cover) in southwestern Idaho, United States. We presented seeds from four plant species commonly used in postfire restoration at 1.5 and 3.0 m from each nest to quantify seed removal. We evaluated seed selection for presented species, monthly removal, and whether biotic and abiotic factors (e.g., distance to nearest nest, temperature) influenced seed removal. Our top model indicated seed removal was positively correlated with nest height, an indicator of colony size. Distance to seeds and cheatgrass canopy cover reduced seed removal, likely due to increased search and handling time. Harvester ants were selective, removing Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides) more than any other species presented. We suspect this was due to ease of seed handling and low weight variability. Nest density influenced monthly seed removal, as we estimated monthly removal of 1,890 seeds for 0.25 ha plots with 1 nest and 29,850 seeds for plots with 15 nests. Applying monthly seed removal to historical restoration treatments across the western United States showed harvester ants can greatly reduce seed availability at degraded sagebrush sites; for instance, fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) seeds could be removed in <2 months. Collectively, these results shed light on seed removal by harvester ants and emphasize their potential influence on postfire restoration within invaded sagebrush communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey E. Paolini
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
| | - Matthew Modlin
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of IdahoMoscowIDUSA
| | - Alexis A. Suazo
- Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire SciencesUniversity of IdahoMoscowIDUSA
| | - David S. Pilliod
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterBoiseIDUSA
| | - Robert S. Arkle
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterBoiseIDUSA
| | - Kerri T. Vierling
- Department of Fish and Wildlife SciencesUniversity of IdahoMoscowIDUSA
| | - Joseph D. Holbrook
- Haub School of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
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Effect of neighboring seeds associated with habitats on the seed removal of two coexisting myrmecochorous plants in central China. Basic Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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5
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Yang X, Yan C, Gu H, Zhang Z. Interspecific synchrony of seed rain shapes rodent-mediated indirect seed-seed interactions of sympatric tree species in a subtropical forest. Ecol Lett 2019; 23:45-54. [PMID: 31631473 PMCID: PMC6916184 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Animal‐mediated indirect interactions play a significant role in maintaining the biodiversity of plant communities. Less known is whether interspecific synchrony of seed rain can alter the indirect interactions of sympatric tree species. We assessed the seed dispersal success by tracking the fates of 21 600 tagged seeds from six paired sympatric tree species in both monospecific and mixed plots across 4 successive years in a subtropical forest. We found that apparent mutualism was associated with the interspecific synchrony of seed rain both seasonally and yearly, whereas apparent competition or apparent predation was associated with interspecific asynchrony of seed rain either seasonally or yearly. We did not find consistent associations of indirect interactions with seed traits. Our study suggests that the interspecific synchrony of seed rain plays a key role in the formation of animal‐mediated indirect interactions, which, in turn, may alter the seasonal or yearly seed rain schedules of sympatric tree species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xifu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Chuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Haifeng Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Moyano J, Chiuffo MC, Nuñez MA, Rodriguez-Cabal MA. Seed predation does not explain pine invasion success. Oecologia 2019; 189:981-991. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04354-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Day JD, Bishop TBB, St. Clair SB. Fire and plant invasion, but not rodents, alter ant community abundance and diversity in a semi-arid desert. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D. Day
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences; Brigham Young University; Provo Utah 84602 USA
| | - Tara B. B. Bishop
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences; Brigham Young University; Provo Utah 84602 USA
| | - Samuel B. St. Clair
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences; Brigham Young University; Provo Utah 84602 USA
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Larios L, Pearson DE, Maron JL. Incorporating the effects of generalist seed predators into plant community theory. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Loralee Larios
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences University of California Riverside CA92507 USA
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT59812 USA
| | - Dean E. Pearson
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT59812 USA
- Rocky Mountain Research Station U.S.D.A. Forest Service Missoula MT59801 USA
| | - John L. Maron
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula MT59812 USA
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Iwanowicz DD, Vandergast AG, Cornman RS, Adams CR, Kohn JR, Fisher RN, Brehme CS. Metabarcoding of Fecal Samples to Determine Herbivore Diets: A Case Study of the Endangered Pacific Pocket Mouse. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165366. [PMID: 27851756 PMCID: PMC5112926 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the diet of an endangered species illuminates the animal’s ecology, habitat requirements, and conservation needs. However, direct observation of diet can be difficult, particularly for small, nocturnal animals such as the Pacific pocket mouse (Heteromyidae: Perognathus longimembris pacificus). Very little is known of the dietary habits of this federally endangered rodent, hindering management and restoration efforts. We used a metabarcoding approach to identify source plants in fecal samples (N = 52) from the three remaining populations known. The internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal loci were sequenced following the Illumina MiSeq amplicon strategy and processed reads were mapped to reference databases. We evaluated a range of threshold mapping criteria and found the best-performing setting generally recovered two distinct mock communities in proportions similar to expectation. We tested our method on captive animals fed a known diet and recovered almost all plant sources, but found substantial heterogeneity among fecal pellets collected from the same individual at the same time. Observed richness did not increase with pooling of pellets from the same individual. In field-collected samples, we identified 4–14 plant genera in individual samples and 74 genera overall, but over 50 percent of reads mapped to just six species in five genera. We simulated the effects of sequencing error, variable read length, and chimera formation to infer taxon-specific rates of misassignment for the local flora, which were generally low with some exceptions. Richness at the species and genus levels did not reach a clear asymptote, suggesting that diet breadth remained underestimated in the current pool of samples. Large numbers of scat samples are therefore needed to make inferences about diet and resource selection in future studies of the Pacific pocket mouse. We conclude that our minimally invasive method is promising for determining herbivore diets given a library of sequences from local plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah D. Iwanowicz
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, West Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Amy G. Vandergast
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Robert S. Cornman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Cynthia R. Adams
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, West Virginia, United States of America
| | - Joshua R. Kohn
- University of California San Diego, Division of Biological Sciences, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Robert N. Fisher
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Cheryl S. Brehme
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego, California, United States of America
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Gosselin EN, Holbrook JD, Huggler K, Brown E, Vierling KT, Arkle RS, Pilliod DS. Ecosystem Engineering of Harvester Ants: Effects on Vegetation in a Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystem. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2016. [DOI: 10.3398/064.076.0109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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11
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Lucero JE, Allen PS, McMillan BR. Increased Primary Production from an Exotic Invader Does Not Subsidize Native Rodents. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131564. [PMID: 26244345 PMCID: PMC4526561 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive plants have tremendous potential to enrich native food webs by subsidizing net primary productivity. Here, we explored how a potential food subsidy, seeds produced by the aggressive invader cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), is utilized by an important guild of native consumers--granivorous small mammals--in the Great Basin Desert, USA. In a series of field experiments we examined 1) how cheatgrass invasion affects the density and biomass of seed rain at the ecosystem-level; 2) how seed resources from cheatgrass numerically affect granivorous small mammals; and 3) how the food preferences of native granivores might mediate the trophic integration of cheatgrass seeds. Relative to native productivity, cheatgrass invasion increased the density and biomass of seed rain by over 2000% (P < 0.01) and 3500% (P < 0.01), respectively. However, granivorous small mammals in native communities showed no positive response in abundance, richness, or diversity to experimental additions of cheatgrass seeds over one year. This lack of response correlated with a distinct preference for seeds from native grasses over seeds from cheatgrass. Our experiments demonstrate that increased primary productivity associated with exotic plant invasions may not necessarily subsidize consumers at higher trophic levels. In this context, cheatgrass invasion could disrupt native food webs by providing less-preferred resources that fail to enrich higher trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob E. Lucero
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
| | - Phil S. Allen
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
| | - Brock R. McMillan
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
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Zhang S, Zhang Y, Ma K. Mixed effects of ant–aphid mutualism on plants across different spatial scales. Basic Appl Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2015.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Muschetto E, Mazia N, Cueto GR, Busch M. Are rodents a source of biotic resistance to tree invasion in Pampean grasslands? Tree seed consumption under different conditions. AUSTRAL ECOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Muschetto
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires - IEGEBA-CONICET; Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón 2 C1428EHA Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Noemí Mazia
- Cátedra de Dasonomía; Facultad de Agronomía; Universidad de Buenos Aires; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Gerardo R. Cueto
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires - IEGEBA-CONICET; Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón 2 C1428EHA Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - María Busch
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires - IEGEBA-CONICET; Ciudad Universitaria Pabellón 2 C1428EHA Buenos Aires Argentina
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14
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Ostoja SM, Schupp EW, Durham S, Klinger R. Seed harvesting is influenced by associational effects in mixed seed neighbourhoods, not just by seed density. Funct Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven M. Ostoja
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center Yosemite Field Station Oakhurst CA 93644 USA
| | - Eugene W. Schupp
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan UT84322 USA
- The Ecology Center Utah State University Logan UT84322 USA
| | - Susan Durham
- The Ecology Center Utah State University Logan UT84322 USA
| | - Rob Klinger
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center Yosemite Field Station Bishop CA93514 USA
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