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Miranda HS, Togni PHB, Dantas-Junior AB, Munhoz CBR, Sato MN, Franco AC. Beyond fire: Flower production naturally occurs and is also influenced by leaf removal in a Neotropical savanna herb. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305098. [PMID: 38857284 PMCID: PMC11164366 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Several herbaceous species exhibit mass flowering after fires in Neotropical savannas. However, unequivocal evidence of fire dependency and the consequences for plant reproduction are lacking. In nutrient-poor fire-prone savannas, the damage caused by fire and by other means (e.g., leaf removal, but not necessarily having a negative impact) constrains the maintenance and expansion of plant population by affecting the ability of individuals to recover. Therefore, the compensatory responses of plants to both damages should be convergent in such environments. Using Bulbostylis paradoxa-reported to be fire-dependent to flower-as a model, we investigated the role of fire and leaf removal in anticipating the flowering and reproduction periods, and its possible consequences on seedling establishment. We monitored 70 burned individuals, 70 damaged/clipped, and 35 without damage to estimate time for flowering, seed quality and germination parameters. To expand our sampling coverage, we examined high-resolution images from herbarium collections in the SpeciesLink database. For each herbarium image, we recorded the presence or absence of a fire scar, the month of flowering, and the number of flowering stalks. Bulbostylis paradoxa was fire-stimulated but not dependent on fire to flower, with 65.7% of the individuals flowering in the burned area, 48.6% in the clipped, and 11.4% in the control. This was consistent with the analysis of the herbarium images in which 85.7% of the specimens with flowers had fire scars and 14.3% did not. Burned individuals synchronized flowering and produced more viable seeds. However, the seeds might face a period of unsuitable ecological conditions after early to mid-dry season fires. Flowering of unburned plants was synchronized with the onset of the rainy season. Flexibility in flowering and vegetative reproduction by fragmentation confer to this species, and most likely other plants from the herbaceous layer, the capability of site occupation and population persistence in burned and unburned savanna sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heloisa S. Miranda
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Pedro H. B. Togni
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Ademar B. Dantas-Junior
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Cassia B. R. Munhoz
- Department of Botany, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Margarete N. Sato
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Augusto C. Franco
- Department of Botany, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
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2
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Hernandez JO, Naeem M, Zaman W. How Does Changing Environment Influence Plant Seed Movements as Populations of Dispersal Vectors Decline? PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1462. [PMID: 37050088 PMCID: PMC10097094 DOI: 10.3390/plants12071462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Plants differ widely in their ability to find tolerable climatic ranges through seed dispersal, depending on their life-history traits and habitat characteristics. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic review on seed dispersal mechanisms was conducted to elucidate plant seed movements amid changing environments. Here, the highest relative count of studies was found in Spain (16.47%), followed by Brazil (14.12%), and the USA (14.12%). The megadiverse, hotspot countries (e.g., Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, and Indonesia) and Africa (Tanzania, South Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo) have very low to no data about the reviewed topic. The effects of land use changes, habitat degradation/disturbances, climate, and extreme weather conditions on seed dispersal mechanisms and agents had the highest share of studies across topics and countries. Plant diversity and distribution of anemochorous, endozoochorous, epizoochorous, hydrochorous, myrmecochorous, and ornithochorous species are seriously affected by changing environments due to altered long-distance seed dispersal. The fruit types commonly associated with endozoochory and ornithochory are species with achene, capsule, drupe, fleshy, and nut fruits/seeds, whereas achene, capsule, samara/winged seeds are associated with anemochory. The present review provides a summary of evidence on how plants are affected by climate change as populations of dispersal vectors decline. Finally, recommendations for further study were made based on the identified knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan O. Hernandez
- Department of Forest Biological Sciences, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños 4031, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Muhammad Naeem
- Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Wajid Zaman
- Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea
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3
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Diversity and Resilience of Seed-Removing Ant Species in Longleaf Sandhill to Frequent Fire. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14121012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Prescribed fire is used globally as a habitat restoration tool and is widely accepted as supporting biotic diversity. However, in fire-prone ecosystems, research has sometimes documented post-fire reduction in ant diversity and accompanying changes in seed removal behavior. This is concerning because ants provide important ecosystem services that can aid in restoration efforts, including seed dispersal. In this study, we examined the immediate impacts of fire in the well-studied ant community of longleaf pine forests (LLP) in the SE USA. We surveyed seed-removing ant species in a LLP sandhill ecosystem to investigate the effects of prescribed fire and coarse woody debris (CWD), a nesting and foraging resource, on ant community composition and ant–seed interactions. Seed-removing ants comprised a significant portion of detected ant species (20 of 45); eight of these species are documented removing seeds for the first time. Following an experimentally applied low-intensity summer burn, decreases in seed remover detection were observed, along with reductions in the number of seeds removed, across both burned and unburned areas; neither prescribed fire nor proximity to CWD significantly influenced these factors. Together, these results show that seed-removing ant species constitute a substantial proportion of the LLP sandhill ant community and are relatively robust to habitat changes mediated by low-intensity prescribed burning during the growing season. Considering ant community resiliency to fire, we can infer that using prescribed fire aligns with the goals of restoring and maintaining biotic diversity in this fire-prone ecosystem.
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4
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How do patch burnings affect ant communities and seed removal in a subtropical grassland? Perspect Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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5
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Fire and flood: How the Pantanal ant communities respond to multiple disturbances? Perspect Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.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: 11/22/2022] Open
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6
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Gómez JM, Schupp EW, Jordano P. The ecological and evolutionary significance of effectiveness landscapes in mutualistic interactions. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:264-277. [PMID: 34971487 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Mutualism effectiveness, the contribution of an interacting organism to its partner's fitness, is defined as the number of immediate outcomes of the interactions (quantity component) multiplied by the probability that an immediate outcome results in a new individual (quality component). These components form a two-dimensional effectiveness landscape with each species' location determined by its values of quantity (x-axis) and quality (y-axis). We propose that the evolutionary history of mutualistic interactions leaves a footprint that can be identified by three properties of the spatial structure of effectiveness values: dispersion of effectiveness values, relative contribution of each component to the effectiveness values and correlation between effectiveness components. We illustrate this approach using a large dataset on synzoochory, seed dispersal by seed-caching animals. The synzoochory landscape was clumped, with effectiveness determined primarily by the quality component, and with quantity and quality positively correlated. We suggest this type of landscape structure is common in generalised coevolved mutualisms, where multiple functionally equivalent, high-quality partners exert similarly strong selection. Presumably, only those organisms located in high-quality regions will impact the evolution of their partner. Exploring properties of effectiveness landscapes in other mutualisms will provide new insight into the evolutionary and ecological consequences of mutualisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- José María Gómez
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA- CSIC), Almería, Spain
| | - Eugene W Schupp
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, S. J. and Jesse E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA.,Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain.,Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
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7
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Alcolea M, Durigan G, Christianini AV. Prescribed fire enhances seed removal by ants in a Neotropical savanna. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13036] [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)
- Mirela Alcolea
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais Universidade Federal de São Carlos São Carlos São Paulo Brazil
| | - Giselda Durigan
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Hidrologia Florestal Floresta Estadual de Assis Instituto Florestal (IF) Assis Brazil
- Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) Campinas Brazil
| | - Alexander V. Christianini
- Laboratório de Interações entre Animais e Plantas Departamento de Ciências Ambientais Universidade Federal de São Carlos Sorocaba São Paulo Brazil
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8
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Bishop TR, Tomlinson A, McNeice T, Sfenthourakis S, Parr CL. The effect of fire on ant assemblages does not depend on habitat openness but does select for large, gracile predators. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tom R. Bishop
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool LiverpoolL69 3GPUK
- Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria0002South Africa
| | - Andy Tomlinson
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool LiverpoolL69 3GPUK
| | - Travers McNeice
- Environmental Change Institute School of Geography University of Oxford OxfordOX1 3QYUK
| | | | - Catherine L. Parr
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool LiverpoolL69 3GPUK
- Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria0002South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Wits South Africa
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9
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Andersen AN. Faunal responses to fire in Australian tropical savannas: Insights from field experiments and their lessons for conservation management. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alan N. Andersen
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Darwin NT Australia
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10
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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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11
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Carvalho RL, Weir T, Vasconcelos HL, Andersen AN. Dung beetles of an Australian tropical savanna: Species composition, food preferences and responses to experimental fire regimes. AUSTRAL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raquel L. Carvalho
- Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; Uberlândia MG 38405-302 Brazil
| | - Tom Weir
- Australian National Insect Collection; CSIRO National Collections and Marine Infrastructure; Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Heraldo L. Vasconcelos
- Instituto de Biologia; Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; Uberlândia MG 38405-302 Brazil
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12
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Dispersal: The Eighth Fire Seasonality Effect on Plants. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:305-307. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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13
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Baker AG, Catterall C, Benkendorff K, Fensham RJ. Rainforest expansion reduces understorey plant diversity and density in open forest of eastern Australia. AUSTRAL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G. Baker
- Forest Research Centre; School of Environment, Science and Engineering; Southern Cross University; Lismore New South Wales 2480 Australia
| | - Claudia Catterall
- Forest Research Centre; School of Environment, Science and Engineering; Southern Cross University; Lismore New South Wales 2480 Australia
| | - Kirsten Benkendorff
- National Marine Science Centre; School of Environment, Science and Engineering; Southern Cross University; Coffs Harbour New South Wales Australia
| | - Rod J. Fensham
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; St. Lucia Queensland Australia
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14
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Oliveira FMP, Andersen AN, Arnan X, Ribeiro-Neto JD, Arcoverde GB, Leal IR. Effects of increasing aridity and chronic anthropogenic disturbance on seed dispersal by ants in Brazilian Caatinga. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:870-880. [PMID: 30883729 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic disturbance and climate change are the main drivers of biodiversity loss and ecological services around the globe. There is concern that climate change will exacerbate the impacts of disturbance and thereby promote biotic homogenization, but its consequences for ecological services are unknown. We investigated the individual and interactive effects of increasing chronic anthropogenic disturbance (CAD) and aridity on seed dispersal services provided by ants in Caatinga vegetation of north-eastern Brazil. The study was conducted in Catimbau National Park, Pernambuco, Brazil. Within an area of 214 km2 , we established nineteen 50 × 20 m plots that encompassed gradients of both CAD and aridity. We offered diaspores of six plant species, three myrmecochorous diaspores and three fleshy fruits that are secondarily dispersed by ants. We then quantified the number of interactions, seed removal rate and dispersal distances, and noted the identities of interacting ant species. Finally, we used pitfall trap data to quantify the abundances of ant disperser species in each plot. Our results show that overall composition of ant disperser species varied along the gradients of CAD and aridity, but the composition of high-quality dispersers varied only with aridity. The total number of interactions, rates of removal and mean distance of removal all declined with increasing aridity, but they were not related to CAD. These same patterns were found when considering only high-quality disperser species, driven by the responses of the dominant disperser Dinoponera quadriceps. We found little evidence of interactive effects of CAD and aridity on seed dispersal services by ants. Our study indicates that CAD and aridity act independently on ant-mediated seed dispersal services in Caatinga, such that the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance are unlikely to change under the forecast climate of increased aridity. However, our findings highlight the vulnerability of seed dispersal services provided by ants in Caatinga under an increasingly arid climate due to low functional redundancy in high-quality disperser species. Given the large number of plant species dependent on ants for seed dispersal, this has important implications for future plant recruitment and, consequently, for the composition of Caatinga plant communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda M P Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Alan N Andersen
- Research School of Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
- CSIRO Land & Water, Tropical Ecosystems Research Centre, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Xavier Arnan
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalunya, Spain
| | - José D Ribeiro-Neto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
- Departamento Fitotecnia e Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Areia, PB, Brazil
| | - Gabriela B Arcoverde
- Research School of Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
- CSIRO Land & Water, Tropical Ecosystems Research Centre, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Inara R Leal
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
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15
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Purdon J, Parr CL, Somers MJ. Grazing by large savanna herbivores indirectly alters ant diversity and promotes resource monopolisation. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6226. [PMID: 30648021 PMCID: PMC6330944 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In savannas, grazing is an important disturbance that modifies the grass layer structure and composition. Habitat structural complexity influences species diversity and assemblage functioning. By using a combination of natural sites and manipulated experiments, we explored how habitat structure (grazing lawns and adjacent bunch grass) affects ant diversity and foraging behaviour, specifically the efficiency of resource acquisition, resource monopolisation and ant body size. We found that in the natural sites there was no difference in the amount of time ants took to locate resources, but in the manipulated experiments, ants were faster at locating resources and were more abundant in the simple treatments than in the more complex treatments. Ant body size was only affected by the manipulated experiments, with smaller ants found in the more complex treatments. In both the grazing lawn and bunch grass habitats there were differences in assemblage patterns of ants discovering resources and those dominating them. Seasonality, which was predicted to affect the speed at which ants discovered resources and the intensity of resource monopolisation, also played a role. We show that ants in winter monopolised more baits and discovered resources at a slower rate, but only at certain times within the experiment. Grazing in conjunction with season thus had a significant effect on ant diversity and foraging behaviour, with dominant ants promoted where habitat complexity was simplified when temperatures were low. Our results indicate that structural complexity plays a major role in determining ant assemblage structure and function in African savannas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Purdon
- Eugène Marais Chair of Wildlife Management, Centre for Invasion Biology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Catherine L Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Somers
- Eugène Marais Chair of Wildlife Management, Centre for Invasion Biology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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16
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Gómez JM, Schupp EW, Jordano P. Synzoochory: the ecological and evolutionary relevance of a dual interaction. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:874-902. [PMID: 30467946 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José María Gómez
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Ctra Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, E-04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Eugene W Schupp
- Department of Wildland Resources and Ecology Center, S. J. and Jesse E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, 5230 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5230,, U.S.A
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Departamento de Ecología Integrativa, Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avda. Americo Vespucio S/N, E-41092 Sevilla, Spain
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17
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Andersen AN. Responses of ant communities to disturbance: Five principles for understanding the disturbance dynamics of a globally dominant faunal group. J Anim Ecol 2018; 88:350-362. [PMID: 30280380 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Ecological disturbance is fundamental to the dynamics of biological communities, yet a conceptual framework for understanding the responses of faunal communities to disturbance remains elusive. Here, I propose five principles for understanding the disturbance dynamics of ants-a globally dominant faunal group that is widely used as bioindicators in land management, which appear to have wide applicability to other taxa. These principles are as follows: (1) The most important effects of habitat disturbance on ants are typically indirect, through its effects on habitat structure, microclimate, resource availability and competitive interactions; (2) habitat openness is a key driver of variation in ant communities; (3) ant species responses to disturbance are to a large degree determined by their responses to habitat openness; (4) the same disturbance will have different effects on ants in different habitats, because of different impacts on habitat openness; and (5) ant community responses to the same disturbance will vary according to ant functional composition and biogeographical history in relation to habitat openness. I illustrate these principles using results primarily from studies of ant responses to fire, a dominant agent of disturbance globally, to provide a common disturbance currency for comparative analysis. I argue that many of the principles also apply to other faunal groups and so can be considered as general ecological "laws." As is the case for ants, many impacts of habitat disturbance on other faunal groups are fundamentally related to habitat openness, the effects of disturbance on it and the functional composition of species in relation to it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan N Andersen
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
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18
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Gammans N, Drummond F, Groden E. Impacts of the Invasive European Red Ant (Myrmica rubra (L.): Hymenoptera; Formicidae) on a Myrmecochorous System in the Northeastern United States. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 47:908-917. [PMID: 29771324 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvy069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the impact of an invasive ant species from Europe, Myrmica rubra (L.), on a myrmecochorous system (seeds dispersed by ants) in its invaded range in North America. We assessed: 1) how M. rubra process the myrmecochorous diapsores (seeds and elaiosome as a single dispersal unit transported by ants) in comparison with native ants; 2) its preference for common native and invasive diaspore species relative to native ants; 3) how far they disperse diaspores in the field; and 4) the diaspore removal rate by invertebrates and vertebrates in infested areas compared to noninvaded sites. Field experiments demonstrated higher diaspore removal rates over a 10-min and 24-h period by M. rubra compared to native ants. M. rubra's diaspore dispersal distance was 40% greater compared to native ants. In two of three laboratory studies and one field study, there was no significant difference between the seed species which M. rubra and native ants selected. Our data suggest no long-term deleterious effects of M. rubra's invasion on diaspore dispersal in the Maine plant community that is comprised of both native and invasive species. This implies that M. rubra benefits from the myrmechorous plant species' diaspores by increasing their dispersal range away from the parent plant and potentially reducing seed predation. However, it is not known whether the fact that the native ant fauna and M. rubra are attracted to the same plant species' diaspores creates a high level of competition between the ants with deleterious effects on the native ant community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Gammans
- Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Beta Centre, Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling, UK
| | - Frank Drummond
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME
- Cooperative Extension, University of Maine, Orono, ME
| | - Eleanor Groden
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME
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Setterfield SA, Andersen AN. Seed supply limits seedling recruitment of Eucalyptus miniata: interactions between seed predation by ants and fire in the Australian seasonal tropics. Oecologia 2018; 186:965-972. [PMID: 29357030 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4061-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Seed predation can cause substantial seed losses and influence plant population dynamics, but the impact depends on the extent to which populations are limited by seed availability or favorable microsites for recruitment. Harvester ants are the dominant post-dispersal seed predators in Australia's tropical savannas, and their abundance and foraging efficiency, as well as the availability of seed and microsites, are affected by fire history. We undertook a predator-exclusion experiment to examine the interactive effects of fire history (no fire compared with annual burning over 5 years) and seed predation by ants on seedling establishment of the dominant savanna tree, Eucalyptus miniata, in northern Australia. Despite its large seed size, the rate of removal (~ 20-60%) was similar or higher than typically reported for eucalypts, although it was lower than that recorded for the smaller seeds of the co-occurring E. tetrodonta. Seed predation rates were twice as high in annually burnt compared to unburnt sites, but there was no significant difference in the proportion of seedlings that emerged from the initial seed available. Seedling emergence in both regimes was low, representing < 7% of seed available after harvesting. About one-third of emergent seedlings were still alive during the middle of the following dry season. Our results indicate that seedling recruitment in E. miniata is limited by both seed supply and microsite availability. However, seed predation by ants reduces the likelihood of seedling establishment from low to virtually zero, which suggests that it plays a potentially important role in the population dynamics of savanna eucalypts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Ann Setterfield
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia. .,Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, 0909, Australia.
| | - Alan Neil Andersen
- Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, 0909, Australia.,CSIRO Tropical Ecosystem Research Centre, PMB 44, Winnellie, Darwin, NT, 0822, Australia
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Gibb H, Verdon SJ, Weir T, Johansson T, L'Hotellier F, Hayward MW. Testing top‐down and bottom‐up effects on arid zone beetle assemblages following mammal reintroduction. AUSTRAL ECOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Heloise Gibb
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Melbourne 3086 Victoria Australia
| | - Simon J. Verdon
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Melbourne 3086 Victoria Australia
| | - Tom Weir
- Australian National Insect Collection Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Therese Johansson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and the Environment Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Felicity L'Hotellier
- Scotia Sanctuary Australian Wildlife Conservancy Wentworth New South Wales Australia
| | - Matthew W. Hayward
- Scotia Sanctuary Australian Wildlife Conservancy Wentworth New South Wales Australia
- Schools of Environment, Natural Resources, Geography, and Biological Science Bangor University Bangor Gwynedd UK
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Palfi Z, Spooner PG, Robinson W. Seed Dispersal Distances by Ants Increase in Response to Anthropogenic Disturbances in Australian Roadside Environments. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Palfi Z, Spooner PG, Robinson W. Soil disturbance effects on the composition of seed-dispersing ants in roadside environments. Oecologia 2016; 183:493-503. [PMID: 27838778 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3767-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Myrmecochory (the dispersal of seeds by ants) is a significant ecological process in sclerophyll woodlands, but habitat disturbance is known to alter the extent and success of this mutualism. We investigated the influence of soil disturbance on the composition of the seed-dispersing ant community. Surveys were conducted in roadside verges where soils are regularly disturbed by road maintenance activities. Using a 'cafeteria' bait station approach, we selected 24 roads of different widths to investigate ant composition and abundance in relation to soil disturbance. We found ant species richness was greater in non-disturbed than disturbed zones, where road verge width significantly influenced results. The composition and abundance of individual seed-dispersing ant species varied between disturbed and non-disturbed zones. Rhytidoponera metallica were more abundant in non-disturbed sites, whereas Melophorus bruneus and Monomorium rothseini were more frequently recorded in disturbed areas. Commonly found Iridomyrmex purpureus was significantly more abundant in disturbed zones in narrow roadsides and vice versa in wide roadsides, and strongly influenced total community composition. Variation in the abundance of commonly recorded Iridomyrmex and Monomorium genera were related more to site conditions (roadside width and habitat) than soil disturbance. The rich composition of seed dispersing ants in roadside environments, and the effects of soil disturbances on these ant communities that we describe, provide a key insight to important seed dispersal vectors occurring in fragmented rural landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsofia Palfi
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, PO Box 789, Albury, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter G Spooner
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, PO Box 789, Albury, NSW, Australia.
| | - Wayne Robinson
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, PO Box 789, Albury, NSW, Australia
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Biodiversity impacts of an invasive grass: ant community responses to Cenchrus ciliaris in arid Australia. Biol Invasions 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-016-1263-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Fire in the Amazon: impact of experimental fuel addition on responses of ants and their interactions with myrmecochorous seeds. Oecologia 2016; 182:335-46. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3638-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Ossola A, Nash MA, Christie FJ, Hahs AK, Livesley SJ. Urban habitat complexity affects species richness but not environmental filtering of morphologically-diverse ants. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1356. [PMID: 26528416 PMCID: PMC4627909 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat complexity is a major determinant of structure and diversity of ant assemblages. Following the size-grain hypothesis, smaller ant species are likely to be advantaged in more complex habitats compared to larger species. Habitat complexity can act as an environmental filter based on species size and morphological traits, therefore affecting the overall structure and diversity of ant assemblages. In natural and semi-natural ecosystems, habitat complexity is principally regulated by ecological successions or disturbance such as fire and grazing. Urban ecosystems provide an opportunity to test relationships between habitat, ant assemblage structure and ant traits using novel combinations of habitat complexity generated and sustained by human management. We sampled ant assemblages in low-complexity and high-complexity parks, and high-complexity woodland remnants, hypothesizing that (i) ant abundance and species richness would be higher in high-complexity urban habitats, (ii) ant assemblages would differ between low- and high-complexity habitats and (iii) ants living in high-complexity habitats would be smaller than those living in low-complexity habitats. Contrary to our hypothesis, ant species richness was higher in low-complexity habitats compared to high-complexity habitats. Overall, ant assemblages were significantly different among the habitat complexity types investigated, although ant size and morphology remained the same. Habitat complexity appears to affect the structure of ant assemblages in urban ecosystems as previously observed in natural and semi-natural ecosystems. However, the habitat complexity filter does not seem to be linked to ant morphological traits related to body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Ossola
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne , Richmond, VIC , Australia
| | - Michael A Nash
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Waite Campus , Urrbrae, SA , Australia ; School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne , Parkville, VIC , Australia ; School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide , Urrbrae, SA , Australia
| | - Fiona J Christie
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne , Richmond, VIC , Australia
| | - Amy K Hahs
- Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology, c/o School of BioSciences, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria , Parkville, VIC , Australia
| | - Stephen J Livesley
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne , Richmond, VIC , Australia
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Buckingham S, Murphy N, Gibb H. The effects of fire severity on macroinvertebrate detritivores and leaf litter decomposition. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124556. [PMID: 25880062 PMCID: PMC4399839 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
High severity wildfire events are a feature of forests globally and are likely to be more prevalent with climate change. As a disturbance process, fire has the potential to change important ecological functions, such as decomposition, through its impact on biodiversity. Despite the recognised importance of decomposition in terms of fuel loads and energy flow, little is known about the post-fire effects of fire severity on decomposition by litter-dwelling macroinvertebrate detritivores. We tested the hypotheses that: 1) increasing fire severity is associated with decreased rates of leaf litter decomposition by macroinvertebrate detritivores; and 2) the abundance and biomass of macroinvertebrate detritivores decreases with increasing fire severity, while body size increases. We used a litterbag experiment at long-unburnt, ground-burnt and crown-burnt sites (n = 7 for all treatments) to test the effect of fire severity on: a) macroinvertebrate-driven break-down of litter fuel loads; and b) the size and abundance of macroinvertebrate detritivores three years after fire. Microhabitat conditions differed among fire severity classes. Macroinvertebrate exclusion reduced litter decomposition by 34.7%. Macroinvertebrate detritivores were larger and less abundant following higher severity fires, possibly as a result of fire-induced changes in habitat structure. Opposing effects of fire severity on macroinvertebrate abundance and body size resulted in both similar detritivore biomass and, most interestingly, no differences in leaf litter decomposition under different fire severities. This suggests that the diversity of macroinvertebrates enhances functional resilience of litter decomposition to fire and that litter-breakdown is not inhibited within three years following a high severity fire in this forest type and where recolonisation sources are readily available. We found no support for the hypothesis that high severity fires reduce litter decomposition and therefore increase the likelihood of future fires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Buckingham
- Department of Zoology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Nick Murphy
- Department of Genetics, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Heloise Gibb
- Department of Zoology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia
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Affiliation(s)
- Inara R. Leal
- Departamento de Botânica; Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; Av. Prof. Moraes Rego s/n Cidade Universitária 50670-901 Recife PE Brazil
| | - Laura C. Leal
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Vegetal; Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; Av. Prof. Moraes Rego s/n Cidade Universitária 50670-901 Recife PE Brazil
| | - Alan N. Andersen
- CSIRO Land and Water Flagship; Tropical Ecosystems Research Centre PMB 44; Winnellie NT 0822 Australia
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Andersen AN, Ribbons RR, Pettit M, Parr CL. Burning for biodiversity: highly resilient ant communities respond only to strongly contrasting fire regimes in Australia's seasonal tropics. J Appl Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alan N. Andersen
- CSIRO Land and Water Flagship; PMB 44 Winnellie NT 0822 Australia
| | | | - Magen Pettit
- CSIRO Land and Water Flagship; PMB 44 Winnellie NT 0822 Australia
| | - Catherine L. Parr
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Ecological Sciences; University of Liverpool; Liverpool L69 3GP UK
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Does structural complexity determine the morphology of assemblages? An experimental test on three continents. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64005. [PMID: 23691137 PMCID: PMC3656910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2012] [Accepted: 04/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how species will respond to global change depends on our ability to distinguish generalities from idiosyncrasies. For diverse, but poorly known taxa, such as insects, species traits may provide a short-cut to predicting species turnover. We tested whether ant traits respond consistently to habitat complexity across geographically independent ant assemblages, using an experimental approach and baits. We repeated our study in six paired simple and complex habitats on three continents with distinct ant faunas. We also compared traits amongst ants with different foraging strategies. We hypothesised that ants would be larger, broader, have longer legs and more dorsally positioned eyes in simpler habitats. In agreement with predictions, ants had longer femurs and dorsally positioned eyes in simple habitats. This pattern was most pronounced for ants that discovered resources. Body size and pronotum width responded as predicted for experimental treatments, but were inconsistent across continents. Monopolising ants were smaller, with shorter femurs than those that occupied or discovered resources. Consistent responses for several traits suggest that many, but not all, aspects of morphology respond predictably to habitat complexity, and that foraging strategy is linked with morphology. Some traits thus have the potential to be used to predict the direction of species turnover, changes in foraging strategy and, potentially, evolution in response to changes in habitat structure.
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Multiphase myrmecochory: the roles of different ant species and effects of fire. Oecologia 2013; 172:791-803. [PMID: 23386041 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2534-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2011] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory) can be influenced by changes to ant assemblages resulting from habitat disturbance as well as by differences in disperser behaviour. We investigated the effect of habitat disturbance by fire on the dispersal of seeds of a myrmecochorous shrub, Pultenaea daphnoides. We also investigated the consequence of the seed relocation behaviours of two common dispersers (Pheidole sp. A and Rhytidoponera metallica) for the redispersal of seeds. Pheidole sp. A colonies did not relocate seeds outside their nests. In contrast, R. metallica colonies relocated 43.6% of seeds fed to them, of which 96.9% had residual elaiosome that remained attached. On average, R. metallica relocated seeds 78.9 and 60.7 cm from the nest entrances in burned and unburned habitat, respectively. Seeds were removed faster in burned than in unburned habitat, and seeds previously relocated by R. metallica were removed at similar rates to seeds with intact elaiosomes, but faster than seeds with detached elaiosomes. Dispersal distances were not significantly different between burned (51.3 cm) and unburned (70.9 cm) habitat or between seeds with different elaiosome conditions. Differences between habitat types in the frequency of seed removal, the shape of the seed dispersal curve, and the relative contribution of R. metallica and Pheidole sp. A to seed dispersal were largely due to the effect of recent fire on the abundance of Pheidole sp. A. Across habitat types, the number of seeds removed from depots and during dispersal trials most strongly related to the combined abundances of R. metallica and Pheidole. Our findings show that myrmecochory can involve more than one dispersal phase and that fire indirectly influences myrmecochory by altering the abundances of seed-dispersing ants.
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GIBB H. Effects of planting method on the recovery of arboreal ant activity on revegetated farmland. AUSTRAL ECOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2011.02339.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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ANDERSEN ALANN, WOINARSKI JOHNCZ, PARR CATHERINEL. Savanna burning for biodiversity: Fire management for faunal conservation in Australian tropical savannas. AUSTRAL ECOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2011.02334.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Berg-Binder MC, Suarez AV. Testing the directed dispersal hypothesis: are native ant mounds (Formica sp.) favorable microhabitats for an invasive plant? Oecologia 2012; 169:763-72. [PMID: 22231374 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2243-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Ant-mediated seed dispersal may be a form of directed dispersal if collected seeds are placed in a favorable microhabitat (e.g., in or near an ant nest) that increases plant establishment, growth, and/or reproduction relative to random locations. We investigated whether the native ant community interacts with invasive leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) in a manner consistent with predictions of the directed dispersal hypothesis. Resident ants quickly located and dispersed 60% of experimentally offered E. esula seeds. Additionally, 40% of seeds whose final deposition site was observed were either brought inside or placed on top of an ant nest. Seed removal was 100% when seeds were placed experimentally on foraging trails of mound-building Formica obscuripes, although the deposition site of these seeds is unknown. Natural density and above-ground biomass of E. esula were greater on Formica mound edges compared to random locations. However, seedling recruitment and establishment from experimentally planted E. esula seeds was not greater on mound edges than random locations 3 m from the mound. Soil from Formica mound edges was greater in available nitrogen and available phosphorus relative to random soil locations 3 m from the mound. These results suggest Formica ant mounds are favorable microhabitats for E. esula growth following seedling establishment, a likely consequence of nutrient limitation during plant growth. The results also indicate positive species interactions may play an important role in biological invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moni C Berg-Binder
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 515 Morrill Hall, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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Abstract
1. Interspecific trade-offs are thought to facilitate coexistence between species at small spatial scales. The discovery-dominance trade-off, analogous to a competition-colonisation trade-off, is considered an important structuring mechanism in ant ecology. A trade-off between species' ability to discover food resources and to dominate them may explain how so many species apparently dependent on similar resources can coexist. 2. The discovery-dominance trade-off is thought to be broken by invasive species in enemy-free space or territorial species whose activity is fuelled by domination of carbohydrate resources. It may also be mediated by factors such as temperature and habitat structure. 3. We investigate the generality and form of the discovery-dominance relationship in an experiment using habitats of contrasting complexity across three continents. In addition, to assess how widespread the discovery-dominance trade-off is, we conducted a systematic review combining all empirical studies (published and from our experiment). 4. From our own fieldwork and meta-analyses of available studies, we find surprisingly little empirical support for the trade-off, with results indicating that mean effect sizes were either not significantly different from 0 or significantly positive. The trade-off was only detected in studies with parasitoids present. Additionally, experimental data from simple and complex habitats within each continent suggest that simple habitats may facilitate both food resource discovery and dominance. 5. We conclude that the discovery-dominance trade-off is the exception, rather than the rule. Instead, these abilities were commonly correlated. Real food resources provide many axes along which partitioning may occur, and discovery-dominance trade-offs are not a prerequisite for coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine L Parr
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography & the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK.
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BEAUMONT KIERENP, MACKAY DUNCANA, WHALEN MOLLYA. Interactions between ants and seeds of two myrmecochorous plant species in recently burnt and long-unburnt forest sites. AUSTRAL ECOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2010.02215.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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TASKER ELIZABETHM, DENHAM ANDREWJ, TAYLOR JENNIFERE, STREVENS TANYAC. Post-fire seed predation: Does distance to unburnt vegetation matter? AUSTRAL ECOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2010.02214.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Gibb H, Parr CL. How does habitat complexity affect ant foraging success? A test using functional measures on three continents. Oecologia 2010; 164:1061-73. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1703-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2009] [Accepted: 06/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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PARR CATHERINEL, ANDERSEN ALANN. Fire resilience of ant assemblages in long-unburnt savanna of northern Australia. AUSTRAL ECOL 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2008.01848.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Zelikova TJ, Dunn RR, Sanders NJ. Variation in seed dispersal along an elevational gradient in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2008.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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DAWES-GROMADZKI TRACYZ. Short-term effects of low intensity fire on soil macroinvertebrate assemblages in different vegetation patch types in an Australian tropical savanna. AUSTRAL ECOL 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2007.01752.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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42
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Prinzing A, Dauber J, Hammer EC, Hammouti N, Böhning-Gaese K. Perturbed partners: opposite responses of plant and animal mutualist guilds to inundation disturbances. OIKOS 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.0030-1299.2007.15738.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Gove AD, Majer JD, Dunn RR. A keystone ant species promotes seed dispersal in a “diffuse” mutualism. Oecologia 2007; 153:687-97. [PMID: 17534665 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-007-0756-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2006] [Accepted: 04/19/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
In order to understand the dynamics of co-evolution it is important to consider spatial variation in interaction dynamics. We examined the relative importance of ant activity, diversity and species identity in an ant seed dispersal mutualism at local, regional and continental scales. We also studied the determinants of seed dispersal rates and dispersal distances at eight sites in the Eneabba sandplain (29.63 S, 115.22 E), western Australia to understand local variation in seed dispersal rate and distance. To test the generality of the conclusions derived from the eight local sites, we established 16 sites along a 1650-km transect in western Australia, covering 11 degrees of latitude and a six-fold increase in rainfall, at which we sampled the ant assemblage, estimated ant species richness and ant activity and observed the removal rate of myrmecochorous seeds. We also assessed the importance of ant species identity at a continental scale via a review of studies carried out throughout Australia which examined ant seed dispersal. Among the eight sandplain shrubland sites, ant species identity, in particular the presence of one genus, Rhytidoponera, was associated with the most dispersal and above average dispersal distances. At the landscape scale, Rhytidoponera presence was the most important determinant of seed removal rate, while seed removal rate was negatively correlated with ant species richness and latitude. Most ant seed removal studies carried out throughout Australia reinforce our observations that Rhytidoponera species were particularly important seed dispersers. It is suggested that superficially diffuse mutualisms may depend greatly on the identity of particular partners. Even at large biogeographic scales, temporal and spatial variation in what are considered to be diffuse mutualisms may often be linked to variation in the abundance of particular partners, and be only weakly - or negatively - associated with the diversity of partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron D Gove
- Centre for Ecosystem Diversity and Dynamics, Department of Environmental Biology, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA, Australia.
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44
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Andersen AN, van Ingen LT, Campos RI. Contrasting rainforest and savanna ant faunas in monsoonal northern Australia: a rainforest patch in a tropical savanna landscape. AUST J ZOOL 2007. [DOI: 10.1071/zo07066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Rainforest in the tropical savanna landscapes of monsoonal Australia is of high biogeographic interest because it occurs as numerous small and isolated patches, and supports a fauna that contrasts markedly with that of the surrounding savanna. The overall ant fauna of monsoonal rainforest is known reasonably well, but with just one exception (Holmes Jungle in Darwin) the faunas of individual rainforest patches have been only superficially studied. This paper comprehensively documents an ant fauna of a spring-fed rainforest patch at the Territory Wildlife Park (TWP) near Darwin, contrasts it with that of surrounding savanna, and compares it with the Holmes Jungle fauna. Ants were sampled at 21 locations within the TWP rainforest, using Winkler sacs for litter-dwelling species (160 samples), standard pitfall traps for ground-active species (75 traps), and baited pitfall traps taped to trees for arboreal species (75 traps). In total, 43 species were collected, with 35 recorded in leaf litter, 24 in ground pitfall traps and 12 in arboreal pitfall traps. Species of Paratrechina and Pheidole collectively comprised 75% of all individuals recorded. Species richness was far higher in the surrounding savanna, and the rainforest and savanna faunas had markedly different species and functional group composition. The rainforest fauna at TWP was remarkably similar to that at Holmes Jungle. The rainforest/savanna contrast in ant diversity across northern Australia is the reverse of that occurring in Neotropical savanna landscapes.
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