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Zanola D, Czaczkes TJ, Josens R. Ants evade harmful food by active abandonment. Commun Biol 2024; 7:84. [PMID: 38216747 PMCID: PMC10786876 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05729-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Invasive ants, such as the Argentine ant, pose a severe economic and ecological threat. Despite advancements in baiting techniques, effectively managing established ant populations remains a daunting challenge, often ending in failure. Ant colonies employ behavioural immunity against pathogens, raising the question of whether ants can collectively respond to toxic baits. This study investigates whether ant colonies actively abandon palatable but harmful food sources. We provided two sucrose feeders, each generating a new foraging trail, with one transitioning to offering toxic food. Six hours later, ant activity on that path decreases, while activity on the non-toxic food and the trunk trail remains unaffected, excluding factors like population decline or satiation as reasons for the activity decline. Laboratory experiments confirmed that ants remained alive six hours after ingesting toxic food. Ant presence remains low on the toxic food path for days, gradually decreasing along the nearest section of the trunk trail. This abandonment behaviour minimises the entry of harmful food into the nest, acting as a protective social mechanism. The evasion of toxic bait-treated areas likely contributes considerably to control failures. Understanding the behavioural response to toxic baits is essential for developing effective strategies to combat invasive ant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zanola
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, IFIBYNE, CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria (C1428EHA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Tomer J Czaczkes
- Animal Comparative Economics Laboratory, Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Roxana Josens
- Laboratorio de Insectos Sociales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, IFIBYNE, CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria (C1428EHA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Costa A, Heleno R, Freide EF, Dufrene Y, Huckle E, Kaiser-Bunbury CN. Impacts of invasive ants on pollination of native plants are similar in invaded and restored plant communities. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
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3
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Novel plant-frugivore network on Mauritius is unlikely to compensate for the extinction of seed dispersers. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1019. [PMID: 36823195 PMCID: PMC9950440 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36669-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Insular communities are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic extinctions and introductions. Changes in composition of island frugivore communities may affect seed dispersal within the native plant community, risking ecological shifts and ultimately co-extinction cascades. Introduced species could potentially mitigate these risks by replacing ecological functions of extinct species, but conclusive evidence is lacking. Here, we investigate changes in plant-frugivore interactions involving frugivorous birds, mammals and reptiles in Mauritius, an oceanic island with an exceptionally well-specified frugivore community and well-described species introduction history. We demonstrate substantial losses of binary interaction partnerships (at the species level) resulting from native species extinctions, but also gains of equal numbers of novel interactions with introduced species, potentially supporting the idea that non-native species might compensate for lost seed dispersal. However, closer investigation of animal seed handling behaviour reveals that most interactions with seed dispersers are replaced by ecologically different interactions with seed predators. Therefore, restoration of seed dispersal functionality in this novel plant-frugivore community is unlikely.
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Economic costs of invasive alien ants worldwide. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02791-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
AbstractInvasive ants are amongst the most destructive and widespread invaders across the globe; they can strongly alter invaded ecosystems and are responsible for the loss of native ant species. Several studies have reported that invasive ants can also lead to substantial economic costs. In this study, we search, describe and analyse 1342 reported costs of invasive ants compiled in the InvaCost database. Economic costs, reported since 1930 for 12 ant species in 27 countries, totalled US$ 51.93 billion, from which US$ 10.95 billion were incurred, and US$ 40.98 billion were potential costs (i.e., expected or predicted costs). More than 80% of total costs were associated with only two species, Solenopsis invicta and Wasmannia auropunctata; and two countries, the USA and Australia. Overall, damage costs amounted to 92% of the total cost, mainly impacting the agriculture, public and social welfare sectors. Management costs were primarily post-invasion management (US$ 1.79 billion), with much lower amounts dedicated to prevention (US$ 235.63 million). Besides the taxonomic bias, cost information was lacking for an average of 78% of the invaded countries. Moreover, even in countries where costs were reported, such information was available for only 56% of the invaded locations. Our synthesis suggests that the global costs of invasive ants are massive but largely biased towards developed economies, with a huge proportion of underreported costs, and thus most likely grossly underestimated. We advocate for more and improved cost reporting of invasive ants through better collaborations between managers, practitioners and researchers, a crucial basis for adequately informing future budgets and improving proactive management actions of invasive ants.
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Gorb EV, Gorb SN. Combined Effect of Different Flower Stem Features on the Visiting Frequency of the Generalist Ant Lasius niger: An Experimental Study. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12111026. [PMID: 34821826 PMCID: PMC8623630 DOI: 10.3390/insects12111026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Flowering plants usually attract insect pollinators by offering them nectar, pollen or other energetically valuable sources. To deter ants, which are unreliable pollinators and can act as nectar thieves, plants have developed different systems either inside the flowers or associated with the stems. The latter one, called greasy pole syndrome, is based on the combined effect of several stem features hampering the access of ants to the apically located flowers. In this study, we examined the effects of different flower stem features in the round-leaved Alexanders Smyrnium rotundifolium on the visiting frequency of the generalist ant species, the black garden ant Lasius niger. We conducted the experiments with ants running on dry wooden sticks mimicking four different types of stems. To attract ants, we placed a sweet sugar syrup droplet on a stick tip. Ants visited different types of stem-mimicking sticks with significantly different frequencies. The highest number of insects were registered on untreated stick samples, whereas the lowest visiting frequency was observed on sticks bearing cuff-like structures (serving as macroscopic physical barriers) covered with a nano/microparticle film, which caused the slipperiness of the surface. Thus, by combining macroscopic obstacles and slippery surfaces, plants can protect their flowers from undesirable crawling visitors such as ants. Abstract In order to understand the effects of the morphology and surface texture of flower stems in Smyrnium rotundifolium on the visiting frequency of generalist ants, we conducted experiments with Lasius niger ants running on dry wooden sticks mimicking different types of stems: (1) intact (grooved) sticks; (2) sticks painted with slaked (hydrated) lime (calcium carbonate coverage) imitating plant epicuticular wax coverage; (3) intact sticks with smooth polyester plate-shaped cuffs imitating upper leaves; and (4) intact sticks bearing cuffs painted with slaked lime. Ants were attracted by the sweet sugar syrup droplets placed on a stick tip, and the number of ants visiting the drops was counted. Our data showed significant differences in the visiting frequencies between the different types of stem-mimicking samples. The number of recorded ants progressively decreased in the following order of samples: intact sticks—painted sticks—sticks with intact cuffs—sticks with painted cuffs. These results clearly demonstrated that micro/nanoscopic surface coverages and macroscopic physical barriers, especially if combined, have a negative impact on the attractiveness of stems to ants. This study provides further evidence for the hypothesis that having a diversity of plant stems in the field, generalist ants prefer substrates where their locomotion is less hindered by obstacles and/or surface slipperiness.
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Liu B, Wang G, An Y, Xue D, Wang L, Lu C. Similar seed dispersal systems by local frugivorous birds in native and alien plant species in a coastal seawall forest. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11672. [PMID: 34221739 PMCID: PMC8231312 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Frugivorous birds play an important role in seed dispersal. Alien plant species' seeds are dispersed by local birds in order to establish populations in new habitats. Alien plant species that produce fruits similar to that of native species have the potential to attract local birds, creating new mutualistic systems that are similar to the local ones. In autumn 2018 and 2019, we studied the seed dispersal systems of an alien plant species, Phytolacca americana, and a native species, Cayratia japonica, in a coastal seawall forest. Both plant species' fruit, frugivorous bird foraging behaviors, seed germination rates, and seedling microhabitats were examined to determine whether the alien species had a similar seed dispersal system to that of the native species. Our results showed that P. americana and C. japonica had similar fruit type, color, and ripening period. There was a positive correlation between the percentage rate of fruit ripening and the percentage rate of fruit missing for both plant species, indicating that local frugivorous birds have the potential to sufficiently disperse the alien seeds to enable its spread in the coastal seawall forest (simple linear regression, P. americana: β = 0.863 ± 0.017, R2 adj = 0.978, P < 0.01; C. japonica: β = 0.787 ± 0.034, R2 adj = 0.898, P < 0.01). Eleven bird species consumed the fruits of the alien species or native species during the study period. Similar results were shown across alien and native species in bird foraging behavior (feeding frequency, feeding duration and first stop distance) indicating that a similar seed dispersal relationship had been established between local frugivorous and both plant species. The alien plant had a higher number of fruits carried by birds, suggesting that P. americana had a slightly higher fruit consumption than that of C. japonica (t-test, P < 0.01). Alien plant seedlings grow more abundant in forest gap microhabitat (t-test, P < 0.01). Our results confirmed that bird digestion promotes seed germination success in both plant species. Our study suggests that in a narrow coastal seawall forest, alien plant species can successfully establish their populations by relying on similar seed dispersal systems as the local species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Liu
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Management Bureau of Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guohai Wang
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuting An
- Management Bureau of Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dandan Xue
- Management Bureau of Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Libo Wang
- Management Bureau of Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Changhu Lu
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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Native and invasive ants affect floral visits of pollinating honey bees in pumpkin flowers (Cucurbita maxima). Sci Rep 2021; 11:4781. [PMID: 33637774 PMCID: PMC7910286 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83902-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Global pollinator decline is a major concern. Several factors-climate change, land-use change, the reduction of flowers, pesticide use, and invasive species-have been suggested as the reasons. Despite being a potential reason, the effect of ants on flowers received less attention. The consequences of ants being attracted to nectar sources in plants vary depending upon factors like the nectar source's position, ants' identity, and other mutualists interacting with the plants. We studied the interaction between flower-visiting ants and pollinators in Cucurbita maxima and compared the competition exerted by native and invasive ants on its pollinators to examine the hypothesis that the invasive ants exacerbate more interference competition to pollinators than the native ants. We assessed the pollinator's choice, visitation rate, and time spent/visit on the flowers. Regardless of species and nativity, ants negatively influenced all the pollinator visitation traits, such as visitation rate and duration spent on flowers. The invasive ants exerted a higher interference competition on the pollinators than the native ants did. Despite performing pollination in flowers with generalist pollination syndrome, ants can threaten plant-pollinator mutualism in specialist plants like monoecious plants. A better understanding of factors influencing pollination will help in implementing better management practices.
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Takeda K, Kadokawa T, Kawakita A. Slippery flowers as a mechanism of defence against nectar-thieving ants. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:231-239. [PMID: 33410906 PMCID: PMC7789111 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The great diversity of floral characteristics among animal-pollinated plants is commonly understood to be the result of coevolutionary interactions between plants and pollinators. Floral antagonists, such as nectar thieves, also have the potential to exert an influence upon the selection of floral characteristics, but adaptation against floral antagonists has attracted comparatively little attention. We found that the corollas of hornet-pollinated Codonopsis lanceolata (Campanulaceae) and the tepals of bee-pollinated Fritillaria koidzumiana (Liliaceae) are slippery to nectar-thieving ants living in the plant's habitat; because the flowers of both species have exposed nectaries, slippery perianths may function as a defence against nectar-thieving ants. METHODS We conducted a behavioural experiment and observed perianth surface microstructure by scanning electron microscopy to investigate the mechanism of slipperiness. Field experiments were conducted to test whether slippery perianths prevent floral entry by ants, and whether ant presence inside flowers affects pollination. KEY RESULTS Scanning electron microscopy observations indicated that the slippery surfaces were coated with epicuticular wax crystals. The perianths lost their slipperiness when wiped with hexane. Artificial bridging of the slippery surfaces using non-slippery materials allowed ants to enter flowers more frequently. Experimental introduction of live ants to the Codonopsis flowers evicted hornet pollinators and shortened the duration of pollinator visits. However, no statistical differences were found in the fruit or seed sets of flowers with and without ants. CONCLUSIONS Slippery perianths, most probably based on epicuticular wax crystals, prevent floral entry by ants that negatively affect pollinator behaviour. Experimental evidence of floral defence based on slippery surfaces is rare, but such a mode of defence may be widespread amongst flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuya Takeda
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Tomoki Kadokawa
- Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kawakita
- The Botanical Gardens, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Survival of an Extinct in the Wild skink from Christmas Island is reduced by an invasive centipede: implications for future reintroductions. Biol Invasions 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-020-02386-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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10
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Infestation by pollination-disrupting alien ants varies temporally and spatially and is worsened by alien plant invasion. Biol Invasions 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-020-02272-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Fuster F, Kaiser-Bunbury CN, Traveset A. Pollination effectiveness of specialist and opportunistic nectar feeders influenced by invasive alien ants in the Seychelles. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:957-969. [PMID: 32592166 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Opportunistic nectar-feeders may act as effective pollinators; nonetheless, we still lack information on whether these opportunistic species differ in their pollination effectiveness from specialized nectarivorous vertebrates and insects. Many nectar specialists have coevolved with the plants on which they feed; therefore, we would expect higher pollination effectiveness in specialists than in opportunistic feeders. Here, we assessed quantity and quality components of pollination effectiveness in specialist and opportunistic vertebrate nectarivores and insects, focusing on three plants from the Seychelles: Thespesia populnea, Polyscias crassa, and Syzygium wrightii. METHODS We determined the quantity component (QNC) of pollination effectiveness with pollinator observations, and the quality component (QLC) by measuring fruit and seed set resulting from single visits by each pollinator. To detect potential negative effects of invasive ants on native plant-pollinator interactions, we classified pollinator visits (quantity component) as disturbed (>6 ants/30 min) vs. undisturbed. RESULTS All focal plants were visited by insects, and vertebrate specialist and opportunist nectarivores, yet their pollination effectiveness differed. Flying insects were the most effective pollinators of T. populnea. The other two plants were most effectively pollinated by vertebrates; i.e., sunbirds (nectar specialists) in S. wrightii and Phelsuma geckos (nectar opportunists) in P. crassa, despite marked variation in QNC and QLC. Ant presence was associated with lower pollinator visitation rate in P. crassa and S. wrightii. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the importance of all pollinator guilds, including opportunist nectarivorous vertebrates as pollinators of island plants, and the vulnerability of such interactions to disruption by nonnative species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Fuster
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Christopher N Kaiser-Bunbury
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Anna Traveset
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (CSIC-UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, 07190, Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
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Analysis of Recent Interception Records Reveals Frequent Transport of Arboreal Ants and Potential Predictors for Ant Invasion in Taiwan. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11060356. [PMID: 32521674 PMCID: PMC7349007 DOI: 10.3390/insects11060356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
We uncovered taxonomic diversity, country of origin and commodity type of intercepted ants at Taiwanese borders based on an 8 year database of 439 interception records. We found intercepted ants arrived predominantly via timber, a pattern likely reflecting the high domestic demand for foreign timber in Taiwan. The most frequently intercepted species were either arboreal or wood-dwelling ants, raising a concern of these ants constituting a next wave of ant invasion in Taiwan. Further analyses indicate that the taxonomic composition of intercepted ants does not match that of established non-native ant species, suggesting that interception data alone fails to provide adequate power to predict the establishment success of ants. Yet, interception frequency and selected life-history traits (i.e., flexible colony founding mode and general nesting habits) were shown to jointly serve as a practical predictor of the establishment risk of non-native ants. Consistent with other border interception databases, secondary introduction (i.e., species arriving from their introduced ranges instead of their native ranges) also represents a major pathway for transport of invasive ants into Taiwan, suggesting its role in shaping the global invasion of ants. Our findings offer baseline information for constructing a prediction framework for future ant invasions and assist in the decision-making process of quarantine authorities in Taiwan.
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Fuster F, Traveset A. Importance of intraspecific variation in the pollination and seed dispersal functions of a double mutualist animal species. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Fuster
- Global Change Research Group, Inst. Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (CSIC‐UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, ES‐07190‐Esporles Mallorca Balearic Islands Spain
| | - Anna Traveset
- Global Change Research Group, Inst. Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (CSIC‐UIB), Miquel Marqués 21, ES‐07190‐Esporles Mallorca Balearic Islands Spain
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Bissessur P, Bunsy Y, Baider C, Florens FBV. Non-intrusive systematic study reveals mutualistic interactions between threatened island endemic species and points to more impactful conservation. J Nat Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Fuster F, Traveset A. Evidence for a double mutualistic interaction between a lizard and a Mediterranean gymnosperm, Ephedra fragilis. AOB PLANTS 2019; 11:plz001. [PMID: 30800260 PMCID: PMC6379517 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plz001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
An increasing number of double mutualisms (i.e. two interacting species benefiting each other in two different functions, e.g. pollination and seed dispersal) have been reported, mainly from island ecosystems, although we still lack much information on how effective such species are in both processes. Here, we assessed the pollination effectiveness of a double mutualism between an ancient Mediterranean gymnosperm, Ephedra fragilis, and a lizard, Podarcis lilfordi. On the one hand, we assessed the lizard contribution to different fitness measures (seed set and germination success), relative to that of insects and the wind effect; on the other, we determined the lizards' seed removal rate (i.e. the quantity component of seed dispersal effectiveness). In both processes, we further tested for differences in their contributions among male, female and juvenile lizards. Ephedra fragilis showed to be mostly anemophilous, lizards and insects playing only a minor role on seed set. However, lizards qualitatively contributed to pollination success, as seeds coming from lizard-pollinated cones germinated at higher rates than those pollinated by wind or insects, although this was detected only for small seeds (<8 mg). The plant produced a low seed set (c. 23 %), which was compensated by a high seed germinability (c. 70 %). Adult male lizards were those most implicated in pollination, quantitatively more important than insects, and in seed dispersal. This work, thus, reports the importance of a lizard species in one of the few double mutualisms found in the World involving a gymnosperm, and it represents the first documentation of a double mutualism in the Mediterranean region. Our findings further contribute to highlight the role of both inter- and intraspecific differences in the effectiveness of mutualistic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Fuster
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (CSIC-UIB), Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Anna Traveset
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (CSIC-UIB), Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
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Dorrestein A, Todd CM, Westcott DA, Martin JM, Welbergen JA. Impacts of an invasive ant species on roosting behavior of an island endemic flying-fox. Biotropica 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Annabel Dorrestein
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Western Sydney University; Richmond New South Wales Australia
- Animal Ecology; Utrecht University; Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - Christopher M. Todd
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Western Sydney University; Richmond New South Wales Australia
| | | | - John M. Martin
- Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust; Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Justin A. Welbergen
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; Western Sydney University; Richmond New South Wales Australia
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Bels V, Paindavoine AS, Zghikh LN, Paulet E, Pallandre JP, Montuelle SJ. Feeding in Lizards: Form–Function and Complex Multifunctional System. FEEDING IN VERTEBRATES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-13739-7_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Landscape-level bird loss increases the prevalence of honeydew-producing insects and non-native ants. Oecologia 2018; 188:1263-1272. [PMID: 30367244 PMCID: PMC6244808 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4273-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bird exclusion experiments consistently show that birds exhibit strong top-down control of arthropods, including ants and the honeydew-producing insects (HPIs) that they tend. However, it remains unclear whether the results of these small-scale bird exclosure experiments can be extrapolated to larger spatial scales. In this study, we use a natural bird removal experiment to compare the prevalence of ants and HPIs between Guam, an island whose bird community has been extirpated since the 1980s due to the introduction of the brown tree snake, and two nearby islands (Rota and Saipan) that have more intact bird assemblages. Consistent with smaller-scale bird exclosure experiments, we show that (1) forest trees from Guam are significantly more likely to host HPIs than trees from Saipan and (2) ants are nearly four times as abundant on Guam than on both Saipan and Rota. The prevalence of HPIs varied slightly based on tree species identity, although these effects were not as strong as island-level effects associated with bird loss. Ant community composition differed between Guam and the other two islands. These results corroborate past observational studies showing increased spider densities on Guam and suggest that trophic changes associated with landscape-level bird extirpation may also involve alterations in the abundance of ants and HPIs. This study also provides a clear example of the strong indirect effects that invasive species can have on natural food webs.
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Hummingbirds use taste and touch to discriminate against nectar resources that contain Argentine ants. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2456-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Vanbergen AJ, Espíndola A, Aizen MA. Risks to pollinators and pollination from invasive alien species. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 2:16-25. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0412-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Birnie-Gauvin K, Walton S, Palme CAD, Manouchehri BA, Venne S, Lennox RJ, Chapman JM, Bennett JR, Cooke SJ. Conservation physiology can inform threat assessment and recovery planning processes for threatened species. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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22
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Cryptic function loss in animal populations. Trends Ecol Evol 2015; 30:182-9. [PMID: 25678379 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Revised: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The essential functional roles performed by animal species are lost when they become locally extinct, and ecosystems are critically threatened by this decline in functional diversity. Theory that links function, diversity, and ecosystem stability exists but fails to assess function loss that occurs in species with persistent populations. The entire functional role of a species, or a critical component of it, can be lost following large population declines (functional extinction), following population increase, or after behavioural adaptations to changes in the population, community, habitat, or climate. Here, we provide a framework that identifies the scenarios under which 'cryptic' function loss can occur in persistent populations. Cryptic function loss is potentially widespread and critically threatens ecosystem stability across the globe.
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Traveset A, Richardson DM. Mutualistic Interactions and Biological Invasions. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2014. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-120213-091857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 258] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mutualisms structure ecosystems and mediate their functioning. They also enhance invasions of many alien species. Invasions disrupt native mutualisms, often leading to population declines, reduced biodiversity, and altered ecosystem functioning. Focusing on three main types of mutualisms (pollination, seed dispersal, and plant-microbial symbioses) and drawing on examples from different ecosystems and from species- and community-level studies, we review the key mechanisms whereby such positive interactions mediate invasions and are in turn influenced by invasions. High interaction generalization is “the norm” in most systems, allowing alien species to infiltrate recipient communities. We identify traits that influence invasiveness (e.g., selfing capacity in plants, animal behavioral traits) or invasibility (e.g., partner choice in mycorrhizas/rhizobia) through mutualistic interactions. Mutualistic disruptions due to invasions are pervasive, and subsequent cascading effects are also widespread. Ecological networks provide a useful framework for predicting tipping points for community collapse in response to invasions and other synergistic drivers of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Traveset
- Mediterranean Institute of Advanced Studies, E07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - David M. Richardson
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland 7602, South Africa
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Kaiser-Bunbury C, Cuthbert H, Fox R, Birch D, Bunbury N. Invasion of yellow crazy ant Anoplolepis gracilipes in a Seychelles UNESCO palm forest. NEOBIOTA 2014. [DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.22.6634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Cembrowski AR, Tan MG, Thomson JD, Frederickson ME. Ants and Ant Scent Reduce Bumblebee Pollination of Artificial Flowers. Am Nat 2014; 183:133-9. [DOI: 10.1086/674101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Minnaar IA, Köhler A, Purchase C, Nicolson SW. Coloured and Toxic Nectar: Feeding Choices of the Madagascar Giant Day Gecko,Phelsuma grandis. Ethology 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid A. Minnaar
- Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Pretoria; South Africa
| | - Angela Köhler
- Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Pretoria; South Africa
| | - Cromwell Purchase
- Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Pretoria; South Africa
| | - Susan W. Nicolson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Pretoria; South Africa
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Abstract
At a time when plant species are experiencing increasing challenges from climate change, land-use change, harvesting and invasive species, dispersal has become a very important aspect of plant conservation. Seed dispersal by animals is particularly important because some animals disperse seeds to suitable sites in a directed fashion. Our review has two aims: (i) to highlight the various ways plant dispersal by animals can be affected by current anthropogenic change and (ii) to show the important role of plant and (particularly) animal physiology in shaping seed-dispersal interactions. We argue that large-bodied seed dispersers may be particularly important for plant conservation because seed dispersal of large-seeded plants is often more specialized and because large-bodied animals are targeted by human exploitation and have smaller population sizes. We further argue that more specialized seed-dispersal systems on island ecosystems might be particularly at risk from climate change both owing to small population sizes involved but also owing to the likely thermal specialization, particularly on tropical islands. More generally, the inherent vulnerability of seed-dispersal mutualisms to disruption driven by environmental change (as well as their ubiquity) demands that we continue to improve our understanding of their conservation physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graeme D Ruxton
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
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Cryptic extinction of a common Pacific lizard Emoia impar (Squamata, Scincidae) from the Hawaiian Islands. ORYX 2012. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605310001778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractMost documented declines of tropical reptiles are of dramatic or enigmatic species. Declines of widespread species tend to be cryptic. The early (1900s) decline and extinction of the common Pacific skink Emoia impar from the Hawaiian Islands is documented here through an assessment of literature, museum vouchers and recent fieldwork. This decline appears contemporaneous with the documented declines of invertebrates and birds across the Hawaiian Islands. A review of the plausible causal factors indicates that the spread of the introduced big-headed ant Pheidole megacephala is the most likely factor in this lizard decline. The introduction and spread of a similar skink Lampropholis delicata across the islands appears to temporally follow the decline of E. impar, although there is no evidence of competition between these species. It appears that L. delicata is spreading to occupy the niche vacated by the extirpated E. impar. Further confusion exists because the skink E. cyanura, which is very similar in appearance to E. impar, appears to have been introduced to one site within a hotel on Kaua'i and persisted as a population at that site for approximately 2 decades (1970s–1990s) but is now also extirpated. This study highlights the cryptic nature of this early species extinction as evidence that current biogeographical patterns of non-charismatic or enigmatic reptiles across the Pacific may be the historical result of early widespread invasion by ants. Conservation and restoration activities for reptiles in the tropical Pacific should consider this possibility and evaluate all evidence prior to any implementation.
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Grangier J, Lester PJ. Behavioral plasticity mediates asymmetric competition between invasive wasps and native ants. Commun Integr Biol 2012; 5:127-9. [PMID: 22808314 PMCID: PMC3376045 DOI: 10.4161/cib.18887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most successful invasive species is the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris. We recently reported how foragers of this species have adopted previously unknown interference behavior when competing for food with native ants. Picking their opponents up in their mandibles, flying backward and dropping them some distance away from the disputed resource, wasps were shown to efficiently deal with a yet aggressive competitor and to modulate this behavior according to circumstances. Here we further discuss the nature and functioning of this unusual strategy. We first highlight the questions this interaction raises regarding the competitive advantages offered by asymmetries in body size and flight ability. Then, we argue that this study system illustrates the important role of behavioral plasticity in biological invasions; not only in the success of invaders but also in the ability of native species to coexist with these invaders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Grangier
- Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology; School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University of Wellington; Wellington, New Zealand
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Tanaka H, Ohnishi H, Tatsuta H, Tsuji K. An analysis of mutualistic interactions between exotic ants and honeydew producers in the Yanbaru district of Okinawa Island, Japan. Ecol Res 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-011-0851-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Holbrook SJ, Schmitt RJ, Brooks AJ. Indirect effects of species interactions on habitat provisioning. Oecologia 2011; 166:739-49. [PMID: 21274572 PMCID: PMC3114069 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-1912-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Species that shelter in a biogenic habitat can influence their refugia and, in turn, play an essential role in shaping local patterns of biodiversity. Here we explore a positive feedback loop between the provisioning rate of habitat-forming branching corals and their associated fishes and show how interactions between two groups of fish—the planktivorous damselfish and predatory hawkfish—altered the feedback. A field experiment confirmed that skeletal growth of branching coral (genus Pocillopora) increased substantially with increasing numbers (biomass) of resident fishes, likely because they greatly increased the interstitial concentrations of nutrients. Because there is a positive relationship between colony size and number (biomass) of associated fishes (primarily damselfishes in the Family Pomacentridae), a structure–function feedback loop exists in which increasing numbers of damselfish enhance coral growth and larger corals host greater abundances (and species richness) of fish. However, interactions between damselfishes and arc-eye hawkfish, Paracirrhites arcatus, a largely solitary resident, can disrupt this positive feedback loop. Field surveys revealed a marked pattern of fish occupancy related to coral size: Pocillopora colonies of sufficient size to host fish (>40 cm circumference) had either groups of damselfish or an arc-eye hawkfish; only larger colonies (>75 cm) were occupied by both the damselfish and hawkfish. Subsequent short- and long-term experiments revealed that on intermediate-sized Pocillopora colonies, arc-eye hawkfish prevented the establishment of damselfish by suppressing their recruitment. The demographic consequences to the host coral were substantial; in a 1-year-long experiment, intermediate-size Pocillopora occupied by hawkfish grew at half the rate of corals that hosted groups of damselfish. These findings indicate that: (1) species which occupy a biogenic habitat can enhance the provisioning rate of their habitat; (2) such positive feedbacks between community structure and ecosystem function can be disrupted by a strong interactor; (3) even substantial consequences on ecosystem processes that arise can be difficult to discern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally J Holbrook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
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Lach L, Tillberg CV, Suarez AV. Contrasting effects of an invasive ant on a native and an invasive plant. Biol Invasions 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-010-9703-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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