An Unusual Animal‐plant Interaction: Feeding of Schomburgkia Tibicinis (Orchidaceae) by Ants

Rico-Gray, Víctor; Barber, John T.; Thien, Leonard B.; Ellgaard, Erik G.; Toney, Jeffrey J.

doi:10.1002/j.1537-2197.1989.tb11352.x

Cited by 39 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…As a result, it has long been supposed that the plants also benefit from nutrients originating from ant waste based on the fact that colonies concentrate nutrients for the plants when they install themselves at the base of FB-or EFN-bearing plants (Wagner, 1997; see also Heil et al ., 2001b). This trait has major importance for many myrmecophytic epiphytes that obtain nutrients from ant waste deposited in their absorptive chambers (Benzing, 1970;Janzen, 1974;Huxley, 1978;Rickson, 1979;Rico-Gray et al ., 1989;Treseder, Davidson & Ehleringer, 1995). Evidence of this type of mutualistic interaction, so-called myrmecotrophy (see Beattie, 1989;Benzing, 1991), has also been noted for myrmecophytic geophytes such as Malaysian rattan palms (Rickson & Rickson, 1986) and Neotropical Cecropia (Sagers, Ginger & Evans, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ant-fed plants: comparison between three geophytic myrmecophytes

Solano

Déjean

2004

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

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In their association with myrmecophytes (i.e. plants that shelter a limited number of ant species in hollow structures), ants sometimes provide only poor biotic protection for their host plants, but may supply them with nutrients (myrmecotrophy). We studied three geophytic myrmecophytes growing in the understorey of Guianian rain forests. Allomerus ants build spongy-looking galleries rich in detritus and insect debris over the stems of their host plants [ Cordia nodosa Lamark (Boraginaceae) and Hirtella physophora Martius & Zuccharini (Chrysobalanaceae)], while Pheidole minutula Mayr colonies deposit their waste in the leaf pouches of their host plant [ Maieta guianensis Aublet (Melastomataceae)]. This waste is more nitrogen-rich than that found in the Allomerus galleries, themselves containing more nitrogen than the plant leaves. Using stable isotope analysis we noted a significant difference in d 15 N between ant-occupied and unoccupied plants only for Maieta , for which 80% of the host plant nitrogen is derived from Pheidole waste. Experiments on all three plants using a 15 N-supplemented solution of NH 4 Cl confirmed these results, with an increase in this isotope noted between control and experimental plants only for Maieta . The internal surfaces of Maieta leaf pouches bear protuberances whose likely role is to absorb nutrients from the Pheidole waste. The alternative hypothesis, that these protuberances play a role in provisioning ants, was rejected after comparing their structure with those of extrafloral nectaries and food bodies in a histological study.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ant-fed plants: comparison between three geophytic myrmecophytes

Solano

Déjean

2004

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

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“…In Australasia, the majority of ant-plants are epiphytes and appear to be primarily involved in trophic mutualisms rather than defense mutualisms (22,24). An epiphytic habit means uneven water and nutrient supplies (26), and mutualisms with plant-nesting ants that provide detritus and feces to their host (27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34) are thus common among epiphytes (22). These mutualistic symbioses range from facultative interactions involving many arboreal ant species to obligate interactions that can be species-specific (17,28,32,34,35).…”

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confidence: 99%

Partner abundance controls mutualism stability and the pace of morphological change over geologic time

Chomicki

Renner

2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Mutualisms that involve symbioses among specialized partners may be more stable than mutualisms among generalists, and theoretical models predict that in many mutualisms, partners exert reciprocal stabilizing selection on traits directly involved in the interaction. A corollary is that mutualism breakdown should increase morphological rates of evolution. We here use the largest ant-plant clade (Hydnophytinae), with different levels of specialization for mutualistic ant symbionts, to study the ecological context of mutualism breakdown and the response of a key symbiosis-related trait, domatium entrance hole size, which filters symbionts by size. Our analyses support three predictions from mutualism theory. First, all 12 losses apparently only occur from a generalist symbiotic state. Second, mutualism losses occurred where symbionts are scarce, in our system at high altitudes. Third, domatium entrance hole size barely changes in specialized symbiotic species, but evolves rapidly once symbiosis with ants has broken down, with a "morphorate map" revealing that hotspots of entrance hole evolution are clustered in high-altitude areas. Our study reveals that mutualistic strategy profoundly affects the pace of morphological change in traits involved in the interaction and suggests that shifts in partners' relative abundances may frequently drive reversions of generalist mutualisms to autonomy. mutualism | symbiosis | morphology | comparative phylogenetic methods | ants U nderstanding how mutualisms arise, persist, or break down is a major focus in ecology and evolutionary biology (1-3). Symbiotic mutualisms can revert to the free-living state if the costto-benefit ratio shifts so that costs outweigh benefits. There are three main pathways through which mutualism can break down, namely, extinction of the partner, reversion to the free-living state, or shift to parasitism (2). Extinction of one partner in an obligate mutualism should entail the extinction of the other, whereas in a facultative mutualism, extinction might lead to a reversion to autonomy (4-8), but these predictions have limited support from empirical studies. Similarly, mutualism could also break down if one partner becomes scarce, which may be especially important in laterally transferred symbioses where partners disperse independently and the interaction needs to be reestablished at each generation, involving vulnerable stages for both. Mutualisms can also break down by shifting to parasitism. Such shifts are predicted by theory (9, 10) because reducing or stopping reciprocation increases the fitness of the cheating partner (11)(12)(13)(14). Phylogenetically unrelated freeloaders may also disrupt a mutualism by exploiting it (15-18). Finally, mutualism can break down if benefits can be obtained cheaply or freely from the environment, for example, when plants involved in mycorrhizal or rhizobia symbioses grow in nutrient-rich soils (19,20) or when antiherbivore defense by ant mutualists is no longer required (21). Most of these theoretical expectations ab...

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“…By tracing radioactive or stable isotope‐labelled substances, numerous studies have found evidence of nutrient absorption from ant nests to plant tissues (Rico‐Gray et al . ; Treseder, Davidson & Ehleringer ; Sagers, Ginger & Evans ; Sternberg et al . ; Farji‐Brener & Ghermandi ; Wagner & Nicklen ; Lescano et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of ant nests on soil fertility and plant performance: a meta‐analysis

Farji‐Brener

Werenkraut

2017

Journal of Animal Ecology

110

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Ants are recognized as one of the major sources of soil disturbance world-wide. However, this view is largely based on isolated studies and qualitative reviews. Here, for the first time, we quantitatively determined whether ant nests affect soil fertility and plant performance, and identified the possible sources of variation of these effects. Using Bayesian mixed-models meta-analysis, we tested the hypotheses that ant effects on soil fertility and plant performance depend on the substrate sampled, ant feeding type, latitude, habitat and the plant response variable measured. Ant nests showed higher nutrient and cation content than adjacent non-nest soil samples, but similar pH. Nutrient content was higher in ant refuse materials than in nest soils. The fertilizer effect of ant nests was also higher in dry habitats than in grasslands or savannas. Cation content was higher in nests of plant-feeding ants than in nests of omnivorous species, and lower in nests from agro-ecosystems than in nests from any other habitat. Plants showed higher green/root biomass and fitness on ant nests soils than in adjacent, non-nest sites; but plant density and diversity were unaffected by the presence of ant nests. Root growth was particularly higher in refuse materials than in ant nest soils, in leaf-cutting ant nests and in deserts habitats. Our results confirm the major role of ant nests in influencing soil fertility and vegetation patterns and provide information about the factors that mediate these effects. First, ant nests improve soil fertility mainly through the accumulation of refuse materials. Thus, different refuse dump locations (external or in underground nest chambers) could benefit different vegetation life-forms. Second, ant nests could increase plant diversity at larger spatial scales only if the identity of favoured plants changes along environmental gradients (i.e. enhancing β-diversity). Third, ant species that feed on plants play a relevant role fertilizing soils, which may balance their known influence as primary consumers. Fourth, the effects of ant nests as fertility islands are larger in arid lands, possibly because fertility is intrinsically lower in these habitats. Overall, this study provide novel and quantitative evidence confirming that ant nests are key soil modifiers, emphasizing their role as ecological engineers.

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An Unusual Animal‐plant Interaction: Feeding of Schomburgkia Tibicinis (Orchidaceae) by Ants

Cited by 39 publications

References 8 publications

Ant-fed plants: comparison between three geophytic myrmecophytes

Ant-fed plants: comparison between three geophytic myrmecophytes

Partner abundance controls mutualism stability and the pace of morphological change over geologic time

The effects of ant nests on soil fertility and plant performance: a meta‐analysis

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