From dispersal to predation: A global synthesis of ant–seed interactions

Penn, Hannah J.; Crist, Thomas O.

doi:10.1002/ece3.4377

Cited by 38 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 149 publications

(205 reference statements)

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“…Our results (53% of seeds removed) fall within this range and highlight the potential and overlooked impact ants may have on seed dispersal. It should be noted that ants can act not only as mutualists, but also as antagonists by eating harvested seeds (Levey & Byrne, 1993; Penn & Crist, 2018). Moreover, seed germination on ant nests can be lower than that on the surrounding‐site soil (Varela & Perera, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Third, seed dispersal may be altered by exploiters of the mutualism (Bronstein, 2001). For instance, pulp‐consuming birds often ingest fruit rewards without dispersing seeds (Schupp, 1993; but see Loayza & Knight, 2010), or ants may either enhance or decrease seed dispersal depending on dispersal syndrome, plant and ant species characteristics (Penn & Crist, 2018). These examples of different multispecies and multitrophic interactions unveil some of the complexity in interaction networks, whose ecological and evolutionary influences on the outcome of beneficial pairwise interactions have seldom been addressed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Selection on fruit traits is mediated by the interplay between frugivorous birds, fruit flies, parasitoid wasps and seed‐dispersing ants

Palacio

Siepielski

Lacoretz

et al. 2020

J of Evolutionary Biology

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Every organism on Earth must cope with a multitude of species interactions both directly and indirectly throughout its life cycle. However, how selection from multiple species occupying different trophic levels affects diffuse mutualisms has received little attention. As a result, how a given species amalgamates the combined effects of selection from multiple mutualists and antagonists to enhance its own fitness remains little understood. We investigated how multispecies interactions (frugivorous birds, ants, fruit flies and parasitoid wasps) generate selection on fruit traits in a seed dispersal mutualism. We used structural equation models to assess whether seed dispersers (frugivorous birds and ants) exerted phenotypic selection on fruit and seed traits in the spiny hackberry (Celtis ehrenbergiana), a fleshy-fruited tree, and how these selection regimes were influenced by fruit fly infestation and wasp parasitoidism levels. Birds exerted negative correlational selection on the combination of fruit crop size and mean seed weight, favouring either large crops with small seeds or small crops with large seeds. Parasitoids selected plants with higher fruit fly infestation levels, and fruit flies exerted positive directional selection on fruit size, which was positively correlated with seed weight. Therefore, higher parasitoidism indirectly correlated with higher plant fitness through increased bird fruit removal. In addition, ants exerted negative directional selection on mean seed weight. Our results show that strong selection on phenotypic traits may still arise in perceived diffuse species interactions. Overall, we emphasize the need to consider diverse direct and indirect partners to achieve a better understanding of the mechanisms driving phenotypic trait evolution in multispecies interactions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selection on fruit traits is mediated by the interplay between frugivorous birds, fruit flies, parasitoid wasps and seed‐dispersing ants

Palacio

Siepielski

Lacoretz

et al. 2020

J of Evolutionary Biology

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“…Ants represent a key group to examine functional and taxonomic diversity because they are diverse, abundant, and have an essential role as ecosystem engineers, especially in drylands where they are often associated with important ecological functions (e.g. enhancing soil properties and seed dispersal) 15 , 16 . Ant communities are shaped by abiotic, namely small-spatial scale (local) environmental factors, such as plant composition, vegetation structure, soil characteristics and productivity 17 , 18 and large-scale (regional) climate variables, such as temperature and precipitation 19 , 20 and biotic interactions, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local environmental variables are key drivers of ant taxonomic and functional beta-diversity in a Mediterranean dryland

Wendt

Ceia-Hasse

Nunes

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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The decomposition of beta-diversity (β-diversity) into its replacement (βrepl) and richness (βrich) components in combination with a taxonomic and functional approach, may help to identify processes driving community composition along environmental gradients. We aimed to understand which abiotic and spatial variables influence ant β-diversity and identify which processes may drive ant β-diversity patterns in Mediterranean drylands by measuring the percentage of variation in ant taxonomic and functional β-diversity explained by local environmental, regional climatic and spatial variables. We found that taxonomic and functional replacement (βrepl) primarily drove patterns in overall β-diversity (βtot). Variation partitioning analysis showed that respectively 16.8%, 12.9% and 21.6% of taxonomic βtot, βrepl and βrich variation were mainly explained by local environmental variables. Local environmental variables were also the main determinants of functional β-diversity, explaining 20.4%, 17.9% and 23.2% of βtot, βrepl and βrich variation, respectively. Findings suggest that niche-based processes drive changes in ant β-diversity, as local environmental variables may act as environmental filters on species and trait composition. While we found that local environmental variables were important predictors of ant β-diversity, further analysis should address the contribution of other mechanisms, e.g. competitive exclusion and resource partitioning, on ant β-diversity.

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“…The relationship between some chaparral plants and granivores through secondary dispersal (diplochory) has been well documented and previous chaparral studies have recorded seed preferences of rodents and their role as secondary dispersers through scatter hoarding and seed caches [21]. Several studies have documented ant-mediated seed dispersal in grasslands and other Mediterranean habitats [22][23][24][25] through caching of seeds within or near nests. This appears to be particularly significant in semi-arid habitats [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extended seed rain period of Adenostoma fasciculatum impacts diverse seed predators

Garaventa

Parker

2021

PLoS ONE

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Aims The principal chaparral species in California, Adenostoma fasciculatum, an evergreen, sclerophyllous shrub, is broadly distributed and provides habitat and food resources for a large and diverse animal community. The effects of climate change, including elevated temperatures, fire frequency and severity, along with increased urban encroachment, have placed pressure on chaparral habitats in California. Our goal is to investigate aspects of reproductive ecology as a measure of the potential resiliency of A. fasciculatum. We focus on seed rain (all seed falling into the seed traps regardless of origin) and seed banks in the context of plant-animal interactions and regeneration. Methods Stand recovery following disturbance is achieved through both resprouting and germination from established persistent soil seed banks. In this study we focus on seed ecology using a series of experiments to document the length and quantity of seed rain, seed predation, parsing the importance of the community of granivores, and evaluating the connection between stand age and germination rate from soil seed banks. Important findings Our research documented an 8-month seed rain duration with over 1 million seeds per m2, multiple seed predators including passerines (songbirds) and rodents, and points to the possibility of native ants playing a role in the seed dispersal process. This is important given the recent advancement of the invasive Argentine ant (Linepthema humile) into Californian chaparral. This research demonstrates a clear relationship between A. fasciculatum and both resident and migratory granivores in the chaparral. We documented that a 39-year-old stand had higher germination rates than those which were 16, 20, 41 and 71 years old and how seed banks play a major role in assuring resiliency following fire. These findings are important for wildland managers to assure the continued resiliency of A. fasciculatum.

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From dispersal to predation: A global synthesis of ant–seed interactions

Cited by 38 publications

References 149 publications

Selection on fruit traits is mediated by the interplay between frugivorous birds, fruit flies, parasitoid wasps and seed‐dispersing ants

Selection on fruit traits is mediated by the interplay between frugivorous birds, fruit flies, parasitoid wasps and seed‐dispersing ants

Local environmental variables are key drivers of ant taxonomic and functional beta-diversity in a Mediterranean dryland

Extended seed rain period of Adenostoma fasciculatum impacts diverse seed predators

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