Uncovering how behavioral variation underlying mutualist partner quality is partitioned within a species complex of keystone seed-dispersing ants

Buono, Carmela M.; Quartuccia, G. I.; Smisko, Will; Lupinski, A. J.; Radin, A. Q. W.; Powell, Thomas H. Q.; Prior, Kirsten M.

doi:10.1007/s00040-022-00865-5

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 94 publications

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“…(DeMarco & Cognato, 2016; Ellison et al, 2012; Umphrey, 1996). In our sites, we found A. rudis and A. picea (that are polyphyletic and challenging to delineate morphologically) and monophyletic A. fulva (Buono et al, 2022; Parker et al, 2021; G. Quartuccia & C. M. Buono, unpublished data) and referred to this group as Aphaenogaster sp. in our study.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…Another source of the variation that we did not take in account was that we pooled Aphaenogaster species, given that they are challenging to tell apart in the field. Emerging work, including our own, suggests that mutualistic partner identity (among Aphaenogaster putative species and populations) can affect seed dispersal function (Buono et al, 2022; Meadley Dunphy et al, 2020; Prior et al, 2015; Prior et al, 2020; Warren & Bradford, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Seeds from A. canadense , were collected when fruits were dehiscing from local sites. We chose A. canadense , as it is a common myrmecochore in this region (although not endemic to all sites; Appendix S1: Table S1) and is preferred by Aphaenogaster (Buono et al, 2022; Prior et al, 2015). To avoid the unintentional introduction of myrmecochores to our sites, seeds were frozen at −80°C for 24 h (to render seeds inviable) and then stored at −20°C until the trials.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Myrmecochorous plants are adapted to dispersal by ants, having a lipid‐rich appendage (elaiosome) that attracts ants and provides a food reward. Myrmecochory is an asymmetrical diffuse mutualism, with one or a handful of ant species dispersing seeds of many plant species in ecosystems (Bronstein et al, 2006; Buono et al, 2022; Giladi, 2006; Gove et al, 2007; Manzaneda & Rey, 2009; Ness et al, 2009; Warren et al, 2014). Asymmetrical mutualisms are sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance, as changes in the presence, abundance, and interaction of effective animal disperser partners can alter interactions (Prior et al, 2015; Schleuning et al, 2011; Schupp, 1993; Traveset & Richardson, 2006), with cascading impacts on plant communities (Christian, 2001; Prior et al, 2015; Rogers et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Historical forest disturbance results in variation in functional resilience of seed dispersal mutualisms

Buono

Lofaso

Smisko

et al. 2023

Ecology

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Mutualistic interactions provide essential ecosystem functions that contribute to promoting and maintaining diversity in ecosystems. Understanding if functionally important mutualisms are "resilient" (i.e., able to resist or recover) to anthropogenic disturbance is essential for revealing the capacity for diversity to recover. Animal-mediated seed dispersal supports plant population growth and influences community structure, and disturbance affecting seed dispersal can contribute to low resiliency of plant diversity. Ant-seed dispersal mutualisms are sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance, as they rely on one to a few high-quality dispersal partners. In North American eastern deciduous forests, ants in the genus Aphaenogaster are "keystone dispersers" of understory forbs adapted to dispersal by ants (myrmecochores), which make up more than one-third of the understory herbaceous community. The majority of forests within this region have regenerated from previous disturbance in the form of clearing for agriculture. Previous studies have revealed that myrmecochore diversity is not resilient to previous clearing. Here, we ask if seed dispersal mutualisms are resilient to historical forest disturbance and if decreases in mutualistic interactions with partners, Aphaenogaster sp., or increases in antagonistic interactions cause degradation of function. In a large-scale natural experiment (20 sites), we measured seed removal, the abundance of mutualis-

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