Pericarpial nectary-visiting ants do not provide fruit protection against pre-dispersal seed predators regardless of ant species composition and resource availability
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2017 |
Outros Autores: | , , |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Institucional da UNESP |
Texto Completo: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188445 http://hdl.handle.net/11449/159938 |
Resumo: | Extrafloral nectaries can occur in both vegetative and reproductive plant structures. In many Rubiaceae species in the Brazilian Cerrado, after corolla abscission, the floral nectary continues to secret nectar throughout fruit development originating post-floral pericarpial nectaries which commonly attract many ant species. The occurrence of such nectar secreting structures might be strategic for fruit protection against seed predators, as plants are expected to invest higher on more valuable and vulnerable parts. Here, we performed ant exclusion experiments to investigate whether the interaction with ants mediated by the pericarpial nectaries of Tocoyena formosa affects plant reproductive success by reducing the number of pre-dispersal seed predators. We also assessed whether ant protection was dependent on ant species composition and resource availability. Although most of the plants were visited by large and aggressive ant species, such as Ectatomma tuberculatum and species of the genus Camponotus, ants did not protect fruits against seed predators. Furthermore, the result of the interaction was neither related to ant species composition nor to the availability of resources. We suggest that these results may be related to the nature and behavior of the most important seed predators, like Hemicolpus abdominalis weevil which the exoskeleton toughness prevent it from being predated by most ant species. On the other hand, not explored factors, such as reward quality, local ant abundance, ant colony characteristics and/or the presence of alternative energetic sources could also account for variations in ant frequency, composition, and finally ant protective effects, highlighting the conditionality of facultative plant-ant mutualisms. |
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Pericarpial nectary-visiting ants do not provide fruit protection against pre-dispersal seed predators regardless of ant species composition and resource availabilityExtrafloral nectaries can occur in both vegetative and reproductive plant structures. In many Rubiaceae species in the Brazilian Cerrado, after corolla abscission, the floral nectary continues to secret nectar throughout fruit development originating post-floral pericarpial nectaries which commonly attract many ant species. The occurrence of such nectar secreting structures might be strategic for fruit protection against seed predators, as plants are expected to invest higher on more valuable and vulnerable parts. Here, we performed ant exclusion experiments to investigate whether the interaction with ants mediated by the pericarpial nectaries of Tocoyena formosa affects plant reproductive success by reducing the number of pre-dispersal seed predators. We also assessed whether ant protection was dependent on ant species composition and resource availability. Although most of the plants were visited by large and aggressive ant species, such as Ectatomma tuberculatum and species of the genus Camponotus, ants did not protect fruits against seed predators. Furthermore, the result of the interaction was neither related to ant species composition nor to the availability of resources. We suggest that these results may be related to the nature and behavior of the most important seed predators, like Hemicolpus abdominalis weevil which the exoskeleton toughness prevent it from being predated by most ant species. On the other hand, not explored factors, such as reward quality, local ant abundance, ant colony characteristics and/or the presence of alternative energetic sources could also account for variations in ant frequency, composition, and finally ant protective effects, highlighting the conditionality of facultative plant-ant mutualisms.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Univ Estadual Paulista, LEPI, Programa Posgrad Ciencias Biol Bot, Inst Biociencias, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Estadual Campinas, Dept Biol Anim, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Nacl Cordoba, CONICET, Inst Multidisciplinario Biol Vegetal, Cordoba, ArgentinaUniv Estadual Paulista, LEPI, Dept Bot, Inst Biociencias, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, LEPI, Programa Posgrad Ciencias Biol Bot, Inst Biociencias, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, LEPI, Dept Bot, Inst Biociencias, Sao Paulo, BrazilCNPq: 484469/2013-2014FAPESP: 14/16082-9Public Library ScienceUniversidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)Univ Nacl CordobaSanz-Veiga, Priscila Andre [UNESP]Jorge, Leonardo ReBenitez-Vieyra, SantiagoAmorim, Felipe W. [UNESP]2018-11-26T15:45:49Z2018-11-26T15:45:49Z2017-12-06info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/article18application/pdfhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188445Plos One. San Francisco: Public Library Science, v. 12, n. 12, 18 p., 2017.1932-6203http://hdl.handle.net/11449/15993810.1371/journal.pone.0188445WOS:000417212200033WOS000417212200033.pdf16169974029545310000-0002-6026-0395Web of Sciencereponame:Repositório Institucional da UNESPinstname:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)instacron:UNESPengPlos One1,164info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess2023-11-11T06:14:36Zoai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/159938Repositório InstitucionalPUBhttp://repositorio.unesp.br/oai/requestopendoar:29462024-08-05T17:24:41.192797Repositório Institucional da UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)false |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Pericarpial nectary-visiting ants do not provide fruit protection against pre-dispersal seed predators regardless of ant species composition and resource availability |
title |
Pericarpial nectary-visiting ants do not provide fruit protection against pre-dispersal seed predators regardless of ant species composition and resource availability |
spellingShingle |
Pericarpial nectary-visiting ants do not provide fruit protection against pre-dispersal seed predators regardless of ant species composition and resource availability Sanz-Veiga, Priscila Andre [UNESP] |
title_short |
Pericarpial nectary-visiting ants do not provide fruit protection against pre-dispersal seed predators regardless of ant species composition and resource availability |
title_full |
Pericarpial nectary-visiting ants do not provide fruit protection against pre-dispersal seed predators regardless of ant species composition and resource availability |
title_fullStr |
Pericarpial nectary-visiting ants do not provide fruit protection against pre-dispersal seed predators regardless of ant species composition and resource availability |
title_full_unstemmed |
Pericarpial nectary-visiting ants do not provide fruit protection against pre-dispersal seed predators regardless of ant species composition and resource availability |
title_sort |
Pericarpial nectary-visiting ants do not provide fruit protection against pre-dispersal seed predators regardless of ant species composition and resource availability |
author |
Sanz-Veiga, Priscila Andre [UNESP] |
author_facet |
Sanz-Veiga, Priscila Andre [UNESP] Jorge, Leonardo Re Benitez-Vieyra, Santiago Amorim, Felipe W. [UNESP] |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Jorge, Leonardo Re Benitez-Vieyra, Santiago Amorim, Felipe W. [UNESP] |
author2_role |
author author author |
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv |
Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) Univ Nacl Cordoba |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Sanz-Veiga, Priscila Andre [UNESP] Jorge, Leonardo Re Benitez-Vieyra, Santiago Amorim, Felipe W. [UNESP] |
description |
Extrafloral nectaries can occur in both vegetative and reproductive plant structures. In many Rubiaceae species in the Brazilian Cerrado, after corolla abscission, the floral nectary continues to secret nectar throughout fruit development originating post-floral pericarpial nectaries which commonly attract many ant species. The occurrence of such nectar secreting structures might be strategic for fruit protection against seed predators, as plants are expected to invest higher on more valuable and vulnerable parts. Here, we performed ant exclusion experiments to investigate whether the interaction with ants mediated by the pericarpial nectaries of Tocoyena formosa affects plant reproductive success by reducing the number of pre-dispersal seed predators. We also assessed whether ant protection was dependent on ant species composition and resource availability. Although most of the plants were visited by large and aggressive ant species, such as Ectatomma tuberculatum and species of the genus Camponotus, ants did not protect fruits against seed predators. Furthermore, the result of the interaction was neither related to ant species composition nor to the availability of resources. We suggest that these results may be related to the nature and behavior of the most important seed predators, like Hemicolpus abdominalis weevil which the exoskeleton toughness prevent it from being predated by most ant species. On the other hand, not explored factors, such as reward quality, local ant abundance, ant colony characteristics and/or the presence of alternative energetic sources could also account for variations in ant frequency, composition, and finally ant protective effects, highlighting the conditionality of facultative plant-ant mutualisms. |
publishDate |
2017 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2017-12-06 2018-11-26T15:45:49Z 2018-11-26T15:45:49Z |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188445 Plos One. San Francisco: Public Library Science, v. 12, n. 12, 18 p., 2017. 1932-6203 http://hdl.handle.net/11449/159938 10.1371/journal.pone.0188445 WOS:000417212200033 WOS000417212200033.pdf 1616997402954531 0000-0002-6026-0395 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188445 http://hdl.handle.net/11449/159938 |
identifier_str_mv |
Plos One. San Francisco: Public Library Science, v. 12, n. 12, 18 p., 2017. 1932-6203 10.1371/journal.pone.0188445 WOS:000417212200033 WOS000417212200033.pdf 1616997402954531 0000-0002-6026-0395 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
Plos One 1,164 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
18 application/pdf |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Public Library Science |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Public Library Science |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Web of Science reponame:Repositório Institucional da UNESP instname:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) instacron:UNESP |
instname_str |
Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) |
instacron_str |
UNESP |
institution |
UNESP |
reponame_str |
Repositório Institucional da UNESP |
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Repositório Institucional da UNESP |
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Repositório Institucional da UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) |
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1808128806064488448 |