Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid Argentina

Autores
Aranda Rickert, Adriana Marina; Fracchia, Sebastian
Año de publicación
2011
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Myrmecochory or seed dispersal by ants is often described as a diffuse mutualism, because many of the ant species that function as partners are considered to be similar in terms of the frequency and consequences of their interactions. In this work, we test this assumption by conducting ant community surveys and seed removal experiments in six study sites located within a semi-arid region of northwest Argentina. At each site, we characterized the ant assemblage that interacted with the seeds of Jatropha excisa Griseb. (Euphorbiaceae), an ant-dispersed native shrub. Our results demonstrate that seed removal was dominated by one species, Pogonomyrmex cunicularius Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), which was responsible of 84% of the observed seed removal events. Although several ant species were attracted to the elaiosome-bearing seeds of J. excisa, seed removal did not depend on ant community composition (species richness and ant activity) but was significantly influenced by the abundance of P. cunicularius. Its physical, behavioral, and ecological attributes are common with other ant species that have been characterized as keystone seed dispersers in other regions of the world. Nest feeding with marked seeds revealed that once P. cunicularius ants consume the elaiosomes, seeds are left inside the nests undamaged and at an appropriate depth for emergence. Our results support the hypothesis that myrmecochory is often an unevenly diffuse mutualism (i.e., one partner species is particularly important) and that at a local scale P. cunicularius is the keystone seed disperser of J. excisa.
Fil: Aranda Rickert, Adriana Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Universidad Nacional de La Rioja. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Secretaría de Industria y Minería. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Provincia de La Rioja. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja; Argentina
Fil: Fracchia, Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Universidad Nacional de La Rioja. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Secretaría de Industria y Minería. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Provincia de La Rioja. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja; Argentina
Materia
Diffuse Mutualism
Euphorbiaceae
Formicidae
Hymenoptera
Keystone Species
Myrmecochory
Myrmicinae
Seed Dispersal
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/68554
Acceder
id CONICETDig_2daa26b650a699db1b9493c7b1fc0a36
oai_identifier_str oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/68554
network_acronym_str CONICETDig
repository_id_str 3498
network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid ArgentinaAranda Rickert, Adriana MarinaFracchia, SebastianDiffuse MutualismEuphorbiaceaeFormicidaeHymenopteraKeystone SpeciesMyrmecochoryMyrmicinaeSeed Dispersalhttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1Myrmecochory or seed dispersal by ants is often described as a diffuse mutualism, because many of the ant species that function as partners are considered to be similar in terms of the frequency and consequences of their interactions. In this work, we test this assumption by conducting ant community surveys and seed removal experiments in six study sites located within a semi-arid region of northwest Argentina. At each site, we characterized the ant assemblage that interacted with the seeds of Jatropha excisa Griseb. (Euphorbiaceae), an ant-dispersed native shrub. Our results demonstrate that seed removal was dominated by one species, Pogonomyrmex cunicularius Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), which was responsible of 84% of the observed seed removal events. Although several ant species were attracted to the elaiosome-bearing seeds of J. excisa, seed removal did not depend on ant community composition (species richness and ant activity) but was significantly influenced by the abundance of P. cunicularius. Its physical, behavioral, and ecological attributes are common with other ant species that have been characterized as keystone seed dispersers in other regions of the world. Nest feeding with marked seeds revealed that once P. cunicularius ants consume the elaiosomes, seeds are left inside the nests undamaged and at an appropriate depth for emergence. Our results support the hypothesis that myrmecochory is often an unevenly diffuse mutualism (i.e., one partner species is particularly important) and that at a local scale P. cunicularius is the keystone seed disperser of J. excisa.Fil: Aranda Rickert, Adriana Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Universidad Nacional de La Rioja. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Secretaría de Industria y Minería. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Provincia de La Rioja. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Fracchia, Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Universidad Nacional de La Rioja. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Secretaría de Industria y Minería. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Provincia de La Rioja. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja; ArgentinaWiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc2011-05info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/68554Aranda Rickert, Adriana Marina; Fracchia, Sebastian; Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid Argentina; Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc; Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata; 139; 2; 5-2011; 91-1020013-8703CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1570-7458.2011.01111.x/abstractinfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/j.1570-7458.2011.01111.xinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-10-22T11:15:52Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/68554instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982025-10-22 11:15:52.856CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid Argentina
title Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid Argentina
spellingShingle Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid Argentina
Aranda Rickert, Adriana Marina
Diffuse Mutualism
Euphorbiaceae
Formicidae
Hymenoptera
Keystone Species
Myrmecochory
Myrmicinae
Seed Dispersal
title_short Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid Argentina
title_full Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid Argentina
title_fullStr Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid Argentina
title_sort Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid Argentina
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Aranda Rickert, Adriana Marina
Fracchia, Sebastian
author Aranda Rickert, Adriana Marina
author_facet Aranda Rickert, Adriana Marina
Fracchia, Sebastian
author_role author
author2 Fracchia, Sebastian
author2_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Diffuse Mutualism
Euphorbiaceae
Formicidae
Hymenoptera
Keystone Species
Myrmecochory
Myrmicinae
Seed Dispersal
topic Diffuse Mutualism
Euphorbiaceae
Formicidae
Hymenoptera
Keystone Species
Myrmecochory
Myrmicinae
Seed Dispersal
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Myrmecochory or seed dispersal by ants is often described as a diffuse mutualism, because many of the ant species that function as partners are considered to be similar in terms of the frequency and consequences of their interactions. In this work, we test this assumption by conducting ant community surveys and seed removal experiments in six study sites located within a semi-arid region of northwest Argentina. At each site, we characterized the ant assemblage that interacted with the seeds of Jatropha excisa Griseb. (Euphorbiaceae), an ant-dispersed native shrub. Our results demonstrate that seed removal was dominated by one species, Pogonomyrmex cunicularius Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), which was responsible of 84% of the observed seed removal events. Although several ant species were attracted to the elaiosome-bearing seeds of J. excisa, seed removal did not depend on ant community composition (species richness and ant activity) but was significantly influenced by the abundance of P. cunicularius. Its physical, behavioral, and ecological attributes are common with other ant species that have been characterized as keystone seed dispersers in other regions of the world. Nest feeding with marked seeds revealed that once P. cunicularius ants consume the elaiosomes, seeds are left inside the nests undamaged and at an appropriate depth for emergence. Our results support the hypothesis that myrmecochory is often an unevenly diffuse mutualism (i.e., one partner species is particularly important) and that at a local scale P. cunicularius is the keystone seed disperser of J. excisa.
Fil: Aranda Rickert, Adriana Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Universidad Nacional de La Rioja. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Secretaría de Industria y Minería. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Provincia de La Rioja. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja; Argentina
Fil: Fracchia, Sebastian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Universidad Nacional de La Rioja. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Universidad Nacional de Catamarca. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Secretaría de Industria y Minería. Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja. - Provincia de La Rioja. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja; Argentina
description Myrmecochory or seed dispersal by ants is often described as a diffuse mutualism, because many of the ant species that function as partners are considered to be similar in terms of the frequency and consequences of their interactions. In this work, we test this assumption by conducting ant community surveys and seed removal experiments in six study sites located within a semi-arid region of northwest Argentina. At each site, we characterized the ant assemblage that interacted with the seeds of Jatropha excisa Griseb. (Euphorbiaceae), an ant-dispersed native shrub. Our results demonstrate that seed removal was dominated by one species, Pogonomyrmex cunicularius Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), which was responsible of 84% of the observed seed removal events. Although several ant species were attracted to the elaiosome-bearing seeds of J. excisa, seed removal did not depend on ant community composition (species richness and ant activity) but was significantly influenced by the abundance of P. cunicularius. Its physical, behavioral, and ecological attributes are common with other ant species that have been characterized as keystone seed dispersers in other regions of the world. Nest feeding with marked seeds revealed that once P. cunicularius ants consume the elaiosomes, seeds are left inside the nests undamaged and at an appropriate depth for emergence. Our results support the hypothesis that myrmecochory is often an unevenly diffuse mutualism (i.e., one partner species is particularly important) and that at a local scale P. cunicularius is the keystone seed disperser of J. excisa.
publishDate 2011
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2011-05
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/68554
Aranda Rickert, Adriana Marina; Fracchia, Sebastian; Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid Argentina; Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc; Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata; 139; 2; 5-2011; 91-102
0013-8703
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/68554
identifier_str_mv Aranda Rickert, Adriana Marina; Fracchia, Sebastian; Pogonomyrmexcunicularius as the keystone disperser of elaiosome-bearing Jatropha excisa seeds in semi-arid Argentina; Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc; Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata; 139; 2; 5-2011; 91-102
0013-8703
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1570-7458.2011.01111.x/abstract
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/j.1570-7458.2011.01111.x
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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score 12.982451

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