Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activity

Autores
Alma, Andrea Marina; Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo; Elizalde, Luciana
Año de publicación
2016
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
The fitness and survival of organisms ultimately depend on their feeding. Therefore, foraging behaviors should be selected to maximize cost-benefit ratio. Wind may restrict and modify animal movements increasing the cost of foraging, especially when the animal carries resources that intercept wind. We quantified the effect of wind on the foraging of leaf-cutting ants and evaluated whether this effect varies with 1) leaf fragment traits, such as area, mass, and shape, and 2) the characteristics of the foraging trail system. We also tested whether these ants show a short-term response to wind by selecting loads with characteristics that reduce wind interception, and a long-term response, by arranging the spatial design of the trail system in a way that reduces that effect. We found that in windy conditions, the speed of loaded ants was reduced by 55%, and ants were blown off the trail 28 times more than in windless conditions. However, wind only affected ants walking along trails that were perpendicular to wind direction or parallel upwind. Wind effect increased with area, mass, and shape of loads. At the short term, ants reduced the negative effect of wind by selecting smaller, lighter, or more elongated loads. However, trails showed no particular spatial distribution in relation to wind direction. This is the first study that quantifies the negative consequences of wind on leaf-cutting ants' foraging and reports behaviors that can reduce this effect. Our work illustrates how short-term behavioral responses can mitigate the negative effect of an understudied environmental factor on ant foraging.
Fil: Alma, Andrea Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina
Fil: Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina
Fil: Elizalde, Luciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina
Materia
ABIOTIC FACTORS
ACROMYRMEX
FORAGE
RESOURCE SELECTION
SPEED
TRAIL SYSTEM
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:11336/61057
Acceder
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repository_id_str 3498
network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activityAlma, Andrea MarinaFarji Brener, Alejandro GustavoElizalde, LucianaABIOTIC FACTORSACROMYRMEXFORAGERESOURCE SELECTIONSPEEDTRAIL SYSTEMhttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1The fitness and survival of organisms ultimately depend on their feeding. Therefore, foraging behaviors should be selected to maximize cost-benefit ratio. Wind may restrict and modify animal movements increasing the cost of foraging, especially when the animal carries resources that intercept wind. We quantified the effect of wind on the foraging of leaf-cutting ants and evaluated whether this effect varies with 1) leaf fragment traits, such as area, mass, and shape, and 2) the characteristics of the foraging trail system. We also tested whether these ants show a short-term response to wind by selecting loads with characteristics that reduce wind interception, and a long-term response, by arranging the spatial design of the trail system in a way that reduces that effect. We found that in windy conditions, the speed of loaded ants was reduced by 55%, and ants were blown off the trail 28 times more than in windless conditions. However, wind only affected ants walking along trails that were perpendicular to wind direction or parallel upwind. Wind effect increased with area, mass, and shape of loads. At the short term, ants reduced the negative effect of wind by selecting smaller, lighter, or more elongated loads. However, trails showed no particular spatial distribution in relation to wind direction. This is the first study that quantifies the negative consequences of wind on leaf-cutting ants' foraging and reports behaviors that can reduce this effect. Our work illustrates how short-term behavioral responses can mitigate the negative effect of an understudied environmental factor on ant foraging.Fil: Alma, Andrea Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Elizalde, Luciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaOxford Univ Press Inc2016-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/61057Alma, Andrea Marina; Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo; Elizalde, Luciana; Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activity; Oxford Univ Press Inc; Behavioral Ecology; 27; 4; 1-2016; 1017-10241045-2249CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1093/beheco/arw007info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/27/4/1017/1742734info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-12-23T14:51:36Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/61057instacron: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:34982025-12-23 14:51:36.41CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activity
title Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activity
spellingShingle Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activity
Alma, Andrea Marina
ABIOTIC FACTORS
ACROMYRMEX
FORAGE
RESOURCE SELECTION
SPEED
TRAIL SYSTEM
title_short Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activity
title_full Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activity
title_fullStr Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activity
title_full_unstemmed Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activity
title_sort Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activity
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Alma, Andrea Marina
Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo
Elizalde, Luciana
author Alma, Andrea Marina
author_facet Alma, Andrea Marina
Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo
Elizalde, Luciana
author_role author
author2 Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo
Elizalde, Luciana
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv ABIOTIC FACTORS
ACROMYRMEX
FORAGE
RESOURCE SELECTION
SPEED
TRAIL SYSTEM
topic ABIOTIC FACTORS
ACROMYRMEX
FORAGE
RESOURCE SELECTION
SPEED
TRAIL SYSTEM
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv The fitness and survival of organisms ultimately depend on their feeding. Therefore, foraging behaviors should be selected to maximize cost-benefit ratio. Wind may restrict and modify animal movements increasing the cost of foraging, especially when the animal carries resources that intercept wind. We quantified the effect of wind on the foraging of leaf-cutting ants and evaluated whether this effect varies with 1) leaf fragment traits, such as area, mass, and shape, and 2) the characteristics of the foraging trail system. We also tested whether these ants show a short-term response to wind by selecting loads with characteristics that reduce wind interception, and a long-term response, by arranging the spatial design of the trail system in a way that reduces that effect. We found that in windy conditions, the speed of loaded ants was reduced by 55%, and ants were blown off the trail 28 times more than in windless conditions. However, wind only affected ants walking along trails that were perpendicular to wind direction or parallel upwind. Wind effect increased with area, mass, and shape of loads. At the short term, ants reduced the negative effect of wind by selecting smaller, lighter, or more elongated loads. However, trails showed no particular spatial distribution in relation to wind direction. This is the first study that quantifies the negative consequences of wind on leaf-cutting ants' foraging and reports behaviors that can reduce this effect. Our work illustrates how short-term behavioral responses can mitigate the negative effect of an understudied environmental factor on ant foraging.
Fil: Alma, Andrea Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina
Fil: Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina
Fil: Elizalde, Luciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina
description The fitness and survival of organisms ultimately depend on their feeding. Therefore, foraging behaviors should be selected to maximize cost-benefit ratio. Wind may restrict and modify animal movements increasing the cost of foraging, especially when the animal carries resources that intercept wind. We quantified the effect of wind on the foraging of leaf-cutting ants and evaluated whether this effect varies with 1) leaf fragment traits, such as area, mass, and shape, and 2) the characteristics of the foraging trail system. We also tested whether these ants show a short-term response to wind by selecting loads with characteristics that reduce wind interception, and a long-term response, by arranging the spatial design of the trail system in a way that reduces that effect. We found that in windy conditions, the speed of loaded ants was reduced by 55%, and ants were blown off the trail 28 times more than in windless conditions. However, wind only affected ants walking along trails that were perpendicular to wind direction or parallel upwind. Wind effect increased with area, mass, and shape of loads. At the short term, ants reduced the negative effect of wind by selecting smaller, lighter, or more elongated loads. However, trails showed no particular spatial distribution in relation to wind direction. This is the first study that quantifies the negative consequences of wind on leaf-cutting ants' foraging and reports behaviors that can reduce this effect. Our work illustrates how short-term behavioral responses can mitigate the negative effect of an understudied environmental factor on ant foraging.
publishDate 2016
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2016-01
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/11336/61057
Alma, Andrea Marina; Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo; Elizalde, Luciana; Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activity; Oxford Univ Press Inc; Behavioral Ecology; 27; 4; 1-2016; 1017-1024
1045-2249
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/61057
identifier_str_mv Alma, Andrea Marina; Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo; Elizalde, Luciana; Gone with the wind: Short- and long-term responses of leaf-cutting ants to the negative effect of wind on their foraging activity; Oxford Univ Press Inc; Behavioral Ecology; 27; 4; 1-2016; 1017-1024
1045-2249
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1093/beheco/arw007
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/27/4/1017/1742734
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
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Oxford Univ Press Inc
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Oxford Univ Press 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 12.952241

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