Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina

Autores
Pirk, Gabriela Inés; Lopez de Casenave, Javier Nestor; Pol, Rodrigo Gabriel; Marone, Luis; Milesi, Fernando Adrian
Año de publicación
2009
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Harvester ants usually go through temporal fluctuations in environmental seed abundance and composition which could influence their behaviour and ecology. The aim of this study was to evaluate how these fluctuations influence the diet of Pogonomyrmex rastratus, P. pronotalis and P. inermis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the central Monte desert during three consecutive growing seasons. Although seeds were the main item in the diet, these ants turned more generalist when seed abundance of the most consumed species (grasses Aristida spp., Trichloris crinita, Pappophorum spp., Digitaria californica and Stipa ichu) was low. Accordingly, diversity of items in the diet decreased with seed abundance in a logarithmical fashion, showing higher foraging efficiency for seeds at higher seed abundance. Seed diversity, however, was not related to seed abundance as ants always included several species in their diet, with alternating prevalence. The proportion of the most consumed species increased logarithmically in the diet of P. rastratus and P. pronotalis along with their abundance in the environment probably as a consequence of diet switching (from forb and shrub seeds to grass seeds) and by an increase in foraging efficiency at higher seed densities. In contrast, foraging activity of P. inermis was very low at low seed abundance and its diet included only the five grasses. Among the most consumed species, proportion in the diet was not associated with relative abundance in the environment. Aristida spp., Pappophorum spp. and D. californica were overall highly selected. However, the flexibility in the diet of P. pronotalis and P. rastratus and the low foraging activity of P. inermis during periods of low resource abundance could attenuate potential top-down effects in the central Monte desert. This study shows that bottom-up effects are important in ant-seed interactions and should be considered when predicting and evaluating ants' effects on seed resources.
Fil: Pirk, Gabriela Inés. 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. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Laboratorio de Ecotono; Argentina
Fil: Lopez de Casenave, Javier Nestor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Comunidades del Desierto; Argentina
Fil: Pol, Rodrigo Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Comunidades del Desierto; Argentina
Fil: Marone, Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Comunidades del Desierto; Argentina. Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile
Fil: Milesi, Fernando Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Comunidades del Desierto; Argentina
Materia
Bottom-Up Effect
Desert Community
Granivory
Harvester Ant
Seed Abundance
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:11336/77279
Acceder
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network_acronym_str CONICETDig
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network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, ArgentinaPirk, Gabriela InésLopez de Casenave, Javier NestorPol, Rodrigo GabrielMarone, LuisMilesi, Fernando AdrianBottom-Up EffectDesert CommunityGranivoryHarvester AntSeed Abundancehttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1Harvester ants usually go through temporal fluctuations in environmental seed abundance and composition which could influence their behaviour and ecology. The aim of this study was to evaluate how these fluctuations influence the diet of Pogonomyrmex rastratus, P. pronotalis and P. inermis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the central Monte desert during three consecutive growing seasons. Although seeds were the main item in the diet, these ants turned more generalist when seed abundance of the most consumed species (grasses Aristida spp., Trichloris crinita, Pappophorum spp., Digitaria californica and Stipa ichu) was low. Accordingly, diversity of items in the diet decreased with seed abundance in a logarithmical fashion, showing higher foraging efficiency for seeds at higher seed abundance. Seed diversity, however, was not related to seed abundance as ants always included several species in their diet, with alternating prevalence. The proportion of the most consumed species increased logarithmically in the diet of P. rastratus and P. pronotalis along with their abundance in the environment probably as a consequence of diet switching (from forb and shrub seeds to grass seeds) and by an increase in foraging efficiency at higher seed densities. In contrast, foraging activity of P. inermis was very low at low seed abundance and its diet included only the five grasses. Among the most consumed species, proportion in the diet was not associated with relative abundance in the environment. Aristida spp., Pappophorum spp. and D. californica were overall highly selected. However, the flexibility in the diet of P. pronotalis and P. rastratus and the low foraging activity of P. inermis during periods of low resource abundance could attenuate potential top-down effects in the central Monte desert. This study shows that bottom-up effects are important in ant-seed interactions and should be considered when predicting and evaluating ants' effects on seed resources.Fil: Pirk, Gabriela Inés. 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. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Laboratorio de Ecotono; ArgentinaFil: Lopez de Casenave, Javier Nestor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Comunidades del Desierto; ArgentinaFil: Pol, Rodrigo Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Comunidades del Desierto; ArgentinaFil: Marone, Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Comunidades del Desierto; Argentina. Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Milesi, Fernando Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Comunidades del Desierto; ArgentinaWiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc2009-12-19info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/77279Pirk, Gabriela Inés; Lopez de Casenave, Javier Nestor; Pol, Rodrigo Gabriel; Marone, Luis; Milesi, Fernando Adrian; Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina; Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc; Austral Ecology; 34; 8; 19-12-2009; 908-9191442-9985CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.01999.xinfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.01999.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 Técnicas2025-09-29T09:57:33Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/77279instacron: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:34982025-09-29 09:57:34.179CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina
title Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina
spellingShingle Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina
Pirk, Gabriela Inés
Bottom-Up Effect
Desert Community
Granivory
Harvester Ant
Seed Abundance
title_short Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina
title_full Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina
title_fullStr Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina
title_sort Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Pirk, Gabriela Inés
Lopez de Casenave, Javier Nestor
Pol, Rodrigo Gabriel
Marone, Luis
Milesi, Fernando Adrian
author Pirk, Gabriela Inés
author_facet Pirk, Gabriela Inés
Lopez de Casenave, Javier Nestor
Pol, Rodrigo Gabriel
Marone, Luis
Milesi, Fernando Adrian
author_role author
author2 Lopez de Casenave, Javier Nestor
Pol, Rodrigo Gabriel
Marone, Luis
Milesi, Fernando Adrian
author2_role author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Bottom-Up Effect
Desert Community
Granivory
Harvester Ant
Seed Abundance
topic Bottom-Up Effect
Desert Community
Granivory
Harvester Ant
Seed Abundance
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Harvester ants usually go through temporal fluctuations in environmental seed abundance and composition which could influence their behaviour and ecology. The aim of this study was to evaluate how these fluctuations influence the diet of Pogonomyrmex rastratus, P. pronotalis and P. inermis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the central Monte desert during three consecutive growing seasons. Although seeds were the main item in the diet, these ants turned more generalist when seed abundance of the most consumed species (grasses Aristida spp., Trichloris crinita, Pappophorum spp., Digitaria californica and Stipa ichu) was low. Accordingly, diversity of items in the diet decreased with seed abundance in a logarithmical fashion, showing higher foraging efficiency for seeds at higher seed abundance. Seed diversity, however, was not related to seed abundance as ants always included several species in their diet, with alternating prevalence. The proportion of the most consumed species increased logarithmically in the diet of P. rastratus and P. pronotalis along with their abundance in the environment probably as a consequence of diet switching (from forb and shrub seeds to grass seeds) and by an increase in foraging efficiency at higher seed densities. In contrast, foraging activity of P. inermis was very low at low seed abundance and its diet included only the five grasses. Among the most consumed species, proportion in the diet was not associated with relative abundance in the environment. Aristida spp., Pappophorum spp. and D. californica were overall highly selected. However, the flexibility in the diet of P. pronotalis and P. rastratus and the low foraging activity of P. inermis during periods of low resource abundance could attenuate potential top-down effects in the central Monte desert. This study shows that bottom-up effects are important in ant-seed interactions and should be considered when predicting and evaluating ants' effects on seed resources.
Fil: Pirk, Gabriela Inés. 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. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Laboratorio de Ecotono; Argentina
Fil: Lopez de Casenave, Javier Nestor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Comunidades del Desierto; Argentina
Fil: Pol, Rodrigo Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Comunidades del Desierto; Argentina
Fil: Marone, Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Comunidades del Desierto; Argentina. Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile
Fil: Milesi, Fernando Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Grupo de Investigación en Ecología de Comunidades del Desierto; Argentina
description Harvester ants usually go through temporal fluctuations in environmental seed abundance and composition which could influence their behaviour and ecology. The aim of this study was to evaluate how these fluctuations influence the diet of Pogonomyrmex rastratus, P. pronotalis and P. inermis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the central Monte desert during three consecutive growing seasons. Although seeds were the main item in the diet, these ants turned more generalist when seed abundance of the most consumed species (grasses Aristida spp., Trichloris crinita, Pappophorum spp., Digitaria californica and Stipa ichu) was low. Accordingly, diversity of items in the diet decreased with seed abundance in a logarithmical fashion, showing higher foraging efficiency for seeds at higher seed abundance. Seed diversity, however, was not related to seed abundance as ants always included several species in their diet, with alternating prevalence. The proportion of the most consumed species increased logarithmically in the diet of P. rastratus and P. pronotalis along with their abundance in the environment probably as a consequence of diet switching (from forb and shrub seeds to grass seeds) and by an increase in foraging efficiency at higher seed densities. In contrast, foraging activity of P. inermis was very low at low seed abundance and its diet included only the five grasses. Among the most consumed species, proportion in the diet was not associated with relative abundance in the environment. Aristida spp., Pappophorum spp. and D. californica were overall highly selected. However, the flexibility in the diet of P. pronotalis and P. rastratus and the low foraging activity of P. inermis during periods of low resource abundance could attenuate potential top-down effects in the central Monte desert. This study shows that bottom-up effects are important in ant-seed interactions and should be considered when predicting and evaluating ants' effects on seed resources.
publishDate 2009
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2009-12-19
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
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info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/77279
Pirk, Gabriela Inés; Lopez de Casenave, Javier Nestor; Pol, Rodrigo Gabriel; Marone, Luis; Milesi, Fernando Adrian; Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina; Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc; Austral Ecology; 34; 8; 19-12-2009; 908-919
1442-9985
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/77279
identifier_str_mv Pirk, Gabriela Inés; Lopez de Casenave, Javier Nestor; Pol, Rodrigo Gabriel; Marone, Luis; Milesi, Fernando Adrian; Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina; Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc; Austral Ecology; 34; 8; 19-12-2009; 908-919
1442-9985
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
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dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc
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