Ant versus bird exclusion effects on the arthropod assemblage of an organic citrus grove

Piñol, Josep; Espadaler, Xavier; Cañellas, Núria; Martínez‐Vilalta, Jordi; Barrientos, J. A.; Sol, Daniel

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.2010.01190.x

Cited by 38 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(95 reference statements)

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“…Generally, increased abundances of predators, such as ants, spiders and earwigs, under bird exclusions, are common (Gunnarsson ; Williams‐Guillén, Perfecto & Vandermeer ; Piñol et al . ; Maas, Clough & Tscharntke ; Mestre et al . ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How ants, birds and bats affect crop yield along shade gradients in tropical cacao agroforestry

Gras

Tscharntke

Maas

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Ecology

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1. Tropical agroforests are diverse systems where several predator groups shape animal communities and plant-arthropod interactions. Ants, birds and bats in particular can reduce herbivore numbers and thereby increase crop yield. However, the relative importance of these groups, whether they interact, and how this interaction is affected by management and landscape context, is poorly understood. 2. We jointly manipulated access of ants, birds and bats in Indonesian smallholder cacao agroforestry across gradients of shade and distance to natural forest. We quantified arthropod abundance, pest damage and yield. 3. In control treatments, yield was highest under 30-40% canopy cover. Ant exclusion strongly reduced yield (from 600 to 300 kg ha À1 year À1 ) at 15% canopy cover. Bird exclusion impaired yield (from 400 to 250 kg ha À1 year À1 ) at 60% and enhanced yield (from 600 to 900 kg ha À1 year À1 ) at 15% canopy cover, while bats had no effect. Yield increased with forest proximity, a pattern not related to predator access. 4. No interactive effects among predator exclusions on yield, pest damage and arthropod communities were found. Ant exclusion increased numbers of herbivores below 30% canopy cover, without reducing spider abundances. Bird exclusion reduced herbivore and increased spider abundances. 5. Synthesis and applications. Using exclusion studies, we estimated that ants and birds cause cacao yield to vary between 100 and 800 kg ha À1 year À1 , depending on shade-tree management. In all but the most shaded agroforests, ants were pivotal in supporting yields. Yields under low-canopy cover were strongly dependent on access by predator groups, with birds reducing rather than increasing yield. Hence, cacao farmers should refrain from disturbing ant communities and maintain 30-40% shade-tree canopy cover not only for ecophysiological reasons but also to buffer variability in predator communities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How ants, birds and bats affect crop yield along shade gradients in tropical cacao agroforestry

Gras

Tscharntke

Maas

et al. 2016

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…Several studies have examined the multitrophic interactions involving ants and natural enemies in citrus in different parts of the world (Dao et al, 2014;James et al, 1999;Piñol and Espadaler, 2010;Piñol et al, 2012a;Yoo et al, 2013) yet again there are no studies examining the impact of ants simultaneously on predator and parasitoid species. Most of the studies focus on predators from different taxa but little is known about the impact of ants on the diversity and abundance of parasitoids, which are often studied as a single group in the order Hymenoptera.…”

Section: References Therein)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ants in citrus: impact on the abundance, species richness, diversity and community structure of predators and parasitoids

Calabuig

Garcia‐Marí

Pekas

2015

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

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Although ants act as plant biotic defences, in agricultural ecosystems they are often associated with outbreaks of honeydew-producing pests mainly due to the protection they offer to the plant feeders in exchange for honeydew. In such an interaction ants may alter the abundance, diversity and community structure of predators and parasitoids. In the present study, we conducted ant-exclusion experiments in three commercial citrus orchards, each one dominated by one ant species (Pheidole pallidula, Lasius grandis or Linepithema humile) during two consecutive years (2011 and 2012). We then compared the abundance, species richness, diversity and community structure of predators and parasitoids between the antallowed and ant-excluded treatments. A total of 176,000 arthropods belonging to 81 taxa were captured and identified. Regarding abundance, our results showed a species specific response between treatments. When examining functional groups, in the ant-allowed treatment, seven species of predators decreased and four increased in abundance, whereas four species of parasitoids decreased and 18 increased in abundance. The species richness (S) was significantly lower for predators and higher for parasitoids in the ant-allowed treatment. The Shannon diversity index (H) was not different between treatments in the case of predators, whereas in the case of parasitoids diversity was significantly higher in the antallowed treatment. Finally, the community structure of predators and parasitoids was not significantly different between treatments. These results suggest that ants in the citrus agroecosystem are not associated with a dramatic decrease in natural enemy abundance or biodiversity; on the contrary ants were associated with increased parasitoid species richness and diversity. Despite the fact that ants have no negative impact on the abundance and diversity of predators and parasitoids at the community level their impact on specific natural enemy species, mainly predators, may explain the highest pest densities associated with ants in citrus.

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“…There is evidence for a strong predatory impact of ants on arthropods at several trophic levels from bait experiments (Moja‐Laraño & Wise 2007), counts of successful predation events (Kajak et al. 1972) and the exclusion of foraging ants (Halaj, Ross & Moldenke 1997; Karhu 1998; Lenoir 2003; Piñol et al. 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem engineering and predation: the multi-trophic impact of two ant species

Sanders

Veen

2011

Journal of Animal Ecology

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1. Ants are ubiquitous ecosystem engineers and generalist predators and are able to affect ecological communities via both pathways. They are likely to influence any other terrestrial arthropod group either directly or indirectly caused by their high abundance and territoriality. 2. We studied the impact of two ant species common in Central Europe, Myrmica rubra and Lasius niger, on an arthropod community. Colony presence and density of these two ant species were manipulated in a field experiment from the start of ant activity in spring to late summer. 3. The experiment revealed a positive influence of the presence of one ant colony on densities of decomposers, herbivores and parasitoids. However, in the case of herbivores and parasitoids, this effect was reversed in the presence of two colonies. 4. Generally, effects of the two ant species were similar with the exception of their effect on Braconidae parasitoid densities that responded positively to one colony of M. rubra but not of L. niger. 5. Spider density was not affected by ant colony manipulation, but species richness of spiders responded positively to ant presence. This effect was independent of ant colony density, but where two colonies were present, spider richness was significantly greater in plots with two M. rubra colonies than in plots with one colony of each ant species. 6. To test whether the positive ecosystem engineering effects were purely caused by modified properties of the soil, we added in an additional experiment (i) the soil from ant nests (without ants) or (ii) unmodified soil or (iii) ant nests (including ants) to experimental plots. Ant nest soil on its own did not have a significant impact on densities of decomposers, herbivores or predators, which were significantly, and positively, affected by the addition of an intact nest. 7. The results suggest an important role of both ant species in the grassland food web, strongly affecting the densities of decomposers, herbivores and higher trophic levels. We discuss how the relative impact via bottom-up and top-down effects of ants depends on nest density, with a relatively greater top-down predatory impact at higher densities.

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Ant versus bird exclusion effects on the arthropod assemblage of an organic citrus grove

Cited by 38 publications

References 44 publications

How ants, birds and bats affect crop yield along shade gradients in tropical cacao agroforestry

How ants, birds and bats affect crop yield along shade gradients in tropical cacao agroforestry

Ants in citrus: impact on the abundance, species richness, diversity and community structure of predators and parasitoids

Ecosystem engineering and predation: the multi-trophic impact of two ant species

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