Ants Promote Germination of the Tree Guarea guidonia by Cleaning its Seeds

Silva, Bianca Ferreira; Azevedo, Igor Henrique Freitas; Mayhé-Nunes, Antônio José; Breier, Tiago Böer; Freitas, André Felippe Nunes

doi:10.1590/2179-8087.015118

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…In contrast to most studies on myrmecochory, we focus on the differences in ant species considering the cleaning strategies rather than their ability to remove seeds and deposition sites. Our results support the inclusion of one more factor in the myrmecochorous seed fate equation to determine the quality of a seed dispenser, the ant manipulation strategies [9,18,45]. By doing so, we bring new insight into the comprehension of the co-evolutionary paths of the myrmecochory mutualisms, third-part interactions with fungi and their ultimate outcomes on seed fate.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Ant identity determines the fungi richness and composition of a myrmecochorous seed

Fernandes,

Gomes

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Myrmecochory - seed dispersal by ants - is a mutualistic interaction in which ants attracted by seed appendices take them away from the parental plant location, where seeds usually have better development odds. Not all ant species benefit plants, and the mechanisms of those divergent outcomes are still unclear, especially from the perspective of microbial third parties. Here, we explore the effects of seed manipulation on fungi communities promoted by two ant species with contrasting effects on seed germination and antimicrobial cleaning strategies. We hypothesize that: i) fungi richness is higher in seeds manipulated by Acromyrmex subterraneus (species that negatively affect seed germination), followed by unmanipulated seeds and seeds manipulated by Atta sexdens (ant species that increase seed germination) and ii) seeds manipulated by A. sexdens, Ac. subterraneus and unmanipulated seeds present dissimilar fungi compositions. We identified fungal morphotypes in three groups of seeds: i) manipulated by A. sexdens; ii) manipulated by Ac. subterraneus; iii) unmanipulated. Seeds manipulated by Ac. subterraneus exhibited higher fungal richness than those manipulated by A. sexdens and unmanipulated seeds, indicating that the ant species known to impair germination increases the fungal load on seeds. Additionally, we found that A. sexdens ants were unable to reduce fungal richness compared to unmanipulated seeds. Furthermore, fungal composition differed among all three treatments. Our results underscore the significance of ant species identity in shaping the fungal communities associated with myrmecochorous seeds. Given the potential influence of microbial infection on seed fate, we suggest considering manipulation strategies when evaluating the overall quality of an ant as a seed disperser.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Ant identity determines the fungi richness and composition of a myrmecochorous seed

Fernandes,

Gomes

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…That is, stations with low abundance explored by ants throughout the day also benefited from seed cleaning. Ant cleaning is advantageous for plants considering it prevents pathogen attacks and promotes seed germination, as recorded in other plant species (Christianini et al, 2012;Lima et al, 2013, Santana et al, 2013 and G. guidonia (Silva et al, 2019).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Diaspore Abundance Promotes more Interaction with Ants in a Brazilian Atlantic Forest

et al. 2020

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The influence of Guarea guidonia (L.) Sleumer diaspore abundance on ants' preference was studied in a secondary tropical forest area in Brazil. We offered seeds in stations with different abundances (one, two, five or 10 diaspores) for interactions with ants. The number of interactions and of ants were influenced by diaspore abundance during the observation period. Stations with 10 diaspores maintained a high number of interactions throughout the experiment. Incidence of seed cleaning differed among the four groups. Moreover, the number of interactions was positively related to the average percent of seeds cleaned. Diaspore abundance proved to be important for promoting more interactions with ants. Considering that the proportion of seeds cleaned increased with the number of interactions, further experiments should observe ant activity for a longer period. Furthermore, diaspore abundance should be considered in future studies of interactions with ants.

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“…In diaspores of fleshy fruited plants, in which seeds are embedded in the fleshy pulp, ant consumption of the fleshy parts and discard of the seeds is known as a seed‐cleaning behavior. This behavior has been shown to largely facilitate seed survival and germination success by reducing infestation by fungal pathogens that otherwise might rapidly cause them to rot on the leaf litter (Christianini et al, 2012; Pizo & Oliveira, 2001; Santana et al, 2013; Silva et al, 2019). This outcome is not simply caused by the removal of the fleshy parts (mechanical effect) but also by the application of antibacterial substances on the seed surface (chemical effect) by worker ants (Ohkawara & Akino, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ants benefit from the Japanese raisin tree invasion and favor its invasiveness in the subtropical Atlantic Rainforest

et al. 2022

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Biological invasions are among the main drivers of biodiversity losses, which can be caused by alterations in habitat structure. Animal–plant mutualistic interactions created in recipient communities may enhance alien species invasiveness. In this study, we investigate the relationships between the Japanese raisin tree (Hovenia dulcis) and ground‐foraging ant communities in the Atlantic Rainforest. Seven paired sites (n = 14) of invaded and uninvaded forests (control) were chosen. We sampled ant communities with pitfall traps in those sites during 2018 wintertime, before (June) and after H. dulcis infructescences fall on the forest floor (July). In June, leaf‐litter mass of invaded sites was higher, but ant diversity and composition were not affected. In July, leaf‐litter mass reduced, and infructescence offer triggered a higher ant diversity and distinct ant species composition in invaded sites. We additionally performed an experiment to understand the potential use of H. dulcis diaspores by ant species. We recorded 19 species exploiting H. dulcis diaspores, of which 18 consumed the fleshy peduncle in situ, and two removed diaspores for distances >1 cm. Our study indicates the invasion did not negatively affect ant communities by altering the leaf‐litter layer. On the contrary, ant communities benefited from the high‐resource availability during exposure to cold stress. Ant–H. dulcis diaspore interactions could further contribute to seed germination and propagule establishment, potentially enhancing H. dulcis invasiveness. Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.

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Ants Promote Germination of the Tree Guarea guidonia by Cleaning its Seeds

Cited by 7 publications

References 27 publications

Ant identity determines the fungi richness and composition of a myrmecochorous seed

Ant identity determines the fungi richness and composition of a myrmecochorous seed

Diaspore Abundance Promotes more Interaction with Ants in a Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Ants benefit from the Japanese raisin tree invasion and favor its invasiveness in the subtropical Atlantic Rainforest

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