Variation in trophic cascade strength is triggered by top—down process in an ant—wasp—fig system
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F19%3A00505785" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/19:00505785 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/oik.05653" target="_blank" >https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/oik.05653</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/oik.05653" target="_blank" >10.1111/oik.05653</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Variation in trophic cascade strength is triggered by top—down process in an ant—wasp—fig system
Original language description
Changes in the strength of trophic cascades over time have been associated with dramatic shifts in community structure and function. However, the pattern, process, and potential underlying mechanism of temporal variation in trophic cascades remains relatively unexplored. A top-down trophic cascade has been documented for the effects of predacious weaver ants Oecophylla smaragdina on the success of fig tree Ficus racemosa seed production. Ants cause high mortality of non-pollinating fig wasps Sycophaga mayri that parasitize fruits, leading to greater success for the pollinating fig wasp-fig tree mutualists. Here, using a design in which pairs of branches were selected on a tree, and ants were excluded from one of each pair, we quantified the magnitude of the trophic cascade in the cool-dry, hot-dry and rainy (hot-wet) seasons in Xishuangbanna, southwest China. We also recorded the daily behavioral dynamics of ants and fig wasps in different seasons and analyzed the correlation between behavioral, activity and trophic cascade strength. We found that the strength of the trophic cascade was strong in the hot-dry season, diminished in the rainy season and disappeared in the cool-dry season in this system. The strength of species interactions between ants and non-pollinating fig wasps, is positively correlated with trophic cascade strength, indicating that trophic cascade strength is determined by a top-down process when the community is well established. Moreover, because pollinating fig wasps, Ceratosolen fusciceps, play a central role in the establishment of fig wasp communities, when C. fusciceps wasps are absent, the community quickly disassembles as is the case in the cool-dry season. In summary, the strength of the trophic cascade is triggered by top-down processes, however, the occurrence of the trophic cascade is determined by a keystone species that plays a central role in assembly of the community.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
10618 - Ecology
Result continuities
Project
—
Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2019
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Oikos
ISSN
0030-1299
e-ISSN
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Volume of the periodical
128
Issue of the periodical within the volume
2
Country of publishing house
US - UNITED STATES
Number of pages
11
Pages from-to
185-195
UT code for WoS article
000457469800004
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85053694732