Evaluation of seed-dispersal services by ants at a temperate pasture: Results of direct observations in an ant suppression experiment
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F23%3A00575960" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/23:00575960 - isvavai.cz</a>
Alternative codes found
RIV/60076658:12310/23:43906672 RIV/25271121:_____/23:N0000140
Result on the web
<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.10569" target="_blank" >https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ece3.10569</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10569" target="_blank" >10.1002/ece3.10569</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Evaluation of seed-dispersal services by ants at a temperate pasture: Results of direct observations in an ant suppression experiment
Original language description
Ants disperse seeds of many plant species adapted to myrmecochory. While advantages of this ant–plant mutualism for myrmecochorous plants (myrmecochores) have been previously studied in temperate region mostly in forests, our study system was a pasture. Moreover, we used a unique combination of observing the effect of ant-activity suppression on ant dispersal and comparison of the contribution of ant and unassisted dispersal to the distance from mother plant. We established plots without and with ant-activity suppression (enclosures). We offered diaspores of a myrmecochorous (Knautia arvensis), and a non-myrmecochorous (Plantago lanceolata) species in a choice test and followed ants carrying diaspores during days and nights (focus of previous studies was on diurnal dispersal). We measured frequency and distances of ant dispersal and compared them with unassisted dispersal recorded using sticky trap method. The dispersal frequency was lower in enclosures (3.16 times). Ants strongly preferred diaspores of the myrmecochore to non-myrmecochore with 586 and 42 dispersal events, respectively (out of 6400 diaspores of each species offered). Ant dispersal resulted in more even and on average longer distances (maximum almost tenfold longer, 994 cm) in comparison to unassisted dispersal. Ant dispersal altered the distribution of distances of the myrmecochore from roughly symmetric for unassisted dispersal to positively skewed. Ants dispersed heavier diaspores farther. Ants dropped the majority of diaspores during the dispersal (which reduces clustering of seeds), while several (11%) were carried into anthills. Anthills are disturbed microsites presumably favorable for germination in competitive habitats. Ants provided non-negligible dispersal services to myrmecochorous K. arvensis but also, to a lesser extent, of non-myrmecochorous P. lanceolata.
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
<a href="/en/project/GA23-05654S" target="_blank" >GA23-05654S: Drivers of competition asymmetry in communities of perennial species: ubiquitous but untested</a><br>
Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2023
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Ecology and Evolution
ISSN
2045-7758
e-ISSN
2045-7758
Volume of the periodical
13
Issue of the periodical within the volume
10
Country of publishing house
US - UNITED STATES
Number of pages
12
Pages from-to
e10569
UT code for WoS article
001075290200001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85173776589