Red wood ants (Formica rufa) help propagate invasive small balsam (Impatients parviflora) in accordance with the directed dispersal hypothesis

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F44555601%3A13520%2F23%3A43897739" target="_blank" >RIV/44555601:13520/23:43897739 - isvavai.cz</a>

Nalezeny alternativní kódy

RIV/00216208:11310/23:10468265

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0929139323002469?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0929139323002469?via%3Dihub</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.105048" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.105048</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Red wood ants (Formica rufa) help propagate invasive small balsam (Impatients parviflora) in accordance with the directed dispersal hypothesis

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Ants are a major source of soil disturbance and can influence vegetation dynamics and biodiversity by changing environmental conditions. Their seed collection activity supports dispersal and can favour the presence of species, including introduced, non-native and invasive species. Understanding of seed dispersal mechanisms is important for predicting plant distributions and invasive risk. Studies generally addressing myrmecochory have mostly focused on interactions between native species and few have considered the role of ants in spreading non-native plants. This study investigated effects of a native species Formica rufa (red wood ant) on the distribution of the invasive plant, Impatiens parviflora DC (small balsam). The study measured ant seed collection activity and plant and soil chemical characteristics to evaluate whether assumptions of the directed dispersal hypothesis obtained. Seed collection experiments showed that ants do not selectively collect small balsam seeds but collect them randomly at about the same rates as other organic and inorganic material. Non-targeted collection however suffices in dispersing small balsam seeds in or near the ant nest thus enhancing plant establishment, growth and reproduction. I. parviflora density in the forest floor was 3.06 plants per m2 while I. parviflora density reached 82.68 plants per m2 in and around ant nests I. parviflora individuals growing on nest mounds were significantly larger, showed more flowers and produced more seeds than plants established on the surrounding forest floor. Better growth of I. parviflora on and around ant nests corresponded with significantly higher nutrient content, especially of nitrates and available phosphorus in ant nests. Ant nests also showed higher pH values and available potassium, sodium and calcium. This study thus found that red wood ants contribute to the expansion of I. parviflora by soil transformation and non-targeted seed dispersal in an otherwise nutrient-poor environment where the plant would otherwise struggle to flourish.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Red wood ants (Formica rufa) help propagate invasive small balsam (Impatients parviflora) in accordance with the directed dispersal hypothesis

Popis výsledku anglicky

Ants are a major source of soil disturbance and can influence vegetation dynamics and biodiversity by changing environmental conditions. Their seed collection activity supports dispersal and can favour the presence of species, including introduced, non-native and invasive species. Understanding of seed dispersal mechanisms is important for predicting plant distributions and invasive risk. Studies generally addressing myrmecochory have mostly focused on interactions between native species and few have considered the role of ants in spreading non-native plants. This study investigated effects of a native species Formica rufa (red wood ant) on the distribution of the invasive plant, Impatiens parviflora DC (small balsam). The study measured ant seed collection activity and plant and soil chemical characteristics to evaluate whether assumptions of the directed dispersal hypothesis obtained. Seed collection experiments showed that ants do not selectively collect small balsam seeds but collect them randomly at about the same rates as other organic and inorganic material. Non-targeted collection however suffices in dispersing small balsam seeds in or near the ant nest thus enhancing plant establishment, growth and reproduction. I. parviflora density in the forest floor was 3.06 plants per m2 while I. parviflora density reached 82.68 plants per m2 in and around ant nests I. parviflora individuals growing on nest mounds were significantly larger, showed more flowers and produced more seeds than plants established on the surrounding forest floor. Better growth of I. parviflora on and around ant nests corresponded with significantly higher nutrient content, especially of nitrates and available phosphorus in ant nests. Ant nests also showed higher pH values and available potassium, sodium and calcium. This study thus found that red wood ants contribute to the expansion of I. parviflora by soil transformation and non-targeted seed dispersal in an otherwise nutrient-poor environment where the plant would otherwise struggle to flourish.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10619 - Biodiversity conservation

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Rok uplatnění

2023

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Applied Soil Ecology

ISSN

0929-1393

e-ISSN

1873-0272

Svazek periodika

191

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

1

Stát vydavatele periodika

NL - Nizozemsko

Počet stran výsledku

7

Strana od-do

1-7

Kód UT WoS článku

001039174900001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

—