Dynamics of the association between a long-lived understory myrmecophyte and its specific associated ants |
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Authors: | Jérôme Orivel Luc Lambs Pierre-Jean G Malé Céline Leroy Julien Grangier Thierry Otto Angélique Quilichini Alain Dejean |
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Institution: | 1.CNRS, UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane,Kourou Cedex,France;2.Université de Toulouse, UPS, INPT, EcoLab (Laboratoire d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle),Toulouse,France;3.CNRS, EcoLab (Laboratoire d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle),Toulouse,France;4.Université de Toulouse, UPS, EDB (Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique),Toulouse,France;5.CNRS, EDB (Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique),Toulouse,France;6.Jardin Botanique Henri Gaussen,Toulouse,France |
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Abstract: | Myrmecophytic symbioses are widespread in tropical ecosystems and their diversity makes them useful tools for understanding
the origin and evolution of mutualisms. Obligate ant–plants, or myrmecophytes, provide a nesting place, and, often, food to
a limited number of plant–ant species. In exchange, plant–ants protect their host plants from herbivores, competitors and
pathogens, and can provide them with nutrients. Although most studies to date have highlighted a similar global pattern of
interactions in these systems, little is known about the temporal structuring and dynamics of most of these associations.
In this study we focused on the association between the understory myrmecophyte Hirtella physophora (Chrysobalanaceae) and its obligate ant partner Allomerus decemarticulatus (Myrmicinae). An examination of the life histories and growth rates of both partners demonstrated that this plant species
has a much longer lifespan (up to about 350 years) than its associated ant colonies (up to about 21 years). The size of the
ant colonies and their reproductive success were strongly limited by the available nesting space provided by the host plants.
Moreover, the resident ants positively affected the vegetative growth of their host plant, but had a negative effect on its
reproduction by reducing the number of flowers and fruits by more than 50%. Altogether our results are important to understanding
the evolutionary dynamics of ant–plant symbioses. The highly specialized interaction between long-lived plants and ants with
a shorter lifespan produces an asymmetry in the evolutionary rates of the interaction which, in return, can affect the degree
to which the interests of the two partners converge. |
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