Abiotic influences on the behaviour of rodents, ants, and plants affect an ant-seed mutualism
Abiotic influences on the behaviour of rodents, ants, and plants affect an ant-seed mutualism
复制标题
对啮齿动物、蚂蚁和植物行为的非生物影响会影响蚂蚁种子的互利共生
DOI：
10.2980/i1195-6860-12-1-76.1
复制
发表时间：
2005
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Kacie Bressmer
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
J. Ness;Kacie Bressmer
沙漠是一种开放的环境，其特征是温度和光照的显著变化。我们假设在索诺兰沙漠中，非生物环境介导了蚂蚁分散植物曼陀罗、蚂蚁共生者和啮齿动物种子捕食者之间的相互作用。野外实验对比了蚂蚁、脊椎动物和两种动物存在时的日间和夜间种子采集率，结果表明，哺乳动物种子捕食者85%的种子采集发生在夜间（1900 - 0700）。相比之下，蚂蚁的种子收集在白天和晚上是相似的，尽管在非常炎热的白天和非常明亮的夜晚，种子收集会减少。两组分别采集的种子总数超过了两组共享种子库时移除的种子数量，这表明蚂蚁和啮齿动物在争夺种子。然而，在0700年至1900年之间，木蠹86%的果实开裂，增加了蚂蚁共生者收集种子的可能性，而不是啮齿动物的种子捕食者。开裂对环境因素很敏感：在恒温恒湿的温室植物中，从0700年到1900年，47%的果实开裂。另外的实地实验表明，采籽蚁将种子运送到相当远的地方，到达它们的巢穴，那里可能富含营养物质。平均（±SE）传播距离为6.1±0.5 m，是迄今为止报道的抗虫种子最长的平均传播距离。
ABSTRACT Deserts are open environments characterized by striking shifts in temperature and light regimes. We hypothesized that the abiotic environment mediates the interaction between an ant-dispersed plant, Datura wrightii (Solanaceae), ant mutualists, and rodent seed predators in the Sonoran Desert. Field experiments contrasting diurnal and nocturnal seed collection rates in the presence of ants only, vertebrates only, and in the presence of both groups indicated that 85%of seed collection by mammalian seed predators occurred at night (between 1900 and 0700). Seed collection by ants, in contrast, was similar between day and night, although seed collection decreased during very hot days and very bright nights. The total number of seeds collected by both groups foraging separately exceeded the number removed when both groups shared access to seed depots, suggesting that ants and rodents compete for seeds. However, D. wrightii plants dehisced 86%of their fruits between 0700 and 1900, increasing the likelihood of seed collection by ant mutualists rather than rodent seed predators. Dehiscence was sensitive to environmental cues: greenhouse plants kept at constant temperature and humidity dehisced 47%of their fruits between 0700 and 1900. Additional field experiments demonstrated that seed-collecting ants transported seeds considerable distances to their nests, microsites that can be rich in nutrients. The mean (±SE) seed dispersal distance was 6.1 ±0.5 m, the longest mean dispersal distance yet reported for an ant-dispersed seed.