Dissertation Research: The Effects of Variation in Host Plant Quality on a Facultative Ant-Caterpillar Mutualism

论文研究：寄主植物质量变化对兼性蚁毛虫互利共生的影响

• 批准号: 9902168
• 负责人: Donald Feener
• 金额: $ 0.95万
• 依托单位: University of Utah
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-05-15 至 2000-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9902168&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Effects; Variation; Host

9902168FeenerUnderstanding the factors that affect species interactions are of central importance to many ecological processes. This study will examine how differences is host plant quality arising from a range of resource environments contribute to variation in the outcomes and participants of a facultative mutualism between ants and larvae of a butterfly (Thisbe irenea) in a Panamanian forest. These caterpillars produce nitrogen-rich secretions to attract ants in exchange for protection against predation. This study will be done using experimental manipulations of light and/or nutrients in common gardens in the forest. Other work will involve more controlled settings to determine how host plant characteristics affect the growth of the caterpillar. The responses of caterpillars and ants to variable plant quality may interact to produce a range of outcomes in the ant-caterpillar interaction which help explain the conditions for the success of the host plant and the caterpillar. It is hoped that understanding how variation in resource availability influences interacting members across trophic levels from plants to predators will help in unraveling the selection pressures and constraints that shape the evolution of multispecies interactions.

9902168 Feener了解影响物种相互作用的因素对许多生态过程至关重要。本研究将探讨如何差异是宿主植物质量所产生的一系列资源环境中的变化的结果和参与者之间的蚂蚁和幼虫的蝴蝶（Thisbe irenea）在巴拿马森林的兼性互利共生。这些毛虫产生富含氮的分泌物来吸引蚂蚁，以换取对捕食的保护。这项研究将在森林中的普通花园中使用光和/或营养物质的实验操作进行。其他工作将涉及更多的控制设置，以确定宿主植物特性如何影响毛毛虫的生长。毛毛虫和蚂蚁对不同植物质量的反应可能会相互作用，产生一系列结果，这有助于解释宿主植物和毛毛虫成功的条件。人们希望，了解资源的可用性的变化如何影响相互作用的成员，从植物到捕食者的营养水平将有助于解开选择压力和限制，塑造多物种相互作用的进化。