Interactions between fungus-growing ants (Attini), fruits and seeds in cerrado vegetation in southeast Brazil

dc.creatorLeal, IR
dc.creatorOliveira, PS
dc.date1998
dc.dateJUN
dc.date2014-12-02T16:25:36Z
dc.date2015-11-26T16:18:22Z
dc.date2014-12-02T16:25:36Z
dc.date2015-11-26T16:18:22Z
dc.date.accessioned2018-03-28T23:01:58Z
dc.date.available2018-03-28T23:01:58Z
dc.identifierBiotropica. Assoc Tropical Biology Inc, v. 30, n. 2, n. 170, n. 178, 1998.
dc.identifier0006-3606
dc.identifierWOS:000074462000003
dc.identifier10.1111/j.1744-7429.1998.tb00052.x
dc.identifierhttp://www.repositorio.unicamp.br/jspui/handle/REPOSIP/60384
dc.identifierhttp://www.repositorio.unicamp.br/handle/REPOSIP/60384
dc.identifierhttp://repositorio.unicamp.br/jspui/handle/REPOSIP/60384
dc.identifier.urihttp://repositorioslatinoamericanos.uchile.cl/handle/2250/1267586
dc.descriptionWe surveyed the material collected For fungus culturing by attine ants in the cerrado vegetation of southeast Brazil. Six genera of the so-called lower attines (Cyphomyrmex, Mycetarotes, Mycocepurus, Myrmicocrypta, Sericomyrmex and Trachymyrmex) collect a wide variety of plant material as fungal substrate. Plant diaspores of nonmyrmecochorous species comprise a large portion of the items brought to the nest, especially in the rainy season. Removal experiments using fruits of selected plant species revealed that attine ants (including the leaf-cutters Atta and Acromyrmex) not only actively clean the seeds (remove fruit pulp), but also carry them up to 12 m in the cerrado. Germination tests showed that removal of fruit pulp by attine ants increases germination rate in Ocotea pulchella (Lauraceae), Prunus sellowii (Rosaceae), Ouratea specrabilis (Ochnaceae), Rapanea umbellata (Myrsinaceae) and Psychotria stachyoides (Rubiaceae). For P. stachyoides, however, ants had no effect on germination if seeds had already passed the digestive tract of birds. Aril removal by attines also increases germination success of Copaifera langsdorffii (Leguminosae) and Virola sebifera (Myristicaceae) seeds. The results indicate that attine-fruit/seed interactions are particularly conspicuous in the cerrado, suggesting that fungus-growing ants may play a relevant role in fruit/seed biology in this vegetation type. potential ant-derived benefits to diaspores of nonmyrmecochorous plants in the cerrado would include secondary seed dispersion and/or increased germination success by ant-handled seeds.
dc.description30
dc.description2
dc.description170
dc.description178
dc.languageen
dc.publisherAssoc Tropical Biology Inc
dc.publisherLawrence
dc.publisherEUA
dc.relationBiotropica
dc.relationBiotropica
dc.rightsfechado
dc.sourceWeb of Science
dc.subjectant-plant interaction
dc.subjectattine ants
dc.subjectcerrado vegetation
dc.subjectmutualism
dc.subjectmyrmecochory
dc.subjectseed dispersal
dc.subjectseed germination
dc.subjectHarvester Ants
dc.subjectDispersal
dc.subjectMyrmecochore
dc.subjectGermination
dc.subjectFormicidae
dc.subjectSelection
dc.subjectDroppings
dc.subjectRemoval
dc.subjectForest
dc.titleInteractions between fungus-growing ants (Attini), fruits and seeds in cerrado vegetation in southeast Brazil
dc.typeArtículos de revistas


Este ítem pertenece a la siguiente institución