dc.contributorUniversidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
dc.contributorUniversidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)
dc.contributorUniv Nacl Cordoba
dc.date.accessioned2018-11-26T15:45:49Z
dc.date.available2018-11-26T15:45:49Z
dc.date.created2018-11-26T15:45:49Z
dc.date.issued2017-12-06
dc.identifierPlos One. San Francisco: Public Library Science, v. 12, n. 12, 18 p., 2017.
dc.identifier1932-6203
dc.identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/11449/159938
dc.identifier10.1371/journal.pone.0188445
dc.identifierWOS:000417212200033
dc.identifierWOS000417212200033.pdf
dc.identifier1616997402954531
dc.identifier0000-0002-6026-0395
dc.description.abstractExtrafloral nectaries can occur in both vegetative and reproductive plant structures. In many Rubiaceae species in the Brazilian Cerrado, after corolla abscission, the floral nectary continues to secret nectar throughout fruit development originating post-floral pericarpial nectaries which commonly attract many ant species. The occurrence of such nectar secreting structures might be strategic for fruit protection against seed predators, as plants are expected to invest higher on more valuable and vulnerable parts. Here, we performed ant exclusion experiments to investigate whether the interaction with ants mediated by the pericarpial nectaries of Tocoyena formosa affects plant reproductive success by reducing the number of pre-dispersal seed predators. We also assessed whether ant protection was dependent on ant species composition and resource availability. Although most of the plants were visited by large and aggressive ant species, such as Ectatomma tuberculatum and species of the genus Camponotus, ants did not protect fruits against seed predators. Furthermore, the result of the interaction was neither related to ant species composition nor to the availability of resources. We suggest that these results may be related to the nature and behavior of the most important seed predators, like Hemicolpus abdominalis weevil which the exoskeleton toughness prevent it from being predated by most ant species. On the other hand, not explored factors, such as reward quality, local ant abundance, ant colony characteristics and/or the presence of alternative energetic sources could also account for variations in ant frequency, composition, and finally ant protective effects, highlighting the conditionality of facultative plant-ant mutualisms.
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherPublic Library Science
dc.relationPlos One
dc.relation1,164
dc.rightsAcesso aberto
dc.sourceWeb of Science
dc.titlePericarpial nectary-visiting ants do not provide fruit protection against pre-dispersal seed predators regardless of ant species composition and resource availability
dc.typeArtículos de revistas


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