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Asymmetric interactions between plants and seed‐harvesting ants in a Mediterranean pasture
Author(s) -
López F.,
Acosta F. J.,
Serrano J. M.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
ecological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1440-1703
pISSN - 0912-3814
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1703.2000.00364.x
Subject(s) - foraging , herbivore , ecology , vegetation (pathology) , abundance (ecology) , mediterranean climate , biology , pasture , population , medicine , demography , pathology , sociology
A four‐year study on the interactions between plants and seed‐harvesting ants in a Mediterranean pasture is reviewed in this paper. As previously reported in many studies on plant–herbivore interactions, ant–plant relationships are also asymmetric; plants had a larger impact on herbivore dynamics than vice versa. However, the asymmetry did not refer to population dynamics but rather to animal foraging strategies. Ants did not exert a significant influence on vegetation dynamics in terms of plant abundance. The main constraints underlying vegetation change were self‐regulation and rainfall. In contrast, the structural characteristics and abundance of vegetation had a significant impact on several important features of food harvesting by ants. This influence was not only associated with their feeding requirements but also with their foraging activities.