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Consequences of leaf-cutting ants on plant fitness: integrating negative and positive effects

Actualizado: 26 jul 2021

A better understanding of plant–herbivore relationships should integrate negative and positive effects of consumers on plant fitness.

We studied the effect of a major insect herbivore (leaf-cutting ants, LCA) on plant fitness in

several species of Monte Desert, assessing both the direct negative effect of ant defoliation and the indirect positive role of ants as soil improvers. First, we compared the fitness between plants growing on the nutrient-rich refuse dumps and cospecifics on adjacent non-nest soils. Second, using hierarchical confirmatory path analysis model, we analyzed how

herbivory and nutrient content of refuse dumps affected plant fitness.

We found that the fitness of plants growing on refuse dumps (a) was similar than those growing on adjacent

non-nest soils, and (b) was unaffected by ant harvesting or

by increments in nutrient content in a consistent way. In this

dry habitat, the effect of LCA on plant fitness was complex

and species-dependent.


Our results illustrate the complexity of herbivoreplant interactions emphasizing the need of measuring direct and indirect effects of herbivory in field conditions to validate

greenhouse experiments

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