Fulltext

Attraction of flower visitors to plants that express indirect defence can minimize ecological costs of ant-pollinator conflicts

Hernández-Cumplido, Johnattan ; Benrey, Betty ; Heil, Martin

In: Journal of Tropical Ecology, 2010, vol. 26, no. 5, p. 555-557

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    Titel
    • Attraction of flower visitors to plants that express indirect defence can minimize ecological costs of ant-pollinator conflicts
    Autor
    • Hernández-Cumplido, Johnattan. Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel (UNINE), Emile Argand 11, 2009 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
    • Benrey, Betty. Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel (UNINE), Emile Argand 11, 2009 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
    • Heil, Martin. Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, CINVESTAV Irapuato. Km. 9.6 Libramiento Norte, Carretera Irapuato-León, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, México
    Dokumententyp
    • Postprint
    Sprache
    • Englisch
    Veröffentlicht in
    • Journal of Tropical Ecology, 2010, vol. 26, no. 5, p. 555-557. Cambridge University Press
    Andere elektronische Ausgabe
    OAI-PMH-ID
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:289894
    Summary
    Thousands of plant species throughout tropical and temperate zones secrete extrafloral nectar (EFN) (see www.biosci.unl.edu/emeriti/keeler/extrafloral/worldlistfamilies.htm) to attract ants, whose presence leads to an indirect defence against herbivores (Chamberlain & Holland 2009, Heil 2008, Heil & McKey 2003, Rico-Gray & Oliveira 2007). Although termed ‘extrafloral' because the nectar is not involved in pollination, EFN can also be secreted within the inflorescences (Bentley 1977, Holland et al. 2010, Martins 2009). Because ants tend to defend reliable food sources against all types of putative competitors, it has been hypothesized that the presence of extrafloral nectaries close to flowers may lead to competition among ants and pollinators, or even to direct ant-pollinator conflicts. Such antagonistic interactions would reduce the access of pollinators to flowers and, thereby, may cause significant ‘ecological costs' of indirect, ant-mediated defences (Heil 2002)