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Invasive Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) do not replace native ants as seed dispersers of Dendromecon rigida (Papaveraceae) in California, USA - Oecologia

  • ️Holway, David A.
  • ️Fri Mar 28 2003

Abstract

We investigated the indirect effects of Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) invasions on patterns of seed dispersal and predation in the myrmecochorous tree poppy Dendromecon rigida in coastal San Diego County, California. Significantly more seeds were removed from ant-accessible seed stations at sites numerically dominated by a common harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex subnitidus), a native disperser of these seeds and a species sensitive to displacement by L. humile, than from those stations at sites where L. humile was in the majority. Predation of seeds was high, but variable, across sites, suggesting that reduced dispersal could result in increased seed predation in some habitats. Removal of elaiosomes did not affect the frequency with which predators removed seeds, but ants removed significantly more seeds with elaiosomes than without. In behavior trials, only P. subnitidus was able to carry seeds of Dendromecon rigida effectively. L. humile and a small native ant species, Dorymyrmex insanus, while displaying interest in the diaspores, were seldom able to carry whole seeds and, when they did, only carried them a few centimeters. Displacement of native harvester ants by L. humile appears to decrease the dispersal of Dendromecon rigida seeds and may be increasing loss of seeds due to predation.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge the assistance of Linda Courter, Andrew Norton, Adam Henk, and the anonymous reviewers, whose helpful comments improved this manuscript. Additionally, Andrew Norton and James ZumBrunnen provided statistical assistance, and the Torrey Pines State Reserve staff granted us permission to work at this site. This work was supported by startup funds from Colorado State University (SEC) and USDA NRICGP 99-35302-8675 (DAH).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA

    Shanna E. Carney & M. Brooke Byerley

  2. Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA

    David A. Holway

Authors

  1. Shanna E. Carney

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  2. M. Brooke Byerley

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  3. David A. Holway

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Correspondence to Shanna E. Carney.

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Carney, S.E., Byerley, M.B. & Holway, D.A. Invasive Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) do not replace native ants as seed dispersers of Dendromecon rigida (Papaveraceae) in California, USA. Oecologia 135, 576–582 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1200-0

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  • Received: 16 September 2002

  • Accepted: 17 January 2003

  • Published: 28 March 2003

  • Issue Date: May 2003

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-003-1200-0

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