Influence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (<i>Pogonomyrmex</i> spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina

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dc.contributor.authorPirk, Gabriela I.
dc.contributor.authorDe Casenave, Javier Lopez
dc.contributor.authorPol, Rodrigo G.
dc.contributor.authorMarone, Luis
dc.contributor.authorMilesi, Fernando A.
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-21T00:07:39Z
dc.date.available2025-01-21T00:07:39Z
dc.date.issued2009
dc.description.abstractHarvester ants usually go through temporal fluctuations in environmental seed abundance and composition which could influence their behaviour and ecology. The aim of this study was to evaluate how these fluctuations influence the diet of Pogonomyrmex rastratus, P. pronotalis and P. inermis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the central Monte desert during three consecutive growing seasons. Although seeds were the main item in the diet, these ants turned more generalist when seed abundance of the most consumed species (grasses Aristida spp., Trichloris crinita, Pappophorum spp., Digitaria californica and Stipa ichu) was low. Accordingly, diversity of items in the diet decreased with seed abundance in a logarithmical fashion, showing higher foraging efficiency for seeds at higher seed abundance. Seed diversity, however, was not related to seed abundance as ants always included several species in their diet, with alternating prevalence. The proportion of the most consumed species increased logarithmically in the diet of P. rastratus and P. pronotalis along with their abundance in the environment probably as a consequence of diet switching (from forb and shrub seeds to grass seeds) and by an increase in foraging efficiency at higher seed densities. In contrast, foraging activity of P. inermis was very low at low seed abundance and its diet included only the five grasses. Among the most consumed species, proportion in the diet was not associated with relative abundance in the environment. Aristida spp., Pappophorum spp. and D. californica were overall highly selected. However, the flexibility in the diet of P. pronotalis and P. rastratus and the low foraging activity of P. inermis during periods of low resource abundance could attenuate potential top-down effects in the central Monte desert. This study shows that bottom-up effects are important in ant-seed interactions and should be considered when predicting and evaluating ants' effects on seed resources.
dc.fuente.origenWOS
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.01999.x
dc.identifier.eissn1442-9993
dc.identifier.issn1442-9985
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.01999.x
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/95638
dc.identifier.wosidWOS:000272126800008
dc.issue.numero8
dc.language.isoen
dc.pagina.final919
dc.pagina.inicio908
dc.revistaAustral ecology
dc.rightsacceso restringido
dc.subjectbottom-up effect
dc.subjectdesert community
dc.subjectgranivory
dc.subjectharvester ant
dc.subjectseed abundance
dc.subject.ods15 Life on Land
dc.subject.odspa15 Vida de ecosistemas terrestres
dc.titleInfluence of temporal fluctuations in seed abundance on the diet of harvester ants (<i>Pogonomyrmex</i> spp.) in the central Monte desert, Argentina
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen34
sipa.indexWOS
sipa.trazabilidadWOS;2025-01-12
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