Timing of dispersal: effect of ants on aphids.
Oecologia
; 152(4): 625-31, 2007 Jul.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-17351794
ABSTRACT
Mutualists can affect many life history traits of their partners, but it is unclear how this translates into population dynamics of the latter. Ant-aphid associations are ideal for studying this question, as ants affect aphids, both positively (e.g., protection against natural enemies) and negatively (e.g., reduction of potential growth rates). The unresolved question is whether these effects, which have been observed at the level of individuals and under controlled environmental conditions, have consequences at the population level. On estimating aerial aphid populations by using weekly suction trap data spanning up to 22 years from different locations in France, we show that in ant-attended aphid species long-distance dispersal occurs significantly later, but that the year-to-year changes in the peak number of migrants are not significantly lower than for non-attended aphids. Host alternation had the same retarding effect on dispersal as ant attendance. We discuss the delay in the timing of dispersal in ant-attended aphids, and potential costs that arise in mutualistic systems.
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Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Hormigas
/
Áfidos
/
Migración Animal
Tipo de estudio:
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Animals
País/Región como asunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Oecologia
Año:
2007
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
República Checa