Variation in ant-mediated seed dispersal along elevation gradients
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Abstract
Ant-mediated seed dispersal, also known as myrmecochory, is a widespread and important mutualism that structures both plant and insect communities. However the extent to which myrmecochory is driven by abiotic and biotic environmental factors remains unclear. We used a replicated standardized seed removal experiment along elevation gradients in four mountain ranges in the southwestern United States to test predictions that: (1) seed removal rates would be greater at lower elevations, and (2) seed species identity influences seed removal rates, (i.e. seeds from their native elevation range would be removed at higher rates than seeds outside of their range). Both predictions were supported. Seed removal rates were ~25% higher at lower elevation sites than at higher elevation sites. The low elevation Datura and high elevation Iris were removed at higher rates in their respective native ranges. We attribute observed differences in dispersal rates to changes in ant community composition, functional diversity, and abundance, suggesting that temperature variation along the elevation gradient.
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2018. Variation in ant-mediated seed dispersal along elevation gradients. PeerJ Preprints 6:e26783v1 https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.26783v1note This preprint is not peer-reviewed. You may wish to reference the subsequent peer-reviewed version of this article.
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This is a submission to PeerJ for review.
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Competing Interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Author Contributions
Israel Del Toro conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed the data, contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools, prepared figures and/or tables, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft.
Relena R Ribbons conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed the data, contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools, prepared figures and/or tables, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, approved the final draft.
Field Study Permissions
The following information was supplied relating to field study approvals (i.e., approving body and any reference numbers):
United States Forest Service provided field permits: FS2700-25.
Funding
Funding was provided by a National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellowship award number 1401717 awarded to IDT, and UTEP REU and Jornada LTER REU programs. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
