Indirect effects of ant predation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) is one of the dominant plants of the Fennoscandian boreal coniferous forest and constitutes a major food source for many insect herbivores. A common ant species in these forests is the wood ant Formica (Formica) aquilonia Yarrow, which preys heavily on other inverte...
Published in: | European Journal of Entomology |
---|---|
Main Author: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science
2005
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2005.028 https://doaj.org/article/050c9f55e8b948759e4a5f46754519ca |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:050c9f55e8b948759e4a5f46754519ca |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:050c9f55e8b948759e4a5f46754519ca 2023-05-15T16:13:02+02:00 Indirect effects of ant predation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus Ola ATLEGRIM 2005-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2005.028 https://doaj.org/article/050c9f55e8b948759e4a5f46754519ca EN eng Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-200502-0009_Indirect_effects_of_ant_predation_Hymenoptera_Formicidae_on_bilberry_Vaccinium_myrtillus.php https://doaj.org/toc/1210-5759 https://doaj.org/toc/1802-8829 1210-5759 1802-8829 doi:10.14411/eje.2005.028 https://doaj.org/article/050c9f55e8b948759e4a5f46754519ca European Journal of Entomology, Vol 102, Iss 2, Pp 175-180 (2005) top-down indirect effects formicidae formica aquilonia ants bilberry vaccinium myrtillus insect larvae herbivory predation effect Zoology QL1-991 article 2005 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2005.028 2022-12-31T10:56:56Z Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) is one of the dominant plants of the Fennoscandian boreal coniferous forest and constitutes a major food source for many insect herbivores. A common ant species in these forests is the wood ant Formica (Formica) aquilonia Yarrow, which preys heavily on other invertebrates within its territories. The aim of this study was to investigate whether aquilonia's predation on the insect herbivores may have indirect positive or negative effects on bilberry. Damage to the bilberry, its vegetative growth and reproduction were quantified in order to contrast localities close to (2 m) and far away from (50 m) ant nests.Close to ant nests, herbivore damage to the bilberry was significantly lower and reproductive success, i.e. proportion of flowers succeeding to berries, significantly higher. The results of this study therefore suggest that distance to aquilonia nests, and thus predation from ants, can significantly affect herbivore damage to the bilberry and its reproductive success (supporting the hypothesis of a top down effect in this three-trophic-level system). Vegetative growth, i.e., density and biomass of current year shoots, and reproductive investment, i.e., proportion of current year shoots with flower, of the bilberry was, however, not affected by distance to ant nests, indicating that the bilberry can also compensate for losses due to herbivory. Article in Journal/Newspaper Fennoscandian Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles European Journal of Entomology 102 2 175 180 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
top-down indirect effects formicidae formica aquilonia ants bilberry vaccinium myrtillus insect larvae herbivory predation effect Zoology QL1-991 |
spellingShingle |
top-down indirect effects formicidae formica aquilonia ants bilberry vaccinium myrtillus insect larvae herbivory predation effect Zoology QL1-991 Ola ATLEGRIM Indirect effects of ant predation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus |
topic_facet |
top-down indirect effects formicidae formica aquilonia ants bilberry vaccinium myrtillus insect larvae herbivory predation effect Zoology QL1-991 |
description |
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) is one of the dominant plants of the Fennoscandian boreal coniferous forest and constitutes a major food source for many insect herbivores. A common ant species in these forests is the wood ant Formica (Formica) aquilonia Yarrow, which preys heavily on other invertebrates within its territories. The aim of this study was to investigate whether aquilonia's predation on the insect herbivores may have indirect positive or negative effects on bilberry. Damage to the bilberry, its vegetative growth and reproduction were quantified in order to contrast localities close to (2 m) and far away from (50 m) ant nests.Close to ant nests, herbivore damage to the bilberry was significantly lower and reproductive success, i.e. proportion of flowers succeeding to berries, significantly higher. The results of this study therefore suggest that distance to aquilonia nests, and thus predation from ants, can significantly affect herbivore damage to the bilberry and its reproductive success (supporting the hypothesis of a top down effect in this three-trophic-level system). Vegetative growth, i.e., density and biomass of current year shoots, and reproductive investment, i.e., proportion of current year shoots with flower, of the bilberry was, however, not affected by distance to ant nests, indicating that the bilberry can also compensate for losses due to herbivory. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ola ATLEGRIM |
author_facet |
Ola ATLEGRIM |
author_sort |
Ola ATLEGRIM |
title |
Indirect effects of ant predation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus |
title_short |
Indirect effects of ant predation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus |
title_full |
Indirect effects of ant predation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus |
title_fullStr |
Indirect effects of ant predation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus |
title_full_unstemmed |
Indirect effects of ant predation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus |
title_sort |
indirect effects of ant predation (hymenoptera: formicidae) on bilberry vaccinium myrtillus |
publisher |
Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science |
publishDate |
2005 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2005.028 https://doaj.org/article/050c9f55e8b948759e4a5f46754519ca |
genre |
Fennoscandian |
genre_facet |
Fennoscandian |
op_source |
European Journal of Entomology, Vol 102, Iss 2, Pp 175-180 (2005) |
op_relation |
https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-200502-0009_Indirect_effects_of_ant_predation_Hymenoptera_Formicidae_on_bilberry_Vaccinium_myrtillus.php https://doaj.org/toc/1210-5759 https://doaj.org/toc/1802-8829 1210-5759 1802-8829 doi:10.14411/eje.2005.028 https://doaj.org/article/050c9f55e8b948759e4a5f46754519ca |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2005.028 |
container_title |
European Journal of Entomology |
container_volume |
102 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
175 |
op_container_end_page |
180 |
_version_ |
1765998642164924416 |