Manfred Türke, Kerstin Andreas, Martin M. Gossner, Esther Kowalski, Markus Lange, Steffen Boch, Stephanie A. Socher, Jörg Müller, Daniel Prati, Markus Fischer, Rainer Meyhöfer, Wolfgang W. Weisser
- Seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory) is widespread, and seed adaptations to myrmecochory are common, especially in the form of fatty appendices (elaiosomes). In a recent study, slugs were identified as seed dispersers of myrmecochores in a central European beech forest. Here we used 105 beech forest sites to test whether myrmecochore presence and abundance is related to ant or gastropod abundance and whether experimentally exposed seeds are removed by gastropods. Myrmecochorous plant cover was positively related to gastropod abundance but was negatively related to ant abundance. Gastropods were responsible for most seed removal and elaiosome damage, whereas insects (and rodents) played minor roles. These gastropod effects on seeds were independent of region or forest management. We suggest that terrestrial gastropods can generally act as seed dispersers of myrmecochorous plants and even substitute myrmecochory, especially where ants are absent or uncommon.
MetadatenAuthor details: | Manfred Türke, Kerstin Andreas, Martin M. Gossner, Esther Kowalski, Markus Lange, Steffen Boch, Stephanie A. Socher, Jörg MüllerORCiDGND, Daniel Prati, Markus Fischer, Rainer Meyhöfer, Wolfgang W. Weisser |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1086/663195 |
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ISSN: | 0003-0147 |
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Title of parent work (English): | The American naturalist : a bi-monthly journal devoted to the advancement and correlation of the biological sciences |
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Publisher: | Univ. of Chicago Press |
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Place of publishing: | Chicago |
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Publication type: | Article |
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Language: | English |
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Year of first publication: | 2012 |
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Publication year: | 2012 |
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Release date: | 2017/03/26 |
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Tag: | Arion; gastropodochory; myrmecochory; seed dispersal; slug |
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Volume: | 179 |
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Issue: | 1 |
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Number of pages: | 8 |
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First page: | 124 |
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Last Page: | 131 |
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Funding institution: | DFG [1374, WE 3018/9-1, FI 1246/6-1]; Biodiversity Exploratories project |
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Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Biochemie und Biologie |
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Peer review: | Referiert |
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