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Living together in novel habitats: a review of land-use change impacts on mutualistic ant-plant symbioses in tropical forests

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Book chapter

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Authors

Wanji, Chua 
Turner, EC 
Mohd Yusah, Kalsum 
Fayle, Tom M 

Abstract

Symbiotic mutualisms between ants and plants are those in which ants provide protection from herbivory and competition from other plants, while plants provide living space in specially adapted structures, and sometimes also food. Critically, the ants inhabit the plant (symbiosis) and hence reproductive interests are often (but not always) more strongly tied than in non-symbiotic mutualisms. Ant-plant symbioses are particularly diverse in tropical forests, a habitat under severe threat from human exploitation around the world. Understanding responses of ant-plant symbiotic mutualisms to tropical habitat change is important, because both ants and their plant hosts can play key roles in the wider ecosystem. Here we summarise the current state of knowledge of the impacts of habitat change on ant-plant symbioses in tropical forests. We take as a case study the two-way by-product mutualism between bird’s nest ferns and their ant symbionts in SE Asian rain forest, and the response of this system to logging and conversion to oil palm plantation. We conclude that ant-plant symbioses are surprisingly robust to habitat change, although while the interaction often persists, some partners from pristine habitats may not survive, with their roles being filled by non-native species.

Description

Title

Living together in novel habitats: a review of land-use change impacts on mutualistic ant-plant symbioses in tropical forests

Keywords

30 Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences, 31 Biological Sciences, 3103 Ecology, 41 Environmental Sciences, 15 Life on Land

Is Part Of

Ant-Plant Interactions: Impacts of Humans on Terrestrial Ecosystems

Book type

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

ISBN

9781107159754