| Abstract Detail
Tropical Biology Section Koptur, Suzanne [1], William, Pascale [2], Olive, Zuriany [2]. Ants and Plants with Extrafloral Nectaries; a comparison of fire successional habitats on Andros (Bahamas). WE surveyed the abundance of nectar-drinking ants in pineyard and coppice habitat on Andros in the spring of 2004. Using transects honey baits to attract ants, we found more ant activity in pineyard than in coppice habitat. We were surprised to find the greatest ant activity in recently burned pineyard, followed by open pineyard, overgrown pineyard, coppice edge, and coppice. We sampled the vegetation using linear transects, and found the proportion of plants bearing extrafloral nectaries to be higher in pineyard than in coppice. Our results (similar to patterns observed in the Florida Everglades) suggest that ant protection against herbivores may be more important in earlier successional than in later successional habitats in the Bahamas, a hypothesis that warrants further experimental investigation.
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1 - Florida International University, Deparment of Biological Sciences, 11200 SW 8th St., Miami, Florida, 33199, USA
2 - 1969 Loring Ave., San Diego, California, 92109-1406
Keywords:
interactions
ant-plant
Caribbean
fire
Succession.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 16-4
Location: 102/Plumas
Date: Monday, July 31st, 2006
Time: 11:00 AM
Abstract ID:759 |
