Abstract
Abstract: Protection-based ant–plant mutualisms may vary in strength due to differences in ant rewards, abundance of protective ants and herbivory pressure. We investigated geographical and temporal variation in host plant traits and herbivory pressure at five sites spanning the distribution range of the myrmecophyte Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae) in the Indian Western Ghats. Southern sites had, on average, 2.4 times greater abundance of domatia-bearing individuals, 1.6 times greater extrafloral nectary numbers per leaf, 1.2 times larger extrafloral nectary sizes, 2.2 times greater extrafloral nectar (EFN) volumes and a two-fold increase in total amino acid and total sugar concentrations in EFN compared with northern sites. A strong protection-based mutualism with ants occurred at only one southern site where herbivory was highest, suggesting that investments in attracting ants correlate with anti-herbivore benefits gained from the presence of protective ants. Our results confirm a temporally stable north–south gradient in myrmecophytic traits in this ant-plant as several of these traits were re-sampled after a 5-y interval. However, the chemical composition of EFN varied at both spatial and short-term temporal scales suggesting that only repeated measurements of rewards such as EFN can reveal the real spectrum of trait variation in an ant–plant mutualistic system.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Southern sites had 2.4 times as many domatia-bearing individuals as northern sites.
- Taxon
- Humboldtia brunonis
.jpg?width=60)
Humboldtia brunonist0 - Outcome
- abundance of domatia-bearing individualse0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 2.4 timese0
- Setting
- Southern sitese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Southern sites had, on average, 2.4 times greater abundance of domatia-bearing individuals”
t0“Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
Southern sites had 1.6 times as many extrafloral nectaries per leaf.
- Taxon
- Humboldtia brunonisHumboldtia brunonist0
- Outcome
- extrafloral nectary numbers per leafe0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 1.6 timese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“1.6 times greater extrafloral nectary numbers per leaf”
t0“Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
Southern sites had 1.2 times larger extrafloral nectaries.
- Taxon
- Humboldtia brunonisHumboldtia brunonist0
- Outcome
- extrafloral nectary sizese0
- Direction
- largere0
- Value
- 1.2 timese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“1.2 times larger extrafloral nectary sizes”
t0“Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
Southern sites had 2.2 times more extrafloral nectar.
- Taxon
- Humboldtia brunonisHumboldtia brunonist0
- Outcome
- extrafloral nectar (EFN) volumese0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 2.2 timese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“2.2 times greater extrafloral nectar (EFN) volumes”
t0“Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
Southern sites had twice the total amino acid concentration in extrafloral nectar.
- Taxon
- Humboldtia brunonisHumboldtia brunonist0
- Outcome
- total amino acide0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- two-folde0
- Comparator
- northern sitese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a two-fold increase in total amino acid and total sugar concentrations in EFN compared with northern sites.”
t0“Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
Southern sites had twice the total sugar concentration in extrafloral nectar.
- Taxon
- Humboldtia brunonisHumboldtia brunonist0
- Outcome
- total sugar concentrations in EFNe0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- two-folde0
- Comparator
- northern sitese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a two-fold increase in total amino acid and total sugar concentrations in EFN compared with northern sites.”
t0“Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
A strong protective ant mutualism occurred at just one southern site, where herbivory was highest.
- Taxon
- Humboldtia brunonisHumboldtia brunonist0
- Interactor
- antsFormicidaee0other
- Outcome
- strong protection-based mutualism with antse0
- Setting
- one southern sitee0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A strong protection-based mutualism with ants occurred at only one southern site where herbivory was highest”
t0“Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
The geographic gradient in myrmecophytic traits remained stable over a five-year interval.
- Taxon
- Humboldtia brunonisHumboldtia brunonist0
- Outcome
- temporally stable north–south gradient in myrmecophytic traitse0
- Value
- 5-y intervale0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a temporally stable north–south gradient in myrmecophytic traits in this ant-plant as several of these traits were re-sampled after a 5-y interval.”
t0“Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
Extrafloral nectar chemistry varied spatially.
- Taxon
- Humboldtia brunonisHumboldtia brunonist0
- Outcome
- chemical composition of EFNe0
- Setting
- spatiale0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the chemical composition of EFN varied at both spatial and short-term temporal scales”
t0“Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae)”
Claim · model-written summary
Extrafloral nectar chemistry varied over short time scales.
- Taxon
- Humboldtia brunonisHumboldtia brunonist0
- Outcome
- chemical composition of EFNe0
- Qualifier
- short-term temporal scalese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the chemical composition of EFN varied at both spatial and short-term temporal scales”
t0“Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae)”