Geographic mosaic of ant-plant intercations in helleborus foetidus: effects of morphological and chemical seed traits on dispersal by ants

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Project objective

We propose to explore the patterns of geographic variation of the interaction between Helleborus foetidus elaiosome-bearing seeds and its ant dispersers. Our study focus on the matching between structural and functional characteristics of the ant communities and seed traits (morphological and chemical characteristics of the elaisomes) at a large scale. We consider a multivariate approach, integrating chemical, behavioral and ecological techniques, to elucidate patterns of within and between-population interaction outcomes within the evolutionary framework of the Thompson's geographic mosaic theory of coevolution. The two major objectives of the project are:1 ) to analyze between-population variation in the magnitude and pattern of seed dispersal by ants;2) to assess how the differences in ant community composition as well as seed traits may explain within- and between-population differences in the myrmecochory. Three specific questions are addressed:1 ) Is there any significant geographical variation in the size, shape and chemical composition of H. foetidus elaiosomes?2) Do abundance and species composition of local ant communities vary among H.foetidus populations? If they do, and on the basis of experimental evidence on the response of different ant species to H.foetidus diasporas, is this variation in ant communities related to differential dispersal for H foetidus diasporas?3) Could geographical variation in diasporas traits be interpreted as reflecting the variation in the dispersal-related characteristics of the local ant communities?

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Participants

• CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS · MADRIDCoordinatorSpain

Links

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