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Dejean, A.; Leroy, C.; Corbara, B.; Roux, O.; Cereghino, R.; Orivel, J.; Boulay, R. |
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Title |
Arboreal Ants Use the "Velcro (R) Principle'' to Capture Very Large Prey |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2010 |
Publication  |
PLoS One |
Abbreviated Journal |
PLoS One |
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5 |
Issue |
6 |
Pages |
e11331 |
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Plant-ants live in a mutualistic association with host plants known as "myrmecophytes'' that provide them with a nesting place and sometimes with extra-floral nectar (EFN) and/or food bodies (FBs); the ants can also attend sap-sucking Hemiptera for their honeydew. In return, plant-ants, like most other arboreal ants, protect their host plants from defoliators. To satisfy their nitrogen requirements, however, some have optimized their ability to capture prey in the restricted environment represented by the crowns of trees by using elaborate hunting techniques. In this study, we investigated the predatory behavior of the ant Azteca andreae which is associated with the myrmecophyte Cecropia obtusa. We noted that up to 8350 ant workers per tree hide side-by-side beneath the leaf margins of their host plant with their mandibles open, waiting for insects to alight. The latter are immediately seized by their extremities, and then spread-eagled; nestmates are recruited to help stretch, carve up and transport prey. This group ambush hunting technique is particularly effective when the underside of the leaves is downy, as is the case for C. obtusa. In this case, the hook-shaped claws of the A. andreae workers and the velvet-like structure of the underside of the leaves combine to act like natural Velcro (R) that is reinforced by the group ambush strategy of the workers, allowing them to capture prey of up to 13,350 times the mean weight of a single worker. |
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[Dejean, Alain; Leroy, Celine; Roux, Olivier; Orivel, Jerome] CNRS, Ecol Forets Guyane UMR CNRS 8172, Kourou, France, Email: alain.dejean@wanadoo.fr |
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1932-6203 |
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ISI:000279140800028 |
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EcoFoG @ eric.marcon @ |
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56 |
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Dejean, A.; Fisher, B.L.; Corbara, B.; Rarevohitra, R.; Randrianaivo, R.; Rajemison, B.; Leponce, M. |
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Title |
Spatial Distribution of Dominant Arboreal Ants in a Malagasy Coastal Rainforest: Gaps and Presence of an Invasive Species |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2010 |
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PLoS One |
Abbreviated Journal |
PLoS One |
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Volume |
5 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
e9319 |
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We conducted a survey along three belt transects located at increasing distances from the coast to determine whether a non-random arboreal ant assemblage, such as an ant mosaic, exists in the rainforest on the Masoala Peninsula, Madagascar. In most tropical rainforests, very populous colonies of territorially dominant arboreal ant species defend absolute territories distributed in a mosaic pattern. Among the 29 ant species recorded, only nine had colonies large enough to be considered potentially territorially dominant; the remaining species had smaller colonies and were considered non-dominant. Nevertheless, the null-model analyses used to examine the spatial structure of their assemblages did not reveal the existence of an ant mosaic. Inland, up to 44% of the trees were devoid of dominant arboreal ants, something not reported in other studies. While two Crematogaster species were not associated with one another, Brachymyrmex cordemoyi was positively associated with Technomyrmex albipes, which is considered an invasive species-a non-indigenous species that has an adverse ecological effect on the habitats it invades. The latter two species and Crematogaster ranavalonae were mutually exclusive. On the other hand, all of the trees in the coastal transect and at least 4 km of coast were occupied by T. albipes, and were interconnected by columns of workers. Technomyrmex albipes workers collected from different trees did not attack each other during confrontation tests, indicating that this species has formed a supercolony along the coast. Yet interspecific aggressiveness did occur between T. albipes and Crematogaster ranavalonae, a native species which is likely territorially dominant based on our intraspecific confrontation tests. These results suggest that the Masoala rainforest is threatened by a potential invasion by T. albipes, and that the penetration of this species further inland might be facilitated by the low density of native, territorially dominant arboreal ants normally able to limit its progression. |
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[Dejean, Alain] CNRS, Unite Mixte Rech 8172, Kourou, France, Email: alain.dejean@wanadoo.fr |
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1932-6203 |
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ISI:000274923700021 |
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EcoFoG @ eric.marcon @ |
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81 |
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Roux, O.; Billen, J.; Orivel, J.; Dejean, A. |
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Title |
An Overlooked Mandibular-Rubbing Behavior Used during Recruitment by the African Weaver Ant, Oecophylla longinoda |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2010 |
Publication |
PLoS One |
Abbreviated Journal |
PLoS One |
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Volume |
5 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
e8957 |
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In Oecophylla, an ant genus comprising two territorially dominant arboreal species, workers are known to (1) use anal spots to mark their territories, (2) drag their gaster along the substrate to deposit short-range recruitment trails, and (3) drag the extruded rectal gland along the substrate to deposit the trails used in long-range recruitment. Here we study an overlooked but important marking behavior in which O. longinoda workers first rub the underside of their mandibles onto the substrate, and then-in a surprising posture-tilt their head and also rub the upper side of their mandibles. We demonstrate that this behavior is used to recruit nestmates. Its frequency varies with the rate at which a new territory, a sugary food source, a prey item, or an alien ant are discovered. Microscopy analyses showed that both the upper side and the underside of the mandibles possess pores linked to secretory glands. So, by rubbing their mandibles onto the substrate, the workers probably spread a secretion from these glands that is involved in nestmate recruitment. |
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[Roux, Olivier; Dejean, Alain] CNRS, UMR, Kourou, France, Email: oroux@cict.fr |
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1932-6203 |
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ISI:000274209700003 |
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EcoFoG @ eric.marcon @ |
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82 |
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Gonzalez, M.A.; Baraloto, C.; Engel, J.; Mori, S.A.; Petronelli, P.; Riera, B.; Roger, A.; Thebaud, C.; Chave, J. |
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Title |
Identification of Amazonian Trees with DNA Barcodes |
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Journal Article |
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2009 |
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PLoS One |
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PLoS One |
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4 |
Issue |
10 |
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e7483 |
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Background: Large-scale plant diversity inventories are critical to develop informed conservation strategies. However, the workload required for classic taxonomic surveys remains high and is particularly problematic for megadiverse tropical forests. Methodology/Principal Findings: Based on a comprehensive census of all trees in two hectares of a tropical forest in French Guiana, we examined whether plant DNA barcoding could contribute to increasing the quality and the pace of tropical plant biodiversity surveys. Of the eight plant DNA markers we tested (rbcLa, rpoC1, rpoB, matK, ycf5, trnL, psbA-trnH, ITS), matK and ITS had a low rate of sequencing success. More critically, none of the plastid markers achieved a rate of correct plant identification greater than 70%, either alone or combined. The performance of all barcoding markers was noticeably low in few species-rich clades, such as the Laureae, and the Sapotaceae. A field test of the approach enabled us to detect 130 molecular operational taxonomic units in a sample of 252 juvenile trees. Including molecular markers increased the identification rate of juveniles from 72% (morphology alone) to 96% (morphology and molecular) of the individuals assigned to a known tree taxon. Conclusion/Significance: We conclude that while DNA barcoding is an invaluable tool for detecting errors in identifications and for identifying plants at juvenile stages, its limited ability to identify collections will constrain the practical implementation of DNA-based tropical plant biodiversity programs. |
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1932-6203 |
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ISI:000270880700009 |
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EcoFoG @ eric.marcon @ |
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189 |
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Dejean, A.; Corbara, B.; Leroy, C.; Delabie, J.H.C.; Rossi, V.; Cereghino, R. |
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Title |
Inherited Biotic Protection in a Neotropical Pioneer Plant |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2011 |
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PLoS One |
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PLoS One |
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6 |
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3 |
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e18071 |
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Chelonanthus alatus is a bat-pollinated, pioneer Gentianaceae that clusters in patches where still-standing, dried-out stems are interspersed among live individuals. Flowers bear circum-floral nectaries (CFNs) that are attractive to ants, and seed dispersal is both barochorous and anemochorous. Although, in this study, live individuals never sheltered ant colonies, dried-out hollow stems – that can remain standing for 2 years – did. Workers from species nesting in dried-out stems as well as from ground-nesting species exploited the CFNs of live C. alatus individuals in the same patches during the daytime, but were absent at night (when bat pollination occurs) on 60.5% of the plants. By visiting the CFNs, the ants indirectly protect the flowers – but not the plant foliage – from herbivorous insects. We show that this protection is provided mostly by species nesting in dried-out stems, predominantly Pseudomyrmex gracilis. That dried-out stems remain standing for years and are regularly replaced results in an opportunistic, but stable association where colonies are sheltered by one generation of dead C. alatus while the live individuals nearby, belonging to the next generation, provide them with nectar; in turn, the ants protect their flowers from herbivores. We suggest that the investment in wood by C. alatus individuals permitting still-standing, dried-out stems to shelter ant colonies constitutes an extended phenotype because foraging workers protect the flowers of live individuals in the same patch. Also, through this process these dried-out stems indirectly favor the reproduction (and so the fitness) of the next generation including both their own offspring and that of their siblings, all adding up to a potential case of inclusive fitness in plants. |
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[Dejean, Alain; Leroy, Celine] CNRS, Ecol Forets Guyane UMR CNRS 8172, Kourou, France, Email: alain.dejean@wanadoo.fr |
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Public Library Science |
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1932-6203 |
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ISI:000289057200023 |
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EcoFoG @ webmaster @ |
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306 |
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Author |
Dejean, A. |
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Title |
Prey Capture Behavior in an Arboreal African Ponerine Ant |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2011 |
Publication |
PLoS One |
Abbreviated Journal |
PLoS One |
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Volume |
6 |
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5 |
Pages |
e19837 |
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I studied the predatory behavior of Platythyrea conradti, an arboreal ponerine ant, whereas most species in this subfamily are ground-dwelling. The workers, which hunt solitarily only around dusk, are able to capture a wide range of prey, including termites and agile, nocturnal insects as well as diurnal insects that are inactive at that moment of the Nyctemeron, resting on tree branches or under leaves. Prey are captured very rapidly, and the antennal palpation used by ground-dwelling ponerine species is reduced to a simple contact; stinging occurs immediately thereafter. The venom has an instant, violent effect as even large prey (up to 30 times the weight of a worker) never struggled after being stung. Only small prey are not stung. Workers retrieve their prey, even large items, singly. To capture termite workers and soldiers defending their nest entrances, ant workers crouch and fold their antennae backward. In their role as guards, the termites face the crouching ants and end up by rolling onto their backs, their legs batting the air. This is likely due to volatile secretions produced by the ants' mandibular gland. The same behavior is used against competing ants, including territorially-dominant arboreal species that retreat further and further away, so that the P. conradti finally drive them from large, sugary food sources. |
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[Dejean, Alain] CNRS, Ecol Forets Guyane UMR 8172, Kourou, France, Email: alain.dejean@wanadoo.fr |
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Public Library Science |
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1932-6203 |
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ISI:000290483600033 |
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EcoFoG @ webmaster @ |
Serial |
316 |
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Brouard, O.; Le Jeune, A.H.; Leroy, C.; Cereghino, R.; Roux, O.; Pelozuelo, L.; Dejean, A.; Corbara, B.; Carrias, J.F. |
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Title |
Are Algae Relevant to the Detritus-Based Food Web in Tank-Bromeliads? |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2011 |
Publication |
PLoS One |
Abbreviated Journal |
PLoS One |
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Volume |
6 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
e20129 |
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We assessed the occurrence of algae in five species of tank-bromeliads found in contrasting environmental sites in a Neotropical, primary rainforest around the Nouragues Research Station, French Guiana. The distributions of both algal abundance and biomass were examined based on physical parameters, the morphological characteristics of bromeliad species and with regard to the structure of other aquatic microbial communities held in the tanks. Algae were retrieved in all of the bromeliad species with mean densities ranging from similar to 10(2) to 10(4) cells/mL. Their biomass was positively correlated to light exposure and bacterial biomass. Algae represented a tiny component of the detrital food web in shaded bromeliads but accounted for up to 30 percent of the living microbial carbon in the tanks of Catopsis berteroniana, located in a highly exposed area. Thus, while nutrient supplies are believed to originate from wind-borne particles and trapped insects (i.e., allochtonous organic matter), our results indicate that primary producers (i.e., autochtonous organic matter) are present in this insectivorous bromeliad. Using a 24-h incubation of size-fractionated and manipulated samples from this plant, we evaluated the impact of mosquito foraging on algae, other microorganisms and rotifers. The prey assemblages were greatly altered by the predation of mosquito larvae. Grazing losses indicated that the dominant algal taxon, Bumilleriopsis sp., like protozoa and rotifers, is a significant part of the diet of mosquito larvae. We conclude that algae are a relevant functional community of the aquatic food web in C. berteroniana and might form the basis of a complementary non-detrital food web. |
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[Brouard, Olivier; Le Jeune, Anne-Helene; Corbara, Bruno; Carrias, Jean-Francois] Univ Clermont Ferrand, CNRS, Lab Microorganismes Genome & Environm, LMGE,UMR 6023, Aubiere, France, Email: j-francois.carrias@univ-bpclermont.fr |
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Public Library Science |
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1932-6203 |
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ISI:000290720200066 |
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EcoFoG @ webmaster @ |
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319 |
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Roux, O.; Cereghino, R.; Solano, P.J.; Dejean, A. |
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Title |
Caterpillars and Fungal Pathogens: Two Co-Occurring Parasites of an Ant-Plant Mutualism |
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Journal Article |
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2011 |
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PLoS One |
Abbreviated Journal |
PLoS One |
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Volume |
6 |
Issue |
5 |
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e20538 |
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In mutualisms, each interacting species obtains resources from its partner that it would obtain less efficiently if alone, and so derives a net fitness benefit. In exchange for shelter (domatia) and food, mutualistic plant-ants protect their host myrmecophytes from herbivores, encroaching vines and fungal pathogens. Although selective filters enable myrmecophytes to host those ant species most favorable to their fitness, some insects can by-pass these filters, exploiting the rewards supplied whilst providing nothing in return. This is the case in French Guiana for Cecropia obtusa (Cecropiaceae) as Pseudocabima guianalis caterpillars (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) can colonize saplings before the installation of their mutualistic Azteca ants. The caterpillars shelter in the domatia and feed on food bodies (FBs) whose production increases as a result. They delay colonization by ants by weaving a silk shield above the youngest trichilium, where the FBs are produced, blocking access to them. This probable temporal priority effect also allows female moths to lay new eggs on trees that already shelter caterpillars, and so to occupy the niche longer and exploit Cecropia resources before colonization by ants. However, once incipient ant colonies are able to develop, they prevent further colonization by the caterpillars. Although no higher herbivory rates were noted, these caterpillars are ineffective in protecting their host trees from a pathogenic fungus, Fusarium moniliforme (Deuteromycetes), that develops on the trichilium in the absence of mutualistic ants. Therefore, the Cecropia treelets can be parasitized by two often overlooked species: the caterpillars that shelter in the domatia and feed on FBs, delaying colonization by mutualistic ants, and the fungal pathogen that develops on old trichilia. The cost of greater FB production plus the presence of the pathogenic fungus likely affect tree growth. |
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[Roux, Olivier; Dejean, Alain] CNRS, Ecol Forets Guyane UMR 8172, Kourou, France, Email: olivier.roux@ird.fr |
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1932-6203 |
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ISI:000291097600091 |
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EcoFoG @ webmaster @ |
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322 |
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Hibert, F.; Sabatier, D.; Andrivot, J.; Scotti-Saintagne, C.; Gonzalez, S.; Prévost, M.-F.; Grenand, P.; Chave, J.; Caron, H.; Richard-Hansen, C. |
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Botany, genetics and ethnobotany: A crossed investigation on the elusive tapir's diet in French guiana |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2011 |
Publication |
PLoS One |
Abbreviated Journal |
PLoS ONE |
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Volume |
6 |
Issue |
10 |
Pages |
e25850 |
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While the populations of large herbivores are being depleted in many tropical rainforests, the importance of their trophic role in the ecological functioning and biodiversity of these ecosystems is still not well evaluated. This is due to the outstanding plant diversity that they feed upon and the inherent difficulties involved in observing their elusive behaviour. Classically, the diet of elusive tropical herbivores is studied through the observation of browsing signs and macroscopic analysis of faeces or stomach contents. In this study, we illustrate that the original coupling of classic methods with genetic and ethnobotanical approaches yields information both about the diet diversity, the foraging modalities and the potential impact on vegetation of the largest terrestrial mammal of Amazonia, the lowland tapir. The study was conducted in the Guianan shield, where the ecology of tapirs has been less investigated. We identified 92 new species, 51 new genera and 13 new families of plants eaten by tapirs. We discuss the relative contribution of our different approaches, notably the contribution of genetic barcoding, used for the first time to investigate the diet of a large tropical mammal, and how local traditional ecological knowledge is accredited and valuable for research on the ecology of elusive animals. © 2011 Hibert et al. |
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INRA, Université de Bordeaux, UMR1202 BIOGECO, Cestas, France |
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19326203 (Issn) |
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Export Date: 21 October 2011; Source: Scopus; Art. No.: e25850; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025850; Language of Original Document: English; Correspondence Address: Hibert, F.; Direction Etudes et Recherches Guyane, Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Kourou, French Guiana, France; email: fabricenz@gmail.com |
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EcoFoG @ webmaster @ |
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343 |
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Dejean, A.; Cereghino, R.; Carpenter, J.M.; Corbara, B.; Herault, B.; Rossi, V.; Leponce, M.; Orivel, J.; Bonal, D. |
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Climate change impact on neotropical social wasps |
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Journal Article |
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2011 |
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PLoS One |
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PLoS ONE |
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6 |
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11 |
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e27004 |
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Establishing a direct link between climate change and fluctuations in animal populations through long-term monitoring is difficult given the paucity of baseline data. We hypothesized that social wasps are sensitive to climatic variations, and thus studied the impact of ENSO events on social wasp populations in French Guiana. We noted that during the 2000 La Niña year there was a 77.1% decrease in their nest abundance along ca. 5 km of forest edges, and that 70.5% of the species were no longer present. Two simultaneous 13-year surveys (1997-2009) confirmed the decrease in social wasps during La Niña years (2000 and 2006), while an increase occurred during the 2009 El Niño year. A 30-year weather survey showed that these phenomena corresponded to particularly high levels of rainfall, and that temperature, humidity and global solar radiation were correlated with rainfall. Using the Self-Organizing Map algorithm, we show that heavy rainfall during an entire rainy season has a negative impact on social wasps. Strong contrasts in rainfall between the dry season and the short rainy season exacerbate this effect. Social wasp populations never recovered to their pre-2000 levels. This is probably because these conditions occurred over four years; heavy rainfall during the major rainy seasons during four other years also had a detrimental effect. On the contrary, low levels of rainfall during the major rainy season in 2009 spurred an increase in social wasp populations. We conclude that recent climatic changes have likely resulted in fewer social wasp colonies because they have lowered the wasps' resistance to parasitoids and pathogens. These results imply that Neotropical social wasps can be regarded as bio-indicators because they highlight the impact of climatic changes not yet perceptible in plants and other animals. © 2011 Dejean et al. |
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INRA – Nancy, UMR EEF, Champenou, Nancy, France |
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19326203 (Issn) |
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Export Date: 29 November 2011; Source: Scopus; Art. No.: e27004; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027004; Language of Original Document: English; Correspondence Address: Dejean, A.; CNRS – UMR 8172, Écologie des Forêts de Guyane (Ecofog), Campus Agronomique, BP 709, Kourou, France; email: alain.dejean@wanadoo.fr |
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EcoFoG @ webmaster @ |
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372 |
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