Roles of species-preferential seed dispersal by ants and endozoochory in Melampyrum(Orobanchaceae)  

作　　者：Jan Chlumský Petr Koutecký Veronika Jílková Milan Štech 

机构地区：[1]University of South Bohemia,Faculty of Science,Branišovská31,37005ČeskéBudějovice,Czech Republic

出　　处：《Journal of Plant Ecology》2013年第3期232-239,共8页植物生态学报（英文版）

基　　金：Grant Agency of the University of South Bohemia(164/2010/P and 04-138/2010/P).

摘　　要：Aims Melampyrum pratense and M.subalpinum are two myrmeco-chorous species,which possess similar habitat requirements and frequently occur together.Despite this,their population sizes differ markedly.Melampyrum pratense populations are usually very large,whereas M.subalpinum has rather small and isolated populations.We suggest that such an imbalance might be partially influenced by the difference in ant-mediated seed-removal rates.genus Melampyrum is considered to be exclusively myrme-cochorous,though to achieve the recent distribution of some Melampyrum species during the Holocene myrmecochory would be highly insufficient.We suggest that endozoochory takes place in the long-distance migration,whereas myrmecochory is important for the removal of seeds on a local scale.Methods For seed-preference analysis,M.pratense and M.subalpinum mixed seed samples were placed around Formica polyctena anthills.after a period of time,the remaining seeds of both species were counted for each sample.The results were analysed by analysis of variance and generalized linear mixed-effect model.To test myrmecochorous removal distances,M.pratense seeds were covered with fluorescent dactyloscopic powder and placed in the vicinity of a large ant trail.The area around the starting plot was searched in the dark using uV lED torchlight 7 h after the beginning.The distance from the starting plot was measured for each seed found.birds,rodents,leporine and a ruminant were fed with M.pratense seeds and fresh plants to test the possibility of endozoochorous dispersal of the species.animal droppings were searched for intact seeds.Important Findingsour field studies show that from mixed seed samples,containing both species,ants significantly preferred the seeds of M.pratense.This may be one of factors that has positive influence on M.prat-ense success in seed dispersal on mixed stands and consequently in the colonization of favourable sites.Experiments focusing on ant-mediated dispersal distance revealed that F.polyctena ants are able to move seeds

关 键 词：ENDOZOOCHORY Melampyrum MYRMECOCHORY OROBANCHACEAE seed dispersal 

分 类 号：O17[理学—数学]