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Thermal physiology, foraging pattern, and worker body size interact to influence coexistence in sympatric polymorphic harvester ants (Messor spp.)
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology ( IF 2.3 ) Pub Date : 2022-06-07 , DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03186-6
Xavier Arnan, Alba Lázaro-González, Nils Beltran, Anselm Rodrigo, Rodrigo Pol

Abstract

Physiological thermal limits can mediate species coexistence at local scales. However, it is challenging to untangle the role they play when coexisting species are also highly related, given that phylogeny may inform physiology. However, if species exploit similar trophic resources, there must be a degree of niche differentiation that precludes competitive exclusion. Physiological traits frequently correlate with body size. Furthermore, they often vary within and among animal populations, allowing organisms to optimize their foraging dynamics under different thermal conditions. Here, we analyzed interactions among critical thermal maxima (CTmax), foraging patterns, and forager size in three congeneric, sympatric, and polymorphic harvester ant species (Messor barbarus, M. bouvieri, and M. capitatus). We characterized CTmax for different-sized foragers sampled from co-occurring colonies of the three species and analyzed the colonies’ daily and seasonal foraging patterns. We also performed a baiting experiment using M. barbarus to explore the relationship between forager size and foraging temperature. In general, the species displayed different CTmax values. For similar-sized foragers, the less polymorphic M. bouvieri had higher CTmax values than did the highly polymorphic M. barbarus and M. capitatus. There was a strong positive relationship between worker size and CTmax within colonies, but the results of the baiting experiment found that foraging temperature did not influence forager size distributions. While interspecific differences in foraging patterns were influenced by environmental temperatures, these dynamics were not fully attributable to species physiology. Competition may be playing an important role as well, in the form of other factors.

Significance statement

Congeneric, sympatric, and polymorphic species that occupy similar trophic niches can display different physiological thermal limits and foraging patterns. However, physiological differences alone do not explain species coexistence. Competition might be at work as well, operating in forms other than thermal physiology. Indeed, coexistence may occur because competition acts through behavioral patterns, such as temporal segregation in foraging. Here, although larger workers had higher critical thermal maxima, Messor barbarus did not appear to send out larger foragers when temperatures were higher. The absence of such a response could potentially hobble species persistence under future conditions of climate change. To understand how global changes will affect the world’s terrestrial ecosystems, we need research that examines species physiology and biotic interactions in tandem.



中文翻译:

热生理学、觅食模式和工人体型相互作用以影响同域多态收割蚁(Messor spp.)的共存

摘要

生理热限制可以调节局部尺度的物种共存。然而,当共存物种也高度相关时,解开它们所起的作用是具有挑战性的,因为系统发育可能会影响生理学。然而,如果物种利用相似的营养资源,则必须存在一定程度的生态位分化,从而排除竞争排斥。生理特征经常与体型相关。此外,它们通常在动物种群内部和动物种群之间变化,从而使生物体能够在不同的热条件下优化它们的觅食动态。在这里,我们分析了三种同属、同域和多态收割蚁 (Messor barbarus , M. bouvieri ) 的临界热最大值 (CTmax)、觅食模式和觅食大小之间的相互作用, 和M. capttus )。我们对从三个物种的共生菌落中取样的不同大小的觅食者的 CTmax 进行了表征,并分析了这些菌落的日常和季节性觅食模式。我们还使用M. barbarus进行了诱饵实验,以探索觅食者大小与觅食温度之间的关系。一般来说,这些物种表现出不同的 CTmax 值。对于类似大小的觅食者,多态性M. bouvieri的 CTmax 值高于高度多态性M. barbarusM. capitatus. 工蚁大小与菌落内 CTmax 之间存在很强的正相关关系,但诱饵实验的结果发现,觅食温度并不影响觅食者的大小分布。虽然觅食模式的种间差异受环境温度的影响,但这些动态并不完全归因于物种生理学。竞争也可能以其他因素的形式发挥重要作用。

意义陈述

占据相似营养生态位的同属、同域和多态物种可以表现出不同的生理温度限制和觅食模式。然而,仅凭生理差异并不能解释物种共存。竞争也可能在起作用,以热生理学以外的形式运作。事实上,共存可能会发生,因为竞争通过行为模式发挥作用,例如觅食中的时间隔离。在这里,虽然较大的工人有较高的临界热最大值,但Messor barbarus当温度更高时,它们似乎没有发出更大的觅食者。在未来的气候变化条件下,缺乏这种反应可能会阻碍物种的持久性。要了解全球变化将如何影响世界陆地生态系统,我们需要同时研究物种生理学和生物相互作用的研究。

更新日期:2022-06-08
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