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Frequency-Dependent Seed Dispersal By Ants Of Two Deciduous Forest Herbs, Brent H. Smith, Catherine E. De Rivera, Cara Lin Bridgman, John J. Woid Dec 1989

Frequency-Dependent Seed Dispersal By Ants Of Two Deciduous Forest Herbs, Brent H. Smith, Catherine E. De Rivera, Cara Lin Bridgman, John J. Woid

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Two co—occurring deciduous forest myrmecochores, Asarum canadense and Jeffersonia diphylla, release their seeds at approximately the same time, and therefore potentially compete for ants as dispersers. Within a single woodlot, we placed seeds of both species inside a dense Jeffersonia population away from Asarum plants, inside a dense Asarum population away from Jeffersonia plants, and in a site where plants of neither species occurred. No preference was exhibited by ants where natural populations were absent. Preference at the other two sites was frequency dependent: ants preferred seeds of the introduced species. Species preferred by ants have higher seed and …


Temporal Patterns Of Nectar And Pollen Production In Aralia Hispida: Implications For Reproductive Success, James D. Thomas, Mary A. Mckenna, Mitchell B. Cruzan Aug 1989

Temporal Patterns Of Nectar And Pollen Production In Aralia Hispida: Implications For Reproductive Success, James D. Thomas, Mary A. Mckenna, Mitchell B. Cruzan

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Large plants of Aralia hispida present their pollen and nectar in hundreds of small flowers than open sequentially over 2—3 wk in a pattern of synchronized protandry that alternates male and female phases. The primary pollinators, bumble bees, are able to discover individual plants with elevated levels of either nectar or pollen, and to return to them more often than to less rewarding plants. Both pollen and nectar are presented gradually over time in such a way as to favor traplining behavior by the bees, with many, frequent visits. In controlled environments, lifetime sugar production per flower varies among plants, …