Ants Disperse a Majority of Herbs in a Mesic Forest Community in New York State

Abstract

*[In a central New York State beech-maple woodland, the dispersal characteristics of the herbaceous species were recorded. Forty-five herbaceous species were present in the quadrats sampled; 13 of these species were ant-dispersed (=myrmecochores). Ant-dispersed plants contributed half of the 10,004 stems sampled, 60.2%, 53.9%, 55.4%, & 50.7% in each of 4 sections of the forest. Ant-dispersed plants also comprised 48.2%, 39.5%, 38.3%, & 37.3% of the aboveground herbaceous biomass in these areas. Foraging & nesting behavior of ants must be a major factor contributing to the structure of this herb community, along with asexual reproductive patterns & competitive processes. Local differences in herb community structure may be mediated by differences in ant abundance & behavior.]