학술논문
Disruption of an ant-plant mutualism shapes interactions between lions and their primary prey.
Document Type
Article
Author
Kamaru, Douglas N.; Palmer, Todd M.; Riginos, Corinna; Ford, Adam T.; Belnap, Jayne; Chira, Robert M.; Githaiga, John M.; Gituku, Benard C.; Hays, Brandon R.; Kavwele, Cyrus M.; Kibungei, Alfred K.; Lamb, Clayton T.; Maiyo, Nelly J.; Milligan, Patrick D.; Mutisya, Samuel; NgÕweno, Caroline C.; Ogutu, Michael; Pietrek, Alejandro G.; Wildt, Brendon T.; Goheen, Jacob R.
Source
Subject
Language
ISSN
0036-8075
Abstract
Mutualisms often define ecosystems, but they are susceptible to human activities. Combining experiments, animal tracking, and mortality investigations, we show that the invasive big-headed ant (Pheidole megacephala) makes lions (Panthera leo) less effective at killing their primary prey, plains zebra (Equus quagga). Big-headed ants disrupted the mutualism between native ants (Crematogaster spp.) and the dominant whistling-thorn tree (Vachellia drepanolobium), rendering trees vulnerable to elephant (Loxodonta africana) browsing and resulting in landscapes with higher visibility. Although zebra kills were significantly less likely to occur in higher-visibility, invaded areas, lion numbers did not decline since the onset of the invasion, likely because of prey-switching to African buffalo (Syncerus caffer). We show that by controlling biophysical structure across landscapes, a tiny invader reconfigured predator-prey dynamics among iconic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]