title: Tank bromeliads as natural microcosms: a facultative association with ants influences the aquatic invertebrate community structure.
abstract: Many tank bromeliads have facultative relationships with ants as is the case in French Guiana between Aechmea aquilega (Salib.) Griseb. and the trap-jaw ant, Odontomachus haematodus Linnaeus. Using a redundancy analysis, we determined that the presence of O. haematodus colonies is accompanied by a greater quantity of fine particulate organic matter in the water likely due to their wastes. This increase in nutrient availability is significantly correlated with an increase in the abundance of some detritivorous taxa, suggesting a positive bottom-up influence on the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities living in the A. aquilega wells. On the other hand, the abundance of top predators is negatively affected by a lower number of available wells due to ant constructions for nesting, releasing a top-down pressure that could also favor lower trophic levels.
authors: Université Antilles-Guyane, Écologie des forêts de Guyane (UMR-CNRS 8172), campus agronomique, BP 316, 97379 Kourou cedex, France; CNRS, Écologie des forêts de Guyane (UMR-CNRS 8172), campus agronomique, BP 316, 97379 Kourou cedex, France. Electronic address: stantalaga@free.fr.
authors: Stanislas
authors: S
authors: Talaga
authors: Université Antilles-Guyane, Écologie des forêts de Guyane (UMR-CNRS 8172), campus agronomique, BP 316, 97379 Kourou cedex, France; CNRS, Écologie des forêts de Guyane (UMR-CNRS 8172), campus agronomique, BP 316, 97379 Kourou cedex, France.
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Dézerald
authors: Université de Toulouse, UPS, INP, Ecolab, 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France.
authors: Alexis
authors: A
authors: Carteron
authors: CNRS, Écologie des forêts de Guyane (UMR-CNRS 8172), campus agronomique, BP 316, 97379 Kourou cedex, France.
authors: Frédéric
authors: F
authors: Petitclerc
authors: IRD, UMR AMAP, boulevard de la Lironde, TA A-51/PS2, 34398 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
authors: Céline
authors: C
authors: Leroy
authors: Université de Toulouse, UPS, INP, Ecolab, 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France; CNRS, Ecolab (UMR-CNRS 5245), 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France.
authors: Régis
authors: R
authors: Céréghino
authors: CNRS, Écologie des forêts de Guyane (UMR-CNRS 8172), campus agronomique, BP 316, 97379 Kourou cedex, France; Université de Toulouse, UPS, INP, Ecolab, 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France; CNRS, Ecolab (UMR-CNRS 5245), 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France.
authors: Alain
authors: A
authors: Dejean
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000502:physiology*; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000502:physiology*; D044822:Biodiversity; D031229:Bromeliaceae; D017753:Ecosystem; D004609:Eliminative Behavior, Animal; D005243:Feces; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D020387:Food Chain; D006812:Humic Substances; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000502:physiology*; D009425:Nesting Behavior; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis; D010316:Particle Size; D018515:Plant Leaves; D011235:Predatory Behavior
chemical_list: D006812:Humic Substances; D009930:Organic Chemicals
keywords: Aechmea; Ant–bromeliad associations; Aquatic communities; Associations broméliacées–fourmis; Communautés aquatiques; Odontomachus; Phytotelm; Phytotelme