Postponing the production of ant domatia as a strategy promoting an escape from flooding in an Amazonian myrmecophyte.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Even when adapted to flooding environments, the spatial distribution, growing strategies and anti-herbivore defences of plants face stressful conditions. Here we describe the effects of flooding on carbon allocation on growth, domatia and leaf production, and the herbivory on the myrmecophyte domatia-bearing Tococa coronata Benth. (Melastomataceae) growing along river banks in the Amazon region.

Methods

In an area of 80 000 m2 of riparian forest along the Juruena River we actively searched for individuals of T. coronata. In each plant we evaluated the size of the plant when producing the first domatium and determined its best predictor: (1) plant total height; (2) size of plants above flood level; or (3) length of time each plant spent underwater. We also

SUBMITTER: Izzo TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6266100 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature