Rare cliffhanging plant species uses unique reproductive strategy with ants

ScienceDaily (Sep. 12, 2012) ? The Borderea chouardii plant, which is critically endangered and is found only on two adjacent cliff sides in the Pyrenees, employs a unique and risky doubly mutualistic reproductive strategy with local ants, according to research published Sep. 12 in the open access journal PLOS ONE.

The researchers, led by Maria Garcia of the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC), found that two ant species acted as the main pollinators for the plant, while a third species dispersed seeds. About a third of the new seedlings censused over 17 years in vertical cliffs would come from such dispersal, while the remaining two thirds from self-sown seeds by the female plants.

Such a strategy is risky, because if something were to happen to the local ant species the plant may not be able to continue reproducing, but the authors conclude that it can be successful in this particular case because of the plant's unusually long lifespan, in some cases reaching over 300 years, its climatically stable habitat, and its isolation from large herbivores.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Mar?a B. Garc?a, Xavier Espadaler, Jens M. Olesen. Extreme Reproduction and Survival of a True Cliffhanger: The Endangered Plant Borderea chouardii (Dioscoreaceae). PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (9): e44657 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044657

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/S7uRRPH9ggs/120912184522.htm

kelly clarkson playoffs empty nest nbc sports bengals vs texans nfl playoffs cincinnati bengals