Fiala Brigitte, Maschwitz Ulrich, Pong Tho Yow, Helbig Andreas J
Zoologisches Institut der Universität, Siesmayerstrasse 70, D-6000, Frankfurt/M., Federal Republic of Germany.
Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, Selangor, Malaysia.
Oecologia. 1989 Jun;79(4):463-470. doi: 10.1007/BF00378662.
In the humid tropics of SE Asia there are some 14 myrmecophytic species of the pioneer tree genus Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae). In Peninsular Malaysia a close association exists between the trees and the small, non-stinging myrmicine Crematogaster borneensis. These ants feed mainly on food bodies provided by the plants and have their colonies inside the hollow internodes. In a ten months field study we were able to demonstrate for four Macaranga species (M. triloba, M. hypoleuca, M. hosei, M. hulletti) that host plants also benefit considerably from ant-occupation. Ants do not contribute to the nutrient demands of their host plant, they do, however, protect it against herbivores and plant competition. Cleaning behaviour of the ants results in the removal of potential hervivores already in their earliest developmental stages. Strong aggressiveness and a mass recruiting system enable the ants to defend the host plant against many herbivorous insects. This results in a significant decrease in leaf damage due to herbivores on ant-occupied compared to ant-free myrmecophytes as well as compared to non-myrmecophytic Macaranga species. Most important is the ants' defense of the host plant against plant competitors, especially vines, which are abundant in the well-lit pioneer habitats where Macaranga grows. Ants bite off any foreign plant part coming into contact with their host plant. Both ant-free myrmecophytes and non-myrmecophytic Macaranga species had a significantly higher incidence of vine growth than specimens with active ant colonies. This may be a factor of considerable importance allowing Macaranga plants to grow at sites of strongest competition.
在东南亚潮湿的热带地区，先锋树属木麻楝（大戟科）大约有14种蚁栖植物。在马来西亚半岛，这些树与小型、无刺的切叶蚁科伯恩氏举腹蚁存在密切关联。这些蚂蚁主要以植物提供的食物体为食，其蚁群生活在中空的节间内。在为期十个月的实地研究中，我们能够证明四种木麻楝物种（三叶木麻楝、白背木麻楝、霍氏木麻楝、胡氏木麻楝）的寄主植物也从蚂蚁的占据中受益匪浅。蚂蚁对寄主植物的养分需求并无贡献，但它们确实能保护寄主植物免受食草动物侵害和植物竞争。蚂蚁的清洁行为会在潜在食草动物发育的最早阶段就将其清除。强烈的攻击性和大规模招募系统使蚂蚁能够保护寄主植物免受许多食草昆虫的侵害。这导致与无蚁栖植物以及非蚁栖性木麻楝物种相比，有蚂蚁占据的蚁栖植物因食草动物造成的叶片损伤显著减少。最重要的是蚂蚁对寄主植物免受植物竞争者侵害的保护，尤其是藤蔓植物，在木麻楝生长的光照充足的先锋生境中藤蔓植物大量存在。蚂蚁会咬断任何与它们的寄主植物接触的外来植物部分。无蚁栖植物和非蚁栖性木麻楝物种的藤蔓生长发生率都明显高于有活跃蚁群的植株。这可能是一个相当重要的因素，使木麻楝植物能够在竞争最激烈的地方生长。
