Spider-fed bromeliads: seasonal and interspecific variation in plant performance

Autor(es)

Goncalves, Ana Zangirolame ; Mercier, Helenice ^[1] ; Mazzafera, Paulo ^[2] ; Romero, Gustavo Quevedo ^[3]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo USP, Inst Biociencias, Dept Bot, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas UNICAMP, Dept Biol Vegetal, Inst Biol, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Estadual Campinas UNICAMP, Dept Biol Anim, Inst Biol, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: ANNALS OF BOTANY; v. 107, n. 6, p. 1047-1055, MAY 2011.
• Citações Web of Science: 15

Resumo

Background and Aims Several animals that live on bromeliads can contribute to plant nutrition through nitrogen provisioning (digestive mutualism). The bromeliad-living spider Psecas chapoda (Salticidae) inhabits and breeds on Bromelia balansae in regions of South America, but in specific regions can also appear on Ananas comosus (pineapple) plantations and Aechmea distichantha. Methods Using isotopic and physiological methods in greenhouse experiments, the role of labelled ((15)N) spider faeces and Drosophila melanogaster flies in the nutrition and growth of each host plant was evaluated, as well as seasonal variation in the importance of this digestive mutualism. Key Results Spiders contributed 0.6 +/- 0.2% (mean +/- s.e.; dry season) to 2.7 +/- 1% (wet season) to the total nitrogen in B. balansae, 2.4 +/- 0.4% (dry) to 4.1 +/- 0.3% (wet) in An. comosus and 3.8 +/- 0.4% (dry) to 5 +/- 1% (wet) in Ae. distichantha. In contrast, flies did not contribute to the nutrition of these bromeliads. Chlorophylls and carotenoid concentrations did not differ among treatments. Plants that received faeces had higher soluble protein concentrations and leaf growth (RGR) only during the wet season. Conclusions These results indicate that the mutualism between spiders and bromeliads is seasonally restricted, generating a conditional outcome. There was interspecific variation in nutrient uptake, probably related to each species' performance and photosynthetic pathways. Whereas B. balansae seems to use nitrogen for growth, Ae. distichantha apparently stores nitrogen for stressful nutritional conditions. Bromeliads absorbed more nitrogen coming from spider faeces than from flies, reinforcing the beneficial role played by predators in these digestive mutualisms. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 04/13658-5 - Associações entre aranhas e plantas: história natural, interações multitróficas e mutualismos
• Beneficiário: Gustavo Quevedo Romero
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Jovens Pesquisadores
• Processo FAPESP: 07/57300-5 - Variacao sazonal na contribuicao de aranhas bromelicolas para a nutricao das suas plantas hospedeiras: testes com isotopos estaveis de 15n e respostas fisiologicas.
• Beneficiário: Ana Zangirólame Gonçalves
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado