アリと植物の相互関係が 破壊されることで ライオンと その主な獲物との相互作用が 形成されます
Douglas N Kamaru1,2, Todd M Palmer3, Corinna Riginos1,4
1Department of Zoology & Physiology and Program in Ecology & Evolution, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
まとめ
侵襲的なアリ種が 地元の生態系を破壊し 捕食者と獲物のダイナミクスに 影響を及ぼします この 小さな 侵略 者 は ライオン に 影響 を 及ぼす
科学分野:
- エコロジー
- 侵入種 生物学
- 動物 の 行動
背景:
- 相互主義は人間の活動に脆弱な生態系の重要な構成要素です
- 侵襲的な大頭アリ (Pheidole megacephala) は,確立された生態学的関係に脅威を及ぼす.
研究 の 目的:
- ライオン (Panthera leo) と平原のゼブラ (Equus quagga) に関する捕食者-獲物のダイナミクスをどのように影響するか調査する.
- ハビタット構造とその後の生態学的相互作用に対する 侵入アリのカスケード効果を理解する.
主な方法:
- フィールド実験と観察
- 動物追跡と死亡率の調査
- 生息地の変化の生態学的なモデル化
主要な成果:
- 侵略的なアリは,現地のアリ (Crematogaster spp.) の相互関係を破壊しました. またの木 (Vachellia drepanolobium) もあった.
- この干渉により,ゾウ (Loxodonta africana) のブラウジングに対する木の脆弱性が増加し,景観の可視性が変化しました.
- ライオンはこれらの変化した地形で平原のゼブラを狩るのにあまり成功しなかったが,アフリカのバッファロー (Syncerus caffer) に獲物を切り替えることでライオンの個体数は維持された.
結論:
- 侵襲的なアリは 土地の生体構造を変えることで 捕食者と獲物のダイナミクスを 大きく変えることができます
- 小さな侵入種でさえ 野生生物の象徴的な集団や 生態系の機能に 深い影響を与える可能性があります
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