Banca de DEFESA: DOUGLAS DONIZETI DE SOUZA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : DOUGLAS DONIZETI DE SOUZA
DATE: 28/03/2024
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: virtual
TITLE:

Mutualism with nitrogen-fixing bacteria does not modify the positive effect of protective ants on the fitness of plants with extrafloral nectaries: a meta-analysis

PAGES: 42
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Ecologia
SUMMARY:

Mutualisms are widespread interactions in nature that increase the interacting species' fitness. Species can interact with more than one type of mutualist simultaneously, each conferring specific rewards or services. In plants, we can distinguish mutualisms that occur belowground, e.g., association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and aboveground, such as those established with protective ants that feed on nectar secreted by extrafloral nectaries (EFNs). In both interactions, carbohydrates from photosynthesis are offered to partners for nutrition and protection services. In this context, there may be a conflicting demand between functions and/or between different types of mutualisms since carbohydrates allocated to one mutualism can lead to the reduction of carbohydrates allocated to other mutualisms. On the other hand, investing in a certain mutualism can increase leaf production and general photosynthesis, generating positive feedback, offset the costs of carbohydrate production, and favor several types of mutualism in the same plant. These negative or positive effects among mutualisms could be regulated by environmental factors such as light and nutrient availability as plant resources. In this meta-analysis, we investigated whether the nutritional mutualism provided by nitrogen-fixing bacteria (i) modifies the magnitude of the ant effect on the fitness of plants with EFNs and whether its effect is dependent on (ii) the type of vegetation, whether more open or forested (a proxy for light availability) and (iii) the availability of nitrogen in the soil. We conducted a systematic quantitative review and extracted 151 effect sizes from 35 studies evaluating the ant effect on plant fitness. Our results show that ants positively affect plant fitness, and this positive effect does not differ between nodulating and non-nodulating plant species. This pattern highlights that plants can benefit from multiple mutualistic interactions without substantial interference. In addition, the effect of nutritional mutualism on the magnitude of the ant effect does not depend on the vegetation type or the soil nitrogen availability. In this case, even different portions of the environmental gradients that significantly modify the cost of these mutualisms did not modify the neutral effect of nodulation on the outcome of ant-plant mutualism from the plant's point of view. However, there may be conditions not investigated here in which conflicts persist, making more than one type of mutualism challenging to establish.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - Interno ao Programa - 2887832 - ANSELMO NOGUEIRA
Membro Titular - Examinador(a) Externo à Instituição - SEBASTIAN FELIPE SENDOYA ECHEVERRY - UFPEL
Membro Titular - Examinador(a) Externo à Instituição - RENATO CHAVES DE MACEDO REGO
Membro Suplente - Examinador(a) Interno ao Programa - 1768895 - GUSTAVO MUNIZ DIAS
Membro Suplente - Examinador(a) Externo à Instituição - EDUARDO KOERICH NERY