IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Kamaru, D.N.; Palmer, T.M.; Riginos, C.; Ford, A.T.; Belnap, J.; Chira, R.M.; Githaiga, J.M.; Gituku, B.C.; Hays, B.R.; Kavwele, C.M.; Kibungei, A.K.; Lamb, C.T.; Maiyo, N.J.; Milligan, P.D.; Mutisya, S.; Ng'weno, C.C.; Ogutu, M.; Pietrek, A.G.; Wildt, B.T.; Goheen, J.R. | |
| Disruption of an ant-plant mutualism shapes interactions between lions and their primary prey | |
| 2024 Science (383): 433-438 | |
Mutualisms often define ecosystems, but they are susceptible to human activities. Combining experiments, animal tracking, and mortality investigations, we show that the invasive big-headed ant (_Pheidole megacephala_) makes lions (_Panthera leo_) less effective at killing their primary prey, plains zebra (_Equus quagga_). Big-headed ants disrupted the mutualism between native ants (_Crematogaster_ spp.) and the dominant whistling-thorn tree (_Vachellia drepanolobium_), rendering trees vulnerable to elephant (_Loxodonta africana_) browsing and resulting in landscapes with higher visibility. Although zebra kills were significantly less likely to occur in higher-visibility, invaded areas, lion numbers did not decline since the onset of the invasion, likely because of prey-switching to African buffalo (_Syncerus caffer_). We show that by controlling biophysical structure across landscapes, a tiny invader reconfigured predator-prey dynamics among iconic species. |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |