Efeitos negativos da interação formiga-planta na polinização em uma espécie de Cerrado

Abstract

The Cerrado is an important phytophysiognomy that is rapidly deteriorating due to human activities, such as the growth of cities and agriculture. Studies involving pollination systems are important to assist in the strategies of management and conservation of degraded areas. The ant-plant mutualism, which is known to reduce rates of herbivory, may be detrimental to bee pollination, when ants foraging on plants attack pollinators. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate whether there is a negative impact of the ant-plant interaction affecting visitation and fruiting production of a common Cerrado species, Banisteriopsis malifolia (Malpighiaceae). The study was carried out in an area of Cerrado restricted sense in Uberlândia, MG, Brazil. An experiment was carried out with four groups: control (no change, free visitation of ants), complete isolation (ant-free branches), artificial ants (isolated branches but with artificial ants in flowers) and plastic circles (isolated branches but with artificial circles in flowers). Observations were made about who were the flower visitors and their interaction with each of the groups, as well as about the result of visits to the flowers (fruit formation). The results showed that pollinators hesitated against flowers with artificial ants, negatively affecting pollination, but did not hesitate with plastic circles, showing that they recognize the morphology of the ants. The results also showed that the pollinators spent more time per flower in the isolation group, without any disturbance. In addition, the fruiting rate was lower in the group with artificial ants. Therefore, protection mutualism can negatively affect the interactions of pollination in B. malifolia, impacting its reproduction.