D3442: Interactions of ants and plants

Ants have been a key part of terrestrial ecosystems for many millions of years. Trophic interactions between plants as primary producers and ants are generally complex and tightly coupled, suggesting strong coevolution. On one side, ants can act in a negative role by consuming vegetative plant parts, mostly leaves or generative organs such as floral parts, pollen or seeds. They can also play a role as protectors and spreaders of aphids, which damage especially young sprouting plant shoots by sucking. On the other hand co-evolved obligate mutualistic beneficial relationships between ants and plants are scientifically more interesting and so far little explored. In this regards, ants protect the plant from herbivorous insects and the plant provides rewards for ants such as food bodies or nectar produced in extrafloral nectaries. At the same time chemicals produced by plants can influence ants' behavior affecting their movement in the environment. Especially volatile organic compounds are used as chemical signals, deterring ants as undesirable crawling visitors and unreliable pollinators from functional flowers and attracting them to leaves. This poster provides an overview of these fascinating interactions that is often part of complex multitrophic environmental relationships.