Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley-Blackwell
Résumé : International audience
1. Our understanding of the contribution of interspecific interactions to functional diversity in nature lags behind our knowledge of spatial and temporal patterns. Although two-species mutualisms are found in all types of ecosystems, the study of their ecological influences on other community members has mostly been limited to third species, while their influence on entire communities remains largely unexplored. 2. We hypothesized that mutualistic interactions between two respective ant species and an epiphyte mediate the biological traits composition of entire invertebrate communities that use the same host plant, thereby affecting food webs and functional diversity at the community level. 3. Aechmea mertensii (Bromeliaceae) is both a phytotelm ('plant-held water') and an ant-garden epiphyte. We sampled 111 bromeliads (111 aquatic invertebrate communities) associated with either the ant Pachycondyla goeldii or Camponotus femoratus. The relationships between ants, bromeliads and invertebrate abundance data were examined using a redundancy analysis. Biological traits information for invertebrates was structured using a fuzzy-coding technique, and a co-inertia analysis between traits and abundance data was used to interpret functional differences in bromeliad ecosystems. 4. The vegetative traits of A. mertensii depended on seed dispersion by C. femoratus and P. goeldii along a gradient of local conditions. The ant partner selected sets of invertebrates with traits that were best adapted to the bromeliads' morphology, and so the composition of the biological traits of invertebrate phytotelm communities depends on the identity of the ant partner. Biological traits suggest a bottom-up control of community structure in C. fenaoratus-associated phytotelmata and a greater structuring role for predatory invertebrates in P. goeldii-associated plants. 5. This study presents new information showing that two-species mutualisms affect the functional diversity of a much wider range of organisms. Most biological systems form complex networks where nodes (e.g. species) are more or less closely linked to each other, either directly or indirectly, through intermediate nodes. Our observations provide community-level information about biological interactions and functional diversity, and perspectives for further observations intended to examine whether large-scale changes in interacting species/community structure over broad geographical and anthropogenic gradients affect ecosystem functions.
Functional Ecology

hal-01096909
https://hal-agroparistech.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01096909
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2435-2011.01863.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : International audience
Tropical plants frequently live in association with ants that protect their foliage from defoliators. Among them, myrmecophytes have evolved mutualisms with a limited number of plant-ants that they shelter and feed, and, in return, benefit from some protection. Hirtella physophora (Chrysobalanaceae), for example, houses Allomerus decemarticulatus (Myrmicinae) that build gallery-shaped traps to catch large prey. In French Guiana, we frequently observed the assassin bug Zelus annulosus (Reduviidae, Harpactorinae) on the leaves of H. physophora. Here, we studied the distribution of Zelus annulosus among understory plants in the Guianese rainforest and found it only on pubescent plants, including H. Physophora, whether or not it was sheltering an A. decemarticulatus colony, but only rarely on other myrmecophytes. The relationship between Z. annulosus and its host plants is, then, also mutualistic, as the plant trichomes act as an enemy-free space protecting the nymphs from large predatory ants, while the nymphs protect their host-plants from herbivorous insects. Through their relationship with A. decemarticulatus colonies, Z. annulosus individuals are protected from army ants, while furnishing nothing in return. In those cases where H. physophora sheltered both an A. decemarticulatus colony and Z. annulosus nymphs, certain plant individuals repeatedly sheltered nymphs, indicating that female bugs may select not only pubescent plants but also particular H. physophora treelets having characteristics more favourable to the development of their progeny.
PLoS ONE

hal-00911249
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00911249
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00911249/document
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0013110
OATAO : 10144

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé :  
In studying the ant genus Azteca, a Neotropical group of arboreal species, we aimed to determine the extent to which the ants use predation and/or aggressiveness to protect their host plants from defoliating insects. We compared a territorially dominant, carton-nester, Azteca chartifex, and three plant-ant species. Azteca alfari and Azteca ovaticeps are associated with the myrmecophyte Cecropia (Cecropiaceae) and their colonies shelter in its hollow branches; whereas Azteca bequaerti is associated with Tococa guianensis (Melastomataceae) and its colonies shelter in leaf pouches situated at the base of the laminas. Whereas A. bequaerti workers react to the vibrations transmitted by the lamina when an alien insect lands on a leaf making it unnecessary for them to patrol their plant, the workers of the three other species rather discover prey by contact. The workers of all four species use a predatory behaviour involving spread-eagling alien insects after recruiting nestmates at short range, and, in some cases, at long range. Because A. alfari and A. ovaticeps discard part of the insects they kill, we deduced that the workers' predatory behaviour and territorial aggressiveness combine in the biotic defence of their host tree.
ISSN: 0028-1042

hal-01032079
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032079
DOI : 10.1007/s00114-008-0448-y

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
TRAMIL is a research program applied to the use of medicinal plants in the Caribbean, established in the 1980s. Significant uses of herbal remedies to address self limiting health problems are identified through participatory ethnopharmacological surveys and are the subject of scientific validation. The results are then disseminated to several audiences.While comprising an international scientific contribution to academic research, the TRAMIL network activities value the popular and local knowledge. This fertile relationship between local knowledge and scientific research draws answers to key challenges for Caribbean societies: improving the health of Caribbean populations first and foremost, but also indirectly developing economic prospects in various sectors (agriculture, industry, tourism, and health).The success of TRAMIL is based on a rigorous methodology and on a noteworthy informal network of collaborators invested at different levels of the program, locally and / or regionally. TRAMIL is one of the few trilingual networks that have been active for nearly forty years, well before the popularization of the Internet, in more than twenty Caribbean territories. It involves people and communities, health care professionals, researchers in many disciplines, and information and documentation professionals.This paper proposes to explore these new ways of working together and the accomplishments to which they give rise by presenting some concrete examples of the TRAMIL program in Puerto Rico and examining the program's website and the complex challenges faced by the stakeholders involved in its implementation.
TRAMIL es un programa de investigación aplicada a la medicina popular del Caribe, iniciado en la década de los ‘80. Su trabajo se basa en llevar a cabo encuestas etnofarmacológicas participativas para identificar usos significativos de remedios de plantas, que son objeto de la validación científica, para tratar problemas comunes de salud. La difusión de los resultados de validación de los remedios con uso significativo completa las líneas de acción de TRAMIL. Al tiempo que representan una contribución científica internacional para la investigación académica, las actividades de TRAMIL constituyen la valoración de los saberes populares y locales. Esta relación fecunda entre el conocimiento local y la investigación científica es una respuesta a desafíos fundamentales para las sociedades del Caribe: mejorar la salud de las poblaciones del Caribe directa y en primer lugar, pero también, indirectamente, desarrollar oportunidades económicas en varios sectores (agricultura, la industria, el turismo y la salud).El éxito de TRAMIL se basa en una metodología rigurosa y una importante red informal de colaboradores que participan en diversas funciones del programa, a nivel de país y regional. TRAMIL es una de las pocas redes totalmente trilingües, activa durante casi cuarenta años, mucho antes de la popularización del Internet, en más de una veintena de territorio caribeños. Asocia especialmente a comunidades, profesionales de la salud, investigadores en muchas disciplinas, y profesionales de la información y documentación.Este trabajo tiene como objetivos explorar las modalidades de cooperación y logros sin precedentes de TRAMIL, presentando algunos ejemplos concretos del programa en Puerto Rico y examinar el sitio Web del programa y la complejidad de los desafíos que han enfrentado los actores involucrados en su implementación.
TRAMIL est un programme de recherche appliquée à l’usage des plantes médicinales dans la Caraïbe, né dans les années 1980. Les usages significatifs des plantes pour répondre à des problèmes de santé sont recensés par des enquêtes ethnopharmacologiques participatives puis font l’objet de travaux scientifiques destinés à les valider. Les résultats sont ensuite diffusés auprès de larges publics.Tout en constituant un apport scientifique international à la recherche universitaire, les activités du réseau TRAMIL s’inscrivent dans la valorisation des savoirs locaux. Cette relation fertile entre savoirs locaux et recherche scientifique dessine des réponses à des défis essentiels pour les sociétés caribéennes : l’amélioration de la santé des populations caribéennes de façon directe et en premier lieu, mais également, de façon indirecte, le développement de perspectives économiques dans des secteurs divers (agriculture, industrie, tourisme, santé).Le succès de TRAMIL repose sur une méthodologie rigoureuse et sur un important réseau informel d’acteurs investis à différents niveaux du programme, sur le plan local et/ou pancaribéen. C’est l’un des rares réseaux entièrement trilingue, actifs depuis près de quarante ans (bien avant la popularisation d’internet), dans plus d’une vingtaine de territoire de la Caraïbe. Il associe notamment les populations, les professionnels de santé, les chercheurs dans de nombreuses disciplines, et les professionnels de l’information et de la documentation.La présente contribution propose d’explorer ces modalités de collaboration inédites et les réalisations auxquelles elles donnent lieu, en présentant quelques exemples concrets du programme TRAMIL à Porto Rico, puis en examinant le site internet du programme et les défis complexes auxquels il a confronté les acteurs impliqués dans sa réalisation.
ACURIL 2017
San Juan, Puerto Rico

hal-01629021
https://hal.univ-antilles.fr/hal-01629021

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : International audience
Our understanding of the contribution of interspecific interactions to functional diversity in nature lags behind our knowledge of spatial and temporal patterns. Although two-species mutualisms are found in all types of ecosystems, the study of their ecological influences on other community members has mostly been limited to third species, while their influence on entire communities remains largely unexplored. 2. We hypothesized that mutualistic interactions between two respective ant species and an epiphyte mediate the biological traits composition of entire invertebrate communities that use the same host plant, thereby affecting food webs and functional diversity at the community level. 3. Aechmea mertensii (Bromeliaceae) is both a phytotelm ('plant-held water') and an ant-garden epiphyte. We sampled 111 bromeliads (111 aquatic invertebrate communities) associated with either the ant Pachycondyla goeldii or Camponotus femoratus. The relationships between ants, bromeliads and invertebrate abundance data were examined using a redundancy analysis. Biological traits information for invertebrates was structured using a fuzzy-coding technique, and a co-inertia analysis between traits and abundance data was used to interpret functional differences in bromeliad ecosystems. 4. The vegetative traits of A. mertensii depended on seed dispersion by C. femoratus and P. goeldii along a gradient of local conditions. The ant partner selected sets of invertebrates with traits that were best adapted to the bromeliads' morphology, and so the composition of the biological traits of invertebrate phytotelm communities depends on the identity of the ant partner. Biological traits suggest a bottom-up control of community structure in C. femoratus-associated phytotelmata and a greater structuring role for predatory invertebrates in P. goeldii-associated plants. 5. This study presents new information showing that two-species mutualisms affect the functional diversity of a much wider range of organisms. Most biological systems form complex networks where nodes (e. g. species) are more or less closely linked to each other, either directly or indirectly, through intermediate nodes. Our observations provide community-level information about biological interactions and functional diversity, and perspectives for further observations intended to examine whether large-scale changes in interacting species/community structure over broad geographical and anthropogenic gradients affect ecosystem functions.
ISSN: 0269-8463

hal-00817509
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00817509