The Study On The Relationship Between The Flowering And Fruting Phenologies Of Spring Ephemeral Corydalis Plants And The Seasonal Activity Of Ants

Myrmecochory(seed dispersal by ant)is a kind of mutualism between ants and plants.Once seeds are found by ants,they carry the seed to their nests,and eat the elaiosome attached to the seed,while the seed is abandoned in in nest or refuse piles where may be better for the germirmtion and seedling establishment.Myrmecochores distribute worldwide,but a great number of them have been mainly discovered in Australia and South Africa.During transport,biotic factors such as seed traits,species and behavior of ants can affect seed dispersal distance,removal rates,seed germination and establishment,as well as abiotic factors.Specifically,the law of seasonal variation in ant activity and relevant ant-dispersed plants may also affect seed dispersal of myrmecochores.In the study,pitfall trapping method was used to compare attractive efficiency of four kinds of baits(honey,meet,steamed bread,apple)and no bait controls(3%formaldehyde to ants.We use obligated myrmecochores,that is Corydalis sheareri S.Moore f.bulbillifera and C.decumbens and non-specialised myrmecochores of Broussonetia papyrifera as research materials,comparing the three refered myrmecochores to the non-myrmecochores of Semiaquilegia adoxoides and Stellaria media in phenological character and the law of relevant activity of ant.A total of twelve species of ants were identified.Pheidole Westwood,Pachycondyla Smith and Camponotus Mayr were the most important trapped ants,occurring 51.97%,21.97%,5.66%of the time,respectively.The results showed that the differences in preference and reaction of the ants to different baits were significant.The species and number of ants collected with honey,meat,steamed bread and apple are obviously more than controls.Pheidole Westwood did prefer honey and meat to the rest baits,and consequently the collection of other ants and their numbers was impacted.Our experiment indicated that the early phenology of ant-dispersed plants is an adaptation to their mode of seed dispersal.