Remoción de Semillas en Hábitats Transformados: Pogonomyrmex barbatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) y Cinco Especies de Cactáceas del Centro de México

Harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) exhibit variable seed removal rates for five cacti species across transformed habitats in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico. Contrary to expectations, intermediate human disturbance—characterized by a mix of crop abandonment and ongoing activity—promotes higher seed removal than fully abandoned or botanic garden settings. Seed size also influences removal, with smaller seeds being more frequently collected. This suggests that habitat heterogeneity, rather than extreme transformation, may enhance ant foraging efficiency and seed dispersal dynamics in semiarid ecosystems.

Ríos-Casanova, L., Godínez-Álvarez, H., & Morales, G. M. (2014). Remoción de Semillas en Hábitats Transformados: Pogonomyrmex barbatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) y Cinco Especies de Cactáceas del Centro de México. Sociobiology, 59(1), 49. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v59i1.666