Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants

Abstract Nesting birds can act as thermal ecosystem engineers by providing warm habitats that may attract arthropods to colonise the nest structure. This cohabitation of birds and nest-dwelling invertebrates may foster symbiotic relationships between them, but evidence is lacking. We investigated wh...

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Autores principales:	Marta Maziarz, Richard K. Broughton, Luca Pietro Casacci, Anna Dubiec, István Maák, Magdalena Witek
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2020
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/fab1b7b71d5e450ca4bc9fc6ce4ffd11
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:fab1b7b71d5e450ca4bc9fc6ce4ffd112021-12-02T15:10:19ZThermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants10.1038/s41598-020-77360-z2045-2322https://doaj.org/article/fab1b7b71d5e450ca4bc9fc6ce4ffd112020-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-77360-zhttps://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Nesting birds can act as thermal ecosystem engineers by providing warm habitats that may attract arthropods to colonise the nest structure. This cohabitation of birds and nest-dwelling invertebrates may foster symbiotic relationships between them, but evidence is lacking. We investigated whether ants are attracted to bird nests by the heat generated by the hosts, and/or the nests’ structural insulation properties, to raise their broods (larvae and/or pupae) in advantageous thermal conditions. We found that the endothermic activity of birds within their nests created ‘heat islands’, with thermal conditions potentially promoting the survival and development of ant larvae in cool environments. We experimentally confirmed that the presence of heat within bird nests, and not the structure itself, attracted the ants to colonise the nests. As ants might benefit from exploiting warm bird nests, this may be a previously overlooked commensal, mutualistic or parasitic relationship which may be ecologically significant and globally widespread among various nesting birds and reproducing ants. Similar interspecific interactions may exist with other arthropods that reproduce in avian and mammalian nests. Further research is needed to reveal the nature of these relationships between such taxa, and to understand the role of warm-blooded animals as thermal ecosystem engineers.Marta MaziarzRichard K. BroughtonLuca Pietro CasacciAnna DubiecIstván MaákMagdalena WitekNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2020)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Marta Maziarz Richard K. Broughton Luca Pietro Casacci Anna Dubiec István Maák Magdalena Witek Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants
description	Abstract Nesting birds can act as thermal ecosystem engineers by providing warm habitats that may attract arthropods to colonise the nest structure. This cohabitation of birds and nest-dwelling invertebrates may foster symbiotic relationships between them, but evidence is lacking. We investigated whether ants are attracted to bird nests by the heat generated by the hosts, and/or the nests’ structural insulation properties, to raise their broods (larvae and/or pupae) in advantageous thermal conditions. We found that the endothermic activity of birds within their nests created ‘heat islands’, with thermal conditions potentially promoting the survival and development of ant larvae in cool environments. We experimentally confirmed that the presence of heat within bird nests, and not the structure itself, attracted the ants to colonise the nests. As ants might benefit from exploiting warm bird nests, this may be a previously overlooked commensal, mutualistic or parasitic relationship which may be ecologically significant and globally widespread among various nesting birds and reproducing ants. Similar interspecific interactions may exist with other arthropods that reproduce in avian and mammalian nests. Further research is needed to reveal the nature of these relationships between such taxa, and to understand the role of warm-blooded animals as thermal ecosystem engineers.
format	article
author	Marta Maziarz Richard K. Broughton Luca Pietro Casacci Anna Dubiec István Maák Magdalena Witek
author_facet	Marta Maziarz Richard K. Broughton Luca Pietro Casacci Anna Dubiec István Maák Magdalena Witek
author_sort	Marta Maziarz
title	Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants
title_short	Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants
title_full	Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants
title_fullStr	Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants
title_full_unstemmed	Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants
title_sort	thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2020
url	https://doaj.org/article/fab1b7b71d5e450ca4bc9fc6ce4ffd11
work_keys_str_mv	AT martamaziarz thermalecosystemengineeringbysongbirdspromotesasymbioticrelationshipwithants AT richardkbroughton thermalecosystemengineeringbysongbirdspromotesasymbioticrelationshipwithants AT lucapietrocasacci thermalecosystemengineeringbysongbirdspromotesasymbioticrelationshipwithants AT annadubiec thermalecosystemengineeringbysongbirdspromotesasymbioticrelationshipwithants AT istvanmaak thermalecosystemengineeringbysongbirdspromotesasymbioticrelationshipwithants AT magdalenawitek thermalecosystemengineeringbysongbirdspromotesasymbioticrelationshipwithants
_version_	1718387731541786624

Thermal ecosystem engineering by songbirds promotes a symbiotic relationship with ants

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