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Project Overview
Deciduous forests in the eastern U.S. have been heavily impacted by human land-use, leading to a decline in the abundance and diversity of understory plants that play key ecological roles. Around one-third of these understory species are “myrmecochores,” meaning they have adaptations for seed dispersal by ants. These plants produce a fatty structure on their seeds called an elaiosome, which attracts ants. In eastern North America, Aphaenogaster sp. ants carry seeds back to their nests to eat the elaiosome, helping disperse the seeds in the process—giving the plants a competitive advantage.
Today, most forests are secondary or regenerating forests that were previously cleared for agriculture or other uses. Research has shown that these forests often lack abundant myrmecochores, likely due to the plants not having seed banks or that dispersal by ants occur over short distances within, but not between forests.
This project aims to restore and augment ant-dispersed plants in locations where they have not recovered. We are determining best practices for restoring myrmecochores, including in the context of seed dispersal by ants. In addition,
this work also provides hands-on opportunity to engage new students, interns, and the general public in ecological research and forest restoration, helping train the next generation of scientists and conservationists. This work is a collaboration between the Prior Lab, the First-Year Research Immersion, and the New York State Parks, including the FORCES (Friends of Recreation, Conservation, and Environmental Stewardship) internship program.
Where do the plants used for restoration come from?
Plants used in restoration were grown from seeds in mesocosms at the Ecological Research Facility at BU. Seeds were collected with permission across sites in the region. It takes about 2-3 years for plants to mature
and produce seeds.
Mesocosms were covered by shade cloths once trees leafed out in the Spring to mimic the shade of overstory trees. Shade cloths were taken down in the Fall to allow plants to overwinter.
