We are studying ants involved in seed consumption and/or dispersal in the Patagonian steppe, and their effects on plant community as well as implications for plant biological invasions and restoration of degraded ecosystems. In particular, we have studied diet and preferences for native and exotic seeds of Pogonomyrmex carbonarius (Laura Aput, Undergraduate thesis) and we are currently evaluating the magnitude and quality of seed dispersal by native ant species (Daniela Ortiz, Doctoral thesis).
Granivory and seed dispersal by ants in arid ecosystems
