Hobbies And Interests
Azteca Ant and Cecropia Tree
The tropical rain forest is home to a multitude of ants. For instance, within an area of one square yard, more than 800 ants from a dozen different species can be observed. While many of these ants enjoy mutually beneficial relationships in the rain forest, one notable example is the Azteca ant and the Cecropia tree. The Azteca ant lives in the hollow stems of the tree, which introduces and maintains plant-sucking insects that excrete a sugary substance on which the Azteca feeds. Additionally, the Azteca feeds on protein-rich substances found on the base of the Cecropia leaves. Aggressive biting Azteca ants protect the tree from dangers such as other insects or climbing vines. This protection enables the Cecropia tree to have an advantage in growing quickly and competing successfully with other trees for limited sunlight.
Brazil Nut Trees
Because of the complex symbiotic relationships that protect the Brazil nut tree, this species has not been successfully grown in plantations. These large trees rely on a ground-dwelling rodent called the agouti to open their grapefruit-sized seed pods. The agouti are the only animals with strong enough teeth to do so. The agouti gather the pods and bury them in different spots, which enables the seeds to germinate and form a new generation of trees. Additionally, the Brazil nut tree is dependent on a particular large-bodied bee, the Euglossine orchid bee, for pollination. Both the animals and the plant mutually benefit from these relationships.
Leaf Cutter Ants and Fungi
Leaf cutter ants cut sections of leaves and carry them off to their underground nests, which may extend to a considerable area and contain up to 1,000 chambers. The ants chew the leaves into a pulp and scrape away the waxy coating that protects them from fungus. Leucocoprinid fungus feeds on the leaves and the fungus maintained by the ants. The fungus grows from a small pellet carried by the new queen to her new colony.
Wasps and Figs
Every species of figs in the tropical rain forest relies on a single species of wasp to pollinate it. When the female wasp is heavy with pollen, she enters a young fig to lay her eggs in the area of the fig where seeds are formed. In this process, pollination of the fig also occurs. Wasp larvae and fig seeds develop. When the young wasps emerge, they mate and the wingless males die. The young female flies off to start the process again, after climbing out of the fig dusted with pollen.