How does acacia ants protect acacia trees from elephants?

How does acacia ants protect acacia trees from elephants?

“The ants protect the tree in exchange for both housing that the tree produces in the form of bulbous hollow thorns, as well as food in the form of a sugary nectar that is secreted at the base of the leaves,” Palmer said. An elephant in the African savanna sniffs out the Acacia trees.

What is the symbiotic relationship between ants and acacia trees?

The mutualistic association between acacia plants and the ants that live on them is an excellent example: The plants provide food and accommodation in the form of food bodies and nectar as well as hollow thorns which can be used as nests. The ants return this favor by protecting the plants against herbivores.

Is ants and acacia tree Commensalism?

D., re-described what has become a classic example of biological mutualism: the obligate relationship between acacia-ants and ant-acacia trees. The acacia trees produce specialized structures to shelter and feed the ant colony, and the ants, in turn, defend the tree against herbivores.

Do elephants like acacia trees?

Acacias are thorny scrubby African trees. Acacia leaves are an important food source for many of Africa’s largest herbivores such as giraffes, zebras and elephants.

Do elephants eat Acacias?

Although large animals such as elephants, zebra, and giraffe feed on acacia, the researchers used Somali goats to simulate eating patterns from dawn to mid-day and focused on the most aggressive ant species, Crematogaster mimosae.

What type of relationship is it when ants live on an acacia tree and protect it from insects while acacia tree provides food for the ants?

mutualistic relationship
This is known as a mutualistic relationship, where two or more species work together to provide what the other needs. The ant aggressively defends the acacia from plant-eating insects, neighboring plants, and disease-causing microorganisms.

Would the acacia tree benefit from not having ants?

Without the ants, bullhorn acacia trees would get eaten by everything from grasshoppers to small rodents like mice. Acacia ants also consume any unwelcome plants that start to grow around the tree.

Why do ants and acacia trees have a Motorola Stick relationship?

Step 1. The correct answer is under c. they benefit each other. Acacia trees provide food and shelter for the ants, and the ants protect the trees.

Can an elephant be killed by an ant?

“When ants are well organised, they can kill an elephant”.

Can an ant hurt an elephant?

But an elephant’s large size and tough hide afford little protection from a mass attack by tiny ants. These defenders can bite and sting the thinnest layers of skin, the eyes, and even the inside of the sensitive trunk.

Which trees are elephants eat?

Their favorites are sugar maple, Norway maple, silver maple and willow. They eat the leaves and small branches completely, chew the bark off of the medium size branches, and use their tusks to scrape the bark off of the large logs.

How does the relationship between the tree and ants help the tree to survive?

Ants live inside the tree, and they defend the tree against insects that eat the leaves. It’s a good deal for both the trees and the ants. So, we know that ants defend leaves, and leaves are most important to trees when conditions are dry.

Do ants harm acacia trees?

The ants kill any foreign plants, such as vines, that touch the trees. They also aggressively kill any vegetation growing around the base of the tree. Because of this, the acacia does not have to compete for soil nutrients, water, and sunlight with other trees.

Why are elephants scared of ants?

The scientists believe that the elephants are afraid of ants for the same reason they are afraid of bees – They do not like getting swarms of them inside their trunks, which are highly sensitive and full of nerve endings. Hence, whenever they get a whiff of these pesky creatures, they just keep their distance.

How many ants does it take to lift an elephant?

Thus, it takes approximately 2×109 ants to have the same mass as an elephant.

What happens when ant enters the ear of elephant?

Originally Answered: How would an elephant die if an ant enters the elephants ear? Only a T ant can kill an elephant, and only if it gets as far as the tympanic membrane of the ear. Then the elephant has a fit called a T-ant-drum and drops dead.

What kind of trees do elephants like?