Abstract
The fact that ants collect and transport plant diaspores has been known since ancient times. The first scientific reports about diaspore dispersal by ants concern tropical regions (Sykes, 1834; Buckley, 1860) and gradually information about ants transporting seeds accumulated together with data on the plant species using ant behaviour for relocation of their seeds and fruits (Lincecum, 1862; Moggridge, 1873; Kuntze, 1876; Andre, 1881; Adlerz, 1886). A variety of suggestions have been expressed to explain the motives impelling ants to remove and transport diaspores (Lundstroem, 1887; Lubbock, 1887; Ludwig, 1898; 1899). Some authors have indicated the importance of diaspore appendages and their fats for attracting potential dispersal agents (Ruppert, 1893; Robertson, 1897; Kerner, 1896; 1898; Lagerheim, 1900).
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© 2003 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Gorb, E., Gorb, S. (2003). Introduction: an historical background. In: Seed Dispersal by Ants in a Deciduous Forest Ecosystem. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0173-0_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0173-0_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-6317-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-0173-0
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