Authors:
Kaly Ouattara
, KoloYeo
, Mouhamadou Kone
, Lombart M. M. Kouakou,Wouter Dekoninck3
and
Souleymane Konate |
Abstract:
Lamto savanna soil known to have low agronomic value paradoxically has one of the highest
grasses biomass productions in the world. During recent surveys, ant nest were encountered
under some grass tufts and it as suggested that ants are able to influence the availability of
resources for these grasses and also other organisms. An interaction is suspected between these
savanna grass tufts and their associated ants. Three grasses species Andropogon schirensis,
Hyparrhenia diplandra and Loudetia simplex were chosen to inventory ant communities
associated with grass tufts and to assess the influence of ant communities on growth and
productivity of perennial grasses. Three study sites were chosen and each was subdivided in two
experimental plots of 2500 m². By systematic digging out method we were collected 38 ant
species under grass tufts. They belong to 19 genera and 7 sub-families. Lamto herbaceous
stratum was dominated by Camponotus acvapinensis. Diameter measures of grass tufts base at
ground level, have allowed establishing the link between the size of ant nest and grass tufts size.
Pearson coefficient r ranged no correlation between the size of ants nest and grass tufts size. The
association rate with ants of one of the grasses Hyparrhenia diplandra was greater than for two
other grasses studied Andropogon schirensis and Loudetia simplex (54.208 % versus 49.433 %,
and 38.496 % respectively). Parameters such as grasses height, diameter (at ground level, and 10
cm above), dry biomass and seeds production were assessed. The results showed that
Hyparrhenia diplandra with ant nest recorded the best results of growth and productivity.
Association with ants nest is beneficial for the growth and productivity of Lamto perennial
grasses. |
