Central American Swollen-Thorn Acacias

/Home/Homework Help - Symbiosis Relationships

Central American Swollen-Thorn Acacias,
By W.P. Armstrong, Wayne's World,
Palomar College,

"Some species of Central American swollen-thorn acacias lack the chemical defenses of most other acacias to deal with their predators and competition. Without bitter alkaloids, ravaging insects and browsing mammals eat the leaves and branches, slowing the growth of the acacias and allowing fast-growing, competing vegetation to shade them out. Symbiotic ants have taken over this vital defense role, protecting the acacia from hungry herbivores and pruning away competing plants. The ants live inside inflated thorns at the base of leaves."