Potenciales defensas químicas de plantas nativas de Potrerillo del Güendá utilizando conducta de formícidos como bioindicadores

Abstract

Plants play a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystems and face constant biotic challenges, such as herbivory, which forces some species to develop repellent chemical compounds for their defense. The main objective of this study was to analyze the phytochemical defense strategies in six species of plants native to Chiquitanía, evaluating their ability to repel diurnal formicids. The percentage of herbivory was calculated by taking leaves and analyzing them in ImageJ. To evaluate repellency, concentrated extracts of each species were made and the abundance and volume consumed by formicids were measured. The results reveal that Rheedia brasiliensis exhibits significant repellency, while Sapindus saponaria acts as an attractant for formicids. These findings confirm the ability of certain plants to repel formicids by releasing specific chemical compounds. Differences in abundance and volume consumed point to complexities in plant-formicid interactions. The research highlights the ecological importance of these interactions and suggests future research to identify the compounds responsible and fully understand these dynamics.