Do Leaf Cutting Ants Cut Undetected? Testing the Effect of Ant-Induced Plant Defences on Foraging Decisions in Atta colombica

Leaf-cutting ants (LCAs) are polyphagous, yet highly selective herbivores. The factors that govern their selection of food plants, however, remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that the induction of anti-herbivore defences by attacked food plants, which are toxic to either ants or their mutualistic fungus, should significantly affect the ants' foraging behaviour. To test this “induced defence hypothesis,” we used lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), a plant that emits many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) upon herbivore attack with known anti-fungal or ant-repellent effects. Our results provide three important insights into the foraging ecology of LCAs. First, leaf-cutting by Atta ants can induce plant defences: Lima bean plants that were repeatedly exposed to foraging workers of Atta colombica over a period of three days emitted significantly more VOCs than undamaged control plants. Second, the level to which a plant has induced its anti-herbivore defences can affect the LCAs' foraging behaviour: In dual choice bioassays, foragers discriminated control plants from plants that have been damaged mechanically or by LCAs 24 h ago. In contrast, strong induction levels of plants after treatment with the plant hormone jasmonic acid or three days of LCA feeding strongly repelled LCA foragers relative to undamaged control plants. Third, the LCA-specific mode of damaging leaves allows them to remove larger quantities of leaf material before being recognized by the plant: While leaf loss of approximately 15% due to a chewing herbivore (coccinelid beetle) was sufficient to significantly increase VOC emission levels after 24 h, the removal of even 20% of a plant's leaf area within 20 min by LCAs did not affect its VOC emission rate after 24 h. Taken together, our results support the “induced defence hypothesis” and provide first empirical evidence that the foraging behaviour of LCAs is affected by the induction of plant defence responses

Sustainability and the Creative Arts

The power of the Arts in promoting education for sustainability (EfS) lies in the affective nature of children's learning when they are engaged in artistic pursuits. As noted in Chapter 1, research shows that having knowledge is not sufficient to create behavioural change. Also needed are an awareness of our connections with and in the world and an attitude of caring (Fien, 2003). Sustainable living is a disposition that can be communicated and understood through engagement of the affective in an artistic or creative project. Teaching through the Arts links the emotional to the cognitive; it engages the heart as well as the mind and provides opportunities for children to explore issues, solve problems, collaborate and develop their ideas through creative experiences

Education for Sustainability in primary creative arts education

The power of the Arts in promoting Education for Sustainability (EfS) lies in the affective nature of children's learning when they are engaged in artistic pursuits. As noted in chapter 1, research has shown that having knowledge is not sufficient to create behavioural change. What is also needed is an awareness of our connections with and in the world, and an attitude of caring (Fien 2003). Sustainable living is a disposition that can be communicated and understood through engagement of the affective in an artistic or creative project. Teaching through the Arts links the emotional to the cognitive; it engages the heart as well as the mind and provides opportunities for children to explore issues, solve problems, collaborate and develop their ideas through creative experiences