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In myrmecology and forest ecology, a devil's garden (Kichwa: Supay chakra, ) is a large stand of trees in the Amazon Rainforest consisting of at most three tree species and ant (Myrmelachistat schumanni). Devil's gardens can reach up to sizes of 600 trees and are inhabited by a single ant colony, containing 3 million workers and 15,000 queens. In a 2002 to 2004 census of the Amazon, Devil's gardens were shown to have grown by 0.7 percent per year. The relationship between tree and ant may persist for more than 800 years.

Background
Devil's gardens got their name because locals believed that an evil forest spirit Chullachaki (meaning "uneven foot, single foot" in Kichwa) or Chuyathaqi lived in them.

Different Types of Devil's Gardens
Inhabited by the ant Myrmelachista schumanni, devil's gardens, in different regions of the Amazon, can be dominated by different tree species. In southeastern Peru, devil's gardens are dominated by Cordia nodosa (Boraginaceae) and occasionally mixed with Tococa occidentalis (Melastomataceae). At higher elevations, the tree species Tapirira guianensis (Anacardiaceae) can be found dominating gardens. In southeastern Ecuador and northeastern Peru the most common tree species found in devil's gardens are Duroia hirsuta (Rubiaceae).

Symbiosis
The mutualistic symbiosis between M. schumanni and D.hirsuta begins when a queen colonizes an isolated D.hirsuta tree. M. schumanni make nesting sites in the hollow stems and leaves of D.hirsuta, called domatia. The ant M. schumanni eliminates competiton for D.hirsuta by poisoning all plants, except the host tree, with formic acid. By killing off other plants, D.hirsuta saplings are able to grow and the M. schumanni colony is able to expand. D.hirsuta provides shelter (hollow stems and domatia) and food (leaf glads) for ant M. schumanni. Whereas, ant M. schumanni provides a suitable environment for D.hirsuta trees to grow by eliminating competing plants. Although the ants fend off herbivores, the size of the garden is restricted by leaf destruction increasing as it expands, as the ants are unable to defend the trees beyond a certain point.