Removing the Ants from Ant-Plants Growing in the Wild Would

Removing the ants from ant-plants growing in the wild would be expected to have:

A) little impact on ant-plant growth because, while loses to herbivores would increase, the plant would save the resources normally consumed by the ants.
B) a large impact on ant-plant growth, because ant-plants invest less than other plants in chemical defense, and so will be more palatable to herbivores.
C) a positive impact on ant-plant growth, because the ants in general consume more plant resources than they protect from herbivory.
D) a large impact on ant-plant growth, because the ants would not be supressing the growth of neighboring plants that compete with the ant-plants for light and nutrients.