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Brassard F, Murphy BP, Andersen AN. The impacts of fire vary among vertical strata: Responses of ant communities to long-term experimental burning. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024:e3025. [PMID: 39166511 DOI: 10.1002/eap.3025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Fire is a powerful tool for conservation management at a landscape scale, but a rigorous evidence base is often lacking for understanding its impacts on biodiversity in different biomes. Fire-induced changes to habitat openness have been identified as an underlying driver of responses of faunal communities, including for ants. However, most studies of the impacts of fire on ant communities consider only epigeic (foraging on the soil surface) species, which may not reflect the responses of species inhabiting other vertical strata. Here, we examine how the responses of ant communities vary among vertical strata in a highly fire-prone biome. We use a long-term field experiment to quantify the effects of fire on the abundance, richness, and composition of ant assemblages of four vertical strata (subterranean, leaf litter, epigeic, and arboreal) in an Australian tropical savanna. We first document the extent to which each stratum harbors distinct assemblages. We then assess how the assemblage of each stratum responds to three fire-related predictors: fire frequency, fire activity, and vegetation cover. Each stratum harbored a distinct ant assemblage and showed different responses to fire. Leaf litter and epigeic ants were most sensitive to fire because it directly affects their microhabitats, but they showed contrasting negative and positive responses, respectively. Subterranean ants were the least sensitive because of the insulating effects of soil. Our results show that co-occurring species of the same taxonomic group differ in the strength and direction of their response to fire depending on the stratum they inhabit. As such, effective fire management for biodiversity conservation should consider species in all vertical strata.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brett P Murphy
- Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northwest Territory, Australia
| | - Alan N Andersen
- Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northwest Territory, Australia
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Kass JM, Yoshimura M, Ogasawara M, Suwabe M, Hita Garcia F, Fischer G, Dudley KL, Donohue I, Economo EP. Breakdown in seasonal dynamics of subtropical ant communities with land-cover change. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231185. [PMID: 37817591 PMCID: PMC10565368 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Concerns about widespread human-induced declines in insect populations are mounting, yet little is known about how land-use change modifies both the trends and variability of insect communities, particularly in understudied regions. Here, we examine how the seasonal activity patterns of ants-key drivers of terrestrial ecosystem functioning-vary with anthropogenic land-cover change on a subtropical island landscape, and whether differences in temperature or species composition can explain observed patterns. Using trap captures sampled biweekly over 2 years from a biodiversity monitoring network covering Okinawa Island, Japan, we processed 1.2 million individuals and reconstructed activity patterns within and across habitat types. Forest communities exhibited greater temporal variability of activity than those in more developed areas. Using time-series decomposition to deconstruct this pattern, we found that sites with greater human development exhibited ant communities with diminished seasonality, reduced synchrony and higher stochasticity compared with sites with greater forest cover. Our results cannot be explained by variation in regional or site temperature patterns, or by differences in species richness or composition among sites. Our study raises the possibility that disruptions to natural seasonal patterns of functionally key insect communities may comprise an important and underappreciated consequence of global environmental change that must be better understood across Earth's biomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie M. Kass
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
- Macroecology Laboratory, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Masashi Yoshimura
- Environmental Science and Informatics Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Masako Ogasawara
- Environmental Science and Informatics Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Mayuko Suwabe
- Environmental Science and Informatics Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Francisco Hita Garcia
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Georg Fischer
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Kenneth L. Dudley
- Environmental Science and Informatics Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Ian Donohue
- Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| | - Evan P. Economo
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
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Hoenle PO, Staab M, Donoso DA, Argoti A, Blüthgen N. Stratification and recovery time jointly shape ant functional reassembly in a neotropical forest. J Anim Ecol 2023. [PMID: 36748273 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Microhabitat differentiation of species communities such as vertical stratification in tropical forests contributes to species coexistence and thus biodiversity. However, little is known about how the extent of stratification changes during forest recovery and influences community reassembly. Environmental filtering determines community reassembly in time (succession) and in space (stratification), hence functional and phylogenetic composition of species communities are highly dynamic. It is poorly understood if and how these two concurrent filters-forest recovery and stratification-interact. In a tropical forest chronosequence in Ecuador spanning 34 years of natural recovery, we investigated the recovery trajectory of ant communities in three overlapping strata (ground, leaf litter, lower tree trunk) by quantifying 13 traits, as well as the functional and phylogenetic diversity of the ants. We expected that functional and phylogenetic diversity would increase with recovery time and that each ant community within each stratum would show a distinct functional reassembly. We predicted that traits related to ant diet would show divergent trajectories reflecting an increase in niche differentiation with recovery time. On the other hand, traits related to the abiotic environment were predicted to show convergent trajectories due to a more similar microclimate across strata with increasing recovery age. Most of the functional traits and the phylogenetic diversity of the ants were clearly stratified, confirming previous findings. However, neither functional nor phylogenetic diversity increased with recovery time. Community-weighted trait means had complex relationships to recovery time and the majority were shaped by a statistical interaction between recovery time and stratum, confirming our expectations. However, most trait trajectories converged among strata with increasing recovery time regardless of whether they were related to ant diet or environmental conditions. We confirm the hypothesized interaction among environmental filters during the functional reassembly in tropical forests. Communities in individual strata respond differently to recovery, and possible filter mechanisms likely arise from both abiotic (e.g. microclimate) and biotic (e.g. diet) conditions. Since vertical stratification is prevalent across animal and plant taxa, our results highlight the importance of stratum-specific analysis in dynamic ecosystems and may generalize beyond ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp O Hoenle
- Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.,Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michael Staab
- Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - David A Donoso
- Departamento de Biología, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador.,Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Adriana Argoti
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Ecological Networks, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
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Almeida RPS, Teresa FB, Camarota F, Izzo TJ, Silva RR, Andrade-Silva J, de Arruda FV. The role of morphological traits in predicting the functional ecology of arboreal and ground ants in the Cerrado-Amazon transition. Oecologia 2023; 201:199-212. [PMID: 36520222 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05304-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
There is often a vertical stratification of the vegetation in tropical forests, where each forest stratum has a unique set of environmental conditions, including marked differences in habitat heterogeneity, physical complexity, and microclimate. Additionally, many tropical forests are highly seasonal, and we need to consider the temporal variation in environmental conditions when assessing the functional aspects of their organisms. Here, we tested the hypothesis that vertical stratification and seasonality shape tropical ants' functional ecology and that there are differences in the functional trait diversity and composition between arboreal and ground-dwelling ant communities. We collected ants in the arboreal and ground strata in the rainy and dry seasons in six different areas, measuring seven morphological traits to characterize their functional ecology and diversity. Irrespective of the season, we found a distinct functional composition between arboreal and ground-dwelling ants and a higher functional richness on the ground. However, ground ants were more functionally redundant than arboreal ants. The differences in functional richness and redundancy between ant inhabiting strata and season could also be observed in the community-weighted mean traits: arboreal and ground ant traits can be distinguished in Weber's length, mandible length, eye length, and eye position on the head capsule. The differences in these functional traits are mainly related to the ants' feeding habits and the complexity of their foraging substrates. Overall, by providing the first systematic comparison of continuous traits between arboreal and ground-dwelling ants, our study opens new investigation paths, indicating important axes of functional diversification of tropical ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rony P S Almeida
- Laboratório de Morfologia e Ecologia Funcional de Formigas (AntMor), Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Av. Perimetral, 1901, Terra Firme, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Fabrício B Teresa
- Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Campus Central, Anápolis, GO, Brazil
| | - Flávio Camarota
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Thiago Junqueira Izzo
- Departamento de Botânica e Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil
| | - Rogério R Silva
- Laboratório de Morfologia e Ecologia Funcional de Formigas (AntMor), Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Av. Perimetral, 1901, Terra Firme, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Joudellys Andrade-Silva
- Laboratório de Morfologia e Ecologia Funcional de Formigas (AntMor), Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Av. Perimetral, 1901, Terra Firme, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Filipe Viegas de Arruda
- Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (IPAM), Asa Norte Comércio Local Norte 211 BL B Sala 201-Asa Norte, Brasília, DF, 70863-520, Brazil
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Brant HSC, da Silva PG, de Castro FS, Perillo LN, de Siqueira Neves F. Spatiotemporal Patterns of Ant Metacommunity in a Montane Forest Archipelago. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 50:886-898. [PMID: 34292497 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-021-00901-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Naturally fragmented landscapes are adequate systems for evaluating patterns and mechanisms that determine species distribution without confounding effects of anthropogenic fragmentation and habitat loss. We aimed to evaluate an ant metacommunity's spatiotemporal patterns in montane forest islands amid a grassland-dominated matrix. We assessed these patterns by deconstructing the ant metacommunity into forest-dependent and habitat generalist species. We sampled twice a year (summer and winter) over 2 years (2014 and 2015), using soil and arboreal pitfall traps, in fourteen forest islands (varying in size, shape, and connectivity) in the Espinhaço Range Biosphere Reserve, Brazil. We evaluated the relationship between ant species richness, composition (β-diversity), and predictor variables of forest island structure (canopy cover and understory density) and landscape structure (forest amount, number of forest islands, and shape). We sampled 99 ant species, 66.7% of which were classified as forest-dependent and 33.3% as habitat generalist species. We found that ant β-diversity was higher in space than in time, and that species composition variation in time (temporal β-diversity) differed between ant species groups. Both ant groups responded differently to forest island and landscape structure characteristics. Landscape structure seems to act as a spatial filter and the forest islands' local characteristics as an environmental filter, which jointly determine the local and regional diversity. We demonstrate the importance that forest archipelagos pose to ant metacommunity's structure and dynamics in montane tropical regions. Mountaintop conservation and management strategies must consider the forest island archipelago to maintain the biodiversity and the functioning of these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humberto Soares Caldeira Brant
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Uso dos Recursos Naturais, Univ Estadual de Montes Claros, Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Pedro Giovâni da Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Univ Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Flávio Siqueira de Castro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Univ Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lucas Neves Perillo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Univ Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Bocaina Biologia da Conservação, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Frederico de Siqueira Neves
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Uso dos Recursos Naturais, Univ Estadual de Montes Claros, Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Univ Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Depto de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Univ Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Neves FS, Antoniazzi R, Camarota F, Pacelhe FT, Powell S. Spatiotemporal dynamics of the ant community in a dry forest differ by vertical strata but not by successional stage. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Frederico S. Neves
- Departamento de Genética Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Reuber Antoniazzi
- Red de Ecoetología Instituto de Ecología A.C. Xalapa, Veracruz Mexico
| | - Flávio Camarota
- Departamento de Biologia Geral Universidade Federal de Viçosa Viçosa, Minas Gerais Brazil
- Department of Biological Sciences The George Washington University Washington DC USA
| | - Fábio T. Pacelhe
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Scott Powell
- Department of Biological Sciences The George Washington University Washington DC USA
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