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Fernandes TV, Parr CL, Campos RI, Neves FDS, Solar R. Scavenging in two mountain ecosystems: Distinctive contribution of ants in grassland and non-ant invertebrates in forest. Ecology 2024; 105:e4365. [PMID: 38895926 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Scavenging is a key process for the cycling of nutrients in ecosystems, yet it is still neglected in the ecological literature. Apart from the importance of specific groups of animals in scavenging, there have been few ecological studies that compare them. Furthermore, the ecological studies on scavenging have mainly focused on vertebrates despite the crucial importance of invertebrates in this process. Here, we performed a large-scale ant suppression and vertebrate exclusion experiment to quantify the relative contribution of ants, non-ant invertebrates and vertebrates in scavenging nitrogen-rich (insect carcasses) and carbon-rich (seeds) baits in two contrasting mountainous habitats in Brazil (grasslands and forests). Overall, bait removal was 23.2% higher in forests than in grasslands. Ants were the primary scavengers in grasslands, responsible for more than 57% of dead insect larvae and seed removal, while, in forests, non-ant invertebrates dominated, removing nearly 65% of all baits. Vertebrates had a minor role in scavenging dead insect larvae and seeds in both habitats, with <4% of removals. Furthermore, our results show that animal-based baits were more consumed in forests than seeds, and both resources were equally consumed in grasslands. Therefore, we demonstrate the superiority of invertebrates in this process, with a particular emphasis on the irreplaceable role of ants, especially in this grassland ecosystem. As such, we further advance our knowledge of a key ecosystem process, showing the relative importance of three major groups in scavenging and the differences in ecosystems functioning between two contrasting tropical habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Vinícius Fernandes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal do Vale do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Catherine L Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | | | - Ricardo Solar
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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2
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Walker AEL, Robertson MP, Eggleton P, Fisher AM, Parr CL. Functional compensation in a savanna scavenger community. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:812-822. [PMID: 38596843 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Functional redundancy, the potential for the functional role of one species to be fulfilled by another, is a key determinant of ecosystem viability. Scavenging transfers huge amount of energy through ecosystems and is, therefore, crucial for ecosystem viability and healthy ecosystem functioning. Despite this, relatively few studies have examined functional redundancy in scavenger communities. Moreover, the results of these studies are mixed and confined to a very limited range of habitat types and taxonomic groups. This study attempts to address this knowledge gap by conducting a field experiment in an undisturbed natural environment assessing functional roles and redundancy in vertebrate and invertebrate scavenging communities in a South African savanna. We used a large-scale field experiment to suppress ants in four 1 ha plots in a South African savanna and paired each with a control plot. We distributed three types of small food bait: carbohydrate, protein and seed, across the plots and excluded vertebrates from half the baits using cages. Using this combination of ant suppression and vertebrate exclusion, allowed us explore the contribution of non-ant invertebrates, ants and vertebrates in scavenging and also to determine whether either ants or vertebrates were able to compensate for the loss of one another. In this study, we found the invertebrate community carried out a larger proportion of overall scavenging services than vertebrates. Moreover, although scavenging was reduced when either invertebrates or vertebrates were absent, the presence of invertebrates better mitigated the functional loss of vertebrates than did the presence of vertebrates against the functional loss of invertebrates. There is a commonly held assumption that the functional role of vertebrate scavengers exceeds that of invertebrate scavengers; our results suggest that this is not true for small scavenging resources. Our study highlights the importance of invertebrates for securing healthy ecosystem functioning both now and into the future. We also build upon many previous studies which show that ants can have particularly large effects on ecosystem functioning. Importantly, our study suggests that scavenging in some ecosystems may be partly resilient to changes in the scavenging community, due to the potential for functional compensation by vertebrates and ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice E L Walker
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Mark P Robertson
- Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Paul Eggleton
- Soil Biodiversity Group, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Adam M Fisher
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Catherine L Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
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3
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Diversity and Resilience of Seed-Removing Ant Species in Longleaf Sandhill to Frequent Fire. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14121012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Prescribed fire is used globally as a habitat restoration tool and is widely accepted as supporting biotic diversity. However, in fire-prone ecosystems, research has sometimes documented post-fire reduction in ant diversity and accompanying changes in seed removal behavior. This is concerning because ants provide important ecosystem services that can aid in restoration efforts, including seed dispersal. In this study, we examined the immediate impacts of fire in the well-studied ant community of longleaf pine forests (LLP) in the SE USA. We surveyed seed-removing ant species in a LLP sandhill ecosystem to investigate the effects of prescribed fire and coarse woody debris (CWD), a nesting and foraging resource, on ant community composition and ant–seed interactions. Seed-removing ants comprised a significant portion of detected ant species (20 of 45); eight of these species are documented removing seeds for the first time. Following an experimentally applied low-intensity summer burn, decreases in seed remover detection were observed, along with reductions in the number of seeds removed, across both burned and unburned areas; neither prescribed fire nor proximity to CWD significantly influenced these factors. Together, these results show that seed-removing ant species constitute a substantial proportion of the LLP sandhill ant community and are relatively robust to habitat changes mediated by low-intensity prescribed burning during the growing season. Considering ant community resiliency to fire, we can infer that using prescribed fire aligns with the goals of restoring and maintaining biotic diversity in this fire-prone ecosystem.
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Bringhurst B, Allert M, Greenwold M, Kellner K, Seal JN. Environments and Hosts Structure the Bacterial Microbiomes of Fungus-Gardening Ants and their Symbiotic Fungus Gardens. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:10.1007/s00248-022-02138-x. [PMID: 36344828 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02138-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The fungus gardening-ant system is considered a complex, multi-tiered symbiosis, as it is composed of ants, their fungus, and microorganisms associated with either ants or fungus. We examine the bacterial microbiome of Trachymyrmex septentrionalis and Mycetomoellerius turrifex ants and their symbiotic fungus gardens, using 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing, over a region spanning approximately 350 km (east and central Texas). Typically, microorganisms can be acquired from a parent colony (vertical transmission) or from the environment (horizontal transmission). Because the symbiosis is characterized by co-dispersal of the ants and fungus, elements of both ant and fungus garden microbiome could be characterized by vertical transmission. The goals of this study were to explore how both the ant and fungus garden bacterial microbiome are acquired. The main findings were that different mechanisms appear to explain the structure the microbiomes of ants and their symbiotic fungus gardens. Ant associated microbiomes had a strong host ant signature, which could be indicative of vertical inheritance of the ant associated bacterial microbiome or an unknown mechanism of active uptake or screening. On the other hand, the bacterial microbiome of the fungus garden was more complex in that some bacterial taxa appear to be structured by the ant host species, whereas others by fungal lineage or the environment (geographic region). Thus bacteria in fungus gardens appear to be acquired both horizontally and vertically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake Bringhurst
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA
| | - Mattea Allert
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA
| | - Matthew Greenwold
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA
| | - Katrin Kellner
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA
| | - Jon N Seal
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd, Tyler, TX, 75799, USA.
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5
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Parr CL, Bishop TR. The response of ants to climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3188-3205. [PMID: 35274797 PMCID: PMC9314018 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are one of the most dominant terrestrial organisms worldwide. They are hugely abundant, both in terms of sheer numbers and biomass, on every continent except Antarctica and are deeply embedded within a diversity of ecological networks and processes. Ants are also eusocial and colonial organisms-their lifecycle is built on the labor of sterile worker ants who support a small number of reproductive individuals. Given the climatic changes that our planet faces, we need to understand how various important taxonomic groups will respond; this includes the ants. In this review, we synthesize the available literature to tackle this question. The answer is complicated. The ant literature has focused on temperature, and we broadly understand the ways in which thermal changes may affect ant colonies, populations, and communities. In general, we expect that species living in the Tropics, and in thermally variable microhabitats, such as the canopy and leaf litter environments, will be negatively impacted by rising temperatures. Species living in the temperate zones and those able to thermally buffer their nests in the soil or behaviorally avoid higher temperatures, however, are likely to be unaffected or may even benefit from a changed climate. How ants will respond to changes to other abiotic drivers associated with climate change is largely unknown, as is the detail on how altered ant populations and communities will ramify through their wider ecological networks. We discuss how eusociality may allow ants to adapt to, or tolerate, climate change in ways that solitary organisms cannot and we identify key geographic and phylogenetic hotspots of climate vulnerability and resistance. We finish by emphasizing the key research questions that we need to address moving forward so that we may fully appreciate how this critical insect group will respond to the ongoing climate crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine L. Parr
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental SciencesUniversity of the WitwatersrandWitsSouth Africa
| | - Tom R. Bishop
- Department of Zoology and EntomologyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
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Casimiro MS, Filardi RAE, Sansevero JB, Santangelo JM, Feitosa RM, Queiroz JM. Concordância entre plantas regenerantes, formigas e outros artrópodes na Mata Atlântica: a importância da identidade das árvores no dossel. IHERINGIA. SERIE ZOOLOGIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-4766e2022008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
RESUMO O monitoramento das práticas de restauração é um processo caro, mas essencial para verificar o seu sucesso. Uma forma de reduzir os custos amostrais é por meio da utilização de indicadores de biodiversidade, termo utilizado para um grupo funcional ou taxonômico que é concordante com outro grupo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a concordância entre a riqueza e a composição de plantas regenerantes, formigas e outros artrópodes sob o dossel de quatro espécies arbóreas em uma área de restauração na Mata Atlântica, Brasil, bem como determinar a relação das comunidades biológicas com parâmetros ambientais e espaciais. Foi encontrado que as variáveis ambientais, muitas vezes ligadas a identidade da árvore, são preponderantes para determinar a relação entre formigas, outros artrópodes e plantas regenerantes. Além disso, as formigas demonstraram ser indicadores fracos da diversidade e composição de plantas regenerantes e outros artrópodes e essa relação não foi guiada pelas variáveis ambientais e espaciais. Assim, os resultados aqui encontrados recomendam cautela ao utilizar formigas como indicadores de biodiversidade de plantas e outros artrópodes em programas de monitoramento na Mata Atlântica.
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7
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Hood ASC, Aryawan AAK, Advento AD, Suberkah WR, Ashton‐Butt A, Ps S, Caliman J, Naim M, Foster WA, Turner EC. A whole‐ecosystem method for experimentally suppressing ants on a small scale. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amelia SC Hood
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Anak Agung Ketut Aryawan
- Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI) Jalan Teuku Umar, No. 19 28112 Riau Indonesia
| | - Andreas D Advento
- Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI) Jalan Teuku Umar, No. 19 28112 Riau Indonesia
| | - Wahyu R Suberkah
- PT. Ouzen Anugerah Indonesia Bukit Barisan Street, No. 78 E Medan North Sumatra Indonesia
| | - Adham Ashton‐Butt
- British Trust for Ornithology BTO The Nunnery Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences University of Hull Hull HU6 7RX
| | - Sudharto Ps
- Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI) Jalan Teuku Umar, No. 19 28112 Riau Indonesia
| | - Jean‐Pierre Caliman
- Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI) Jalan Teuku Umar, No. 19 28112 Riau Indonesia
| | - Mohammad Naim
- Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology Research Institute (SMARTRI) Jalan Teuku Umar, No. 19 28112 Riau Indonesia
| | - William A Foster
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
| | - Edgar C Turner
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EJ UK
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8
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Ohwada K, Yamawo A. Functional roles of ants in a temperate grassland. Naturwissenschaften 2021; 108:56. [PMID: 34665328 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-021-01767-5] [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: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Ants in temperate grasslands are consumers and ecosystem engineers, influencing biodiversity and potentially grassland productivity. However, the effects of ant exclusion or suppression on resource removal and the biological community in temperate grasslands have yet to be fully explored. We conducted ant-suppression experiments and evaluated the effects of ants on ground-dwelling arthropod communities in the field by using pitfall and bait traps. In the laboratory, we evaluated the effects of ants on the ant-attended aphid Aphis rumicis, which is a honeydew resource for ants, and the slug (Deroceras laeve), an aphid predator. Aboveground arthropod communities were not affected by the ant-suppression treatment. However, slugs (D. laeve and Ambigolimax valentianus) visited bait resources more frequently in the ant-suppression treatment area. In the ant-absence condition in the laboratory experiment, there were fewer aphids on the plants compared to the ant-presence condition owing to predation by D. laeve. Our results suggest that ant abundance in temperate grasslands influences the predation activity of slugs toward honeydew sources such as aphids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kouichi Ohwada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8561, Japan
| | - Akira Yamawo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8561, Japan.
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9
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Cates AM, Wills BD, Kim TN, Landis DA, Gratton C, Read HW, Jackson RD. No evidence of top‐down effects by ants on litter decomposition in a temperate grassland. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Cates
- Department of Soil, Water, and Climate University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota 55108 USA
- DOE‐Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Madison Wisconsin 53726 USA
| | - Bill D. Wills
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama 36849 USA
| | - Tania N. Kim
- Department of Entomology Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas 66506 USA
| | - Douglas A. Landis
- DOE‐Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Madison Wisconsin 53726 USA
- Department of Entomology Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan 48824 USA
| | - Claudio Gratton
- DOE‐Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Madison Wisconsin 53726 USA
- Department of Entomology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin 53706 USA
| | - Harry W. Read
- Department of Soil Science University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin 53706 USA
| | - Randall D. Jackson
- DOE‐Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Madison Wisconsin 53726 USA
- Department of Agronomy University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin 53706 USA
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10
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Trisos MO, Parr CL, Davies AB, Leitner M, February EC. Mammalian herbivore movement into drought refugia has cascading effects on savanna insect communities. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1753-1763. [PMID: 33844850 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Global climate change is predicted to increase the frequency of droughts, with major impacts on tropical savannas. It has been suggested that during drought, increased soil moisture and nutrients on termite mounds could benefit plants but it is unclear how such benefits could cascade to affect insect communities. Here, we describe the effects of drought on vegetation structure, the cascading implications for invertebrates and how termite mounds influence such effects. We compared how changes in grass biomass affected grasshopper and ant diversity on and off Macrotermes mounds before (2012) and during a drought (2016) at two locations that experienced large variation in drought severity (Skukuza and Pretoriuskop) in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. The 2013-2016 drought was not ubiquitous across the study site, with rainfall decreasing at Skukuza and being above average at Pretoriuskop. However, grass biomass declined at both locations. Grasshopper abundance decreased at droughted Skukuza both on and off mounds but decreased on mounds and increased off mounds at non-droughted Pretoriuskop. Ant abundance and species richness increased at Skukuza but remained the same on mounds and decreased off mounds at Pretoriuskop. Our results demonstrate the spatially extensive effects of drought. Despite above average rainfall in 2016 at Pretoriuskop, grass biomass decreased, likely due to an influx of large mammalian herbivores from drought-affected areas. This decrease in grass biomass cascaded to affect grasshoppers and ants, further illustrating the effects of drought on invertebrates in adjoining areas with higher rainfall. Our grasshopper results also suggest that increased drought in savannas will contribute to overall declines in insect abundance. Moreover, our recorded increase in ant abundance was primarily in the form of increases in dominant species, illustrating how drought-induced shifts in relative abundance will likely influence ecosystem structure and function. Our study highlights the phenomenon of spill-over drought effects and suggests rather than mitigating drought, termite mounds can instead become the focus for more intense grazing, with important consequences for insect communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew O Trisos
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Catherine L Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Andrew B Davies
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Monica Leitner
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Edmund C February
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Buisson E, Fidelis A, Overbeck GE, Schmidt IB, Durigan G, Young TP, Alvarado ST, Arruda AJ, Boisson S, Bond W, Coutinho A, Kirkman K, Oliveira RS, Schmitt MH, Siebert F, Siebert SJ, Thompson DI, Silveira FAO. A research agenda for the restoration of tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elise Buisson
- Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie ‐ IMBE, CNRS, IRD Aix Marseille Université, IUT d'Avignon, AGROPARC BP61207 Avignon cedex 9 84911 France
- Department of Plant Sciences University of California Davis CA 95616 U.S.A
| | - Alessandra Fidelis
- Lab of Vegetation Ecology, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Av. 24A, 1515 Rio Claro SP 13506‐900 Brazil
| | - Gerhard E. Overbeck
- Departamento de Botânica Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, CEP Porto Alegre RS 91501‐970 Brazil
| | - Isabel B. Schmidt
- Department of Ecology University of Brasília, Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro Brasilia Brazil
| | - Giselda Durigan
- Floresta Estadual de Assis Instituto Florestal do Estado de São Paulo P.O. Box 104 Assis SP 19802‐970 Brazil
| | - Truman P. Young
- Department of Plant Sciences University of California Davis CA 95616 U.S.A
| | | | - André J. Arruda
- Avignon Université, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie ‐ IMBE, CNRS, IRD Aix Marseille Université, IUT d'Avignon, AGROPARC BP61207 Avignon cedex 9 84911 France
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP Belo Horizonte MG 31270‐901 Brazil
| | - Sylvain Boisson
- Université de Liège Gembloux Agro‐Bio Tech Biodiversity and Landscape, TERRA Gembloux Belgium
| | - William Bond
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa
| | - André Coutinho
- Ecology Graduate Program University of Brasília Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro Brasília DF 70.910‐900 Brazil
| | - Kevin Kirkman
- School of Life Science University of KwaZulu‐Natal Pietermaritzburg KwaZulu‐Natal South Africa
| | - Rafael S. Oliveira
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology University of Campinas – UNICAMP Campinas SP Brazil
| | - Melissa H. Schmitt
- South African Environmental Observation Network, Ndlovu Node, Scientific Services Kruger National Park Private Bag X1021 Phalaborwa 1390 South Africa
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA U.S.A
| | - Frances Siebert
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management North‐West University 11 Hoffman Street Potchefstroom North‐West 2531 South Africa
| | - Stefan J. Siebert
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management North‐West University 11 Hoffman Street Potchefstroom North‐West 2531 South Africa
| | - Dave I. Thompson
- South African Environmental Observation Network, Ndlovu Node, Scientific Services Kruger National Park Private Bag X1021 Phalaborwa 1390 South Africa
- School of Geography, Archaeology, and Environmental Studies University of the Witwatersrand Private Bag 3 WITS 2050 South Africa
| | - Fernando A. O. Silveira
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP Belo Horizonte MG 31270‐901 Brazil
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12
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Hood AS, Advento AD, Stone J, Fayle TM, Fairnie AL, Waters HS, Foster WA, Snaddon JL, Ps S, Caliman JP, Naim M, Turner EC. Removing understory vegetation in oil palm agroforestry reduces ground-foraging ant abundance but not species richness. Basic Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2020.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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13
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Hoback WW, Jurzenski J, Farnsworth-Hoback KM, Roeder KA. Invasive Saltcedar and Drought Impact Ant Communities and Isopods in South-Central Nebraska. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 49:607-614. [PMID: 32159754 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvaa024] [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: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The establishment and spread of non-native species often results in negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem function. Several species of saltcedar, Tamarix spp. L., have been recently naturalized in large portions of the United States where they have altered plant and animal communities. To test the prediction that saltcedar negatively affects invertebrates, we measured ant genera diversity and the activity density of the exotic isopod Armadillidium vulgare Latrielle (Isopoda: Oniscoidea) for 2 yr using pitfall traps located within 30 5-m2 plots with or without saltcedar at a south-central Nebraska reservoir. From 2005 to 2006, we collected 10,837 ants representing 17 genera and 4,953 A. vulgare. Per plot, the average number of ant genera was not different between saltcedar (x̅ = 3.9) and non-saltcedar areas ( x̅ = 3.9); however, saltcedar plots were compositionally different and more similar from plot to plot (i.e., they had lower beta diversity than control plots) in 2005, but not in 2006. Isopods were likewise temporally affected with higher activity density (+89%) in control plots in 2005, but higher activity density (+27%) in saltcedar plots in 2006. The observed temporal differences occurred as the drought that initially enabled the saltcedar invasion became less severe in 2006. Combined, our results suggest that invertebrate groups like ants, which are generally omnivorous, may be better equipped than more specialized taxa like detritivores to withstand habitat changes due to invasions by non-native species, especially during extreme weather events such as prolonged droughts.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Wyatt Hoback
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Noble Research Center, Stillwater, OK
| | - Jessica Jurzenski
- Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
- Felsburg, Holt, and Ullvig, Lincoln, NE
| | - Kerri M Farnsworth-Hoback
- Environmental Science Graduate Program, Oklahoma State University, Life Science East, Stillwater, OK
| | - Karl A Roeder
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
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14
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Elizalde L, Arbetman M, Arnan X, Eggleton P, Leal IR, Lescano MN, Saez A, Werenkraut V, Pirk GI. The ecosystem services provided by social insects: traits, management tools and knowledge gaps. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1418-1441. [PMID: 32525288 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Social insects, i.e. ants, bees, wasps and termites, are key components of ecological communities, and are important ecosystem services (ESs) providers. Here, we review the literature in order to (i) analyse the particular traits of social insects that make them good suppliers of ESs; (ii) compile and assess management strategies that improve the services provided by social insects; and (iii) detect gaps in our knowledge about the services that social insects provide. Social insects provide at least 10 ESs; however, many of them are poorly understood or valued. Relevant traits of social insects include high biomass and numerical abundance, a diversity of mutualistic associations, the ability to build important biogenic structures, versatile production of chemical defences, the simultaneous delivery of several ESs, the presence of castes and division of labour, efficient communication and cooperation, the capacity to store food, and a long lifespan. All these characteristics enhance social insects as ES providers, highlighting their potential, constancy and efficiency as suppliers of these services. In turn, many of these traits make social insects stress tolerant and easy to manage, so increasing the ESs they provide. We emphasise the need for a conservation approach to the management of the services, as well as the potential use of social insects to help restore habitats degraded by human activities. In addition, we stress the need to evaluate both services and disservices in an integrated way, because some species of social insects are among the most problematic invasive species and native pests. Finally, we propose two areas of research that will lead to a greater and more efficient use of social insects as ES providers, and to a greater appreciation of them by producers and decision-makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Elizalde
- LIHo - Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA-CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Pasaje Gutiérrez 1125, Bariloche, 8400, Argentina
| | - Marina Arbetman
- Ecopol, INIBIOMA-CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Pasaje Gutiérrez 1125, Bariloche, 8400, Argentina
| | - Xavier Arnan
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalunya, Barcelona, E-08193, Spain
| | - Paul Eggleton
- Life Sciences Department, The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, U.K
| | - Inara R Leal
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235 - Cidade Universitária, Recife, 50670-901, Brazil
| | - María Natalia Lescano
- LIHo - Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA-CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Pasaje Gutiérrez 1125, Bariloche, 8400, Argentina
| | - Agustín Saez
- Ecopol, INIBIOMA-CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Pasaje Gutiérrez 1125, Bariloche, 8400, Argentina
| | - Victoria Werenkraut
- LIHo - Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA-CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Pasaje Gutiérrez 1125, Bariloche, 8400, Argentina
| | - Gabriela I Pirk
- LIHo - Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA-CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Pasaje Gutiérrez 1125, Bariloche, 8400, Argentina
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15
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Tuma J, Eggleton P, Fayle TM. Ant-termite interactions: an important but under-explored ecological linkage. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 95:555-572. [PMID: 31876057 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Animal interactions play an important role in understanding ecological processes. The nature and intensity of these interactions can shape the impacts of organisms on their environment. Because ants and termites, with their high biomass and range of ecological functions, have considerable effects on their environment, the interaction between them is important for ecosystem processes. Although the manner in which ants and termites interact is becoming increasingly well studied, there has been no synthesis to date of the available literature. Here we review and synthesise all existing literature on ant-termite interactions. We infer that ant predation on termites is the most important, most widespread, and most studied type of interaction. Predatory ant species can regulate termite populations and subsequently slow down the decomposition of wood, litter and soil organic matter. As a consequence they also affect plant growth and distribution, nutrient cycling and nutrient availability. Although some ant species are specialised termite predators, there is probably a high level of opportunistic predation by generalist ant species, and hence their impact on ecosystem processes that termites are known to provide varies at the species level. The most fruitful future research direction will be to evaluate the impact of ant-termite predation on broader ecosystem processes. To do this it will be necessary to quantify the efficacy both of particular ant species and of ant communities as a whole in regulating termite populations in different biomes. We envisage that this work will require a combination of methods, including DNA barcoding of ant gut contents along with field observations and exclusion experiments. Such a combined approach is necessary for assessing how this interaction influences entire ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Tuma
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Paul Eggleton
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Tom M Fayle
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
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16
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Wills BD, Kim TN, Fox AF, Gratton C, Landis DA. Reducing Native Ant Abundance Decreases Predation Rates in Midwestern Grasslands. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 48:1360-1368. [PMID: 31713603 PMCID: PMC6894410 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvz127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Diverse and robust predator communities are important for effective prey suppression in natural and managed communities. Ants are ubiquitous components of terrestrial systems but their contributions to natural prey suppression is relatively understudied in temperate regions. Growing evidence suggests that ants can play a significant role in the removal of insect prey within grasslands, but their impact is difficult to separate from that of nonant predators. To test how ants may contribute to prey suppression in grasslands, we used poison baits (with physical exclosures) to selectively reduce the ant population in common garden settings, then tracked ant and nonant ground predator abundance and diversity, and removal of sentinel egg prey for 7 wk. We found that poison baits reduced ant abundance without a significant negative impact on abundance of nonant ground predators, and that a reduction in ant abundance decreased the proportion of sentinel prey eggs removed. Even a modest decrease (~20%) in abundance of several ant species, including the numerically dominant Lasius neoniger Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), significantly reduced sentinel prey removal rates. Our results suggest that ants disproportionately contribute to ground-based predation of arthropod prey in grasslands. Changes in the amount of grasslands on the landscape and its management may have important implications for ant prevalence and natural prey suppression services in agricultural landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- B D Wills
- Department of Entomology and DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - T N Kim
- Department of Entomology and DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - A F Fox
- Department of Entomology and DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - C Gratton
- Department of Entomology and DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - D A Landis
- Department of Entomology and DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
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17
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Gibson J, Suarez A, Qazi D, Benson T, Chiavacci S, Merrill L. Prevalence and consequences of ants and other arthropods in active nests of Midwestern birds. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Many organisms build nests which create unique microhabitats that are exploited by other animals. In turn, these nest colonizers may positively or negatively influence nest owners. Bird nests are known to harbor communities that include both harmful and possibly beneficial species. We quantified the nest arthropod communities of 10 bird species in Illinois, USA, along a land-use gradient, focusing on ant prevalence. We found eight ant species in nests, and for three species, at least part of their colonies inhabited nests. The odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile (Say, 1836)) was the most common species and maintained the largest colonies in nest material. Forest-cover percentage surrounding bird nests best predicted ant-colony presence. There was little evidence that ant presence influenced abundance or prevalence of other arthropods within nests with the exception of Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum (Linnaeus, 1758)) nests, where a negative association between T. sessile presence and abundance of fly larvae was found. Breeding success did not differ between nests with and without ant colonies for any bird species. Ant species that exhibit polydomy and nomadism may be more likely to occupy ephemeral resources like bird nests than other ants. How widespread this phenomenon is and the degree of commensalism that both parties experience is unclear and warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.C. Gibson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 320 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - A.V. Suarez
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 320 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 515 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - D. Qazi
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 286 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - T.J. Benson
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - S.J. Chiavacci
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
- United States Geological Survey, Science and Decisions Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, VA 20192, USA
| | - L. Merrill
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
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18
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Bishop TR, Parr CL, Gibb H, van Rensburg BJ, Braschler B, Chown SL, Foord SH, Lamy K, Munyai TC, Okey I, Tshivhandekano PG, Werenkraut V, Robertson MP. Thermoregulatory traits combine with range shifts to alter the future of montane ant assemblages. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:2162-2173. [PMID: 30887614 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Predicting and understanding the biological response to future climate change is a pressing challenge for humanity. In the 21st century, many species will move into higher latitudes and higher elevations as the climate warms. In addition, the relative abundances of species within local assemblages are likely to change. Both effects have implications for how ecosystems function. Few biodiversity forecasts, however, take account of both shifting ranges and changing abundances. We provide a novel analysis predicting the potential changes to assemblage-level relative abundances in the 21st century. We use an established relationship linking ant abundance and their colour and size traits to temperature and UV-B to predict future abundance changes. We also predict future temperature driven range shifts and use these to alter the available species pool for our trait-mediated abundance predictions. We do this across three continents under a low greenhouse gas emissions scenario (RCP2.6) and a business-as-usual scenario (RCP8.5). Under RCP2.6, predicted changes to ant assemblages by 2100 are moderate. On average, species richness will increase by 26%, while species composition and relative abundance structure will be 26% and 30% different, respectively, compared with modern assemblages. Under RCP8.5, however, highland assemblages face almost a tripling of species richness and compositional and relative abundance changes of 66% and 77%. Critically, we predict that future assemblages could be reorganized in terms of which species are common and which are rare: future highland assemblages will not simply comprise upslope shifts of modern lowland assemblages. These forecasts reveal the potential for radical change to montane ant assemblages by the end of the 21st century if temperature increases continue. Our results highlight the importance of incorporating trait-environment relationships into future biodiversity predictions. Looking forward, the major challenge is to understand how ecosystem processes will respond to compositional and relative abundance changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom R Bishop
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Catherine L Parr
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Heloise Gibb
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- The Research Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Berndt J van Rensburg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Brigitte Braschler
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
- Section of Conservation Biology, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Steven L Chown
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stefan H Foord
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
| | - Kévin Lamy
- LACy, Laboratoire de l'Atmosphère et des Cyclones (UMR 8105 CNRS, Université de La Réunion, Météo-France), Saint-Denis de La Réunion, France
| | - Thinandavha C Munyai
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Zoology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
- School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Iona Okey
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pfarelo G Tshivhandekano
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Victoria Werenkraut
- Laboratorio Ecotono, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Mark P Robertson
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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19
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Purdon J, Parr CL, Somers MJ. Grazing by large savanna herbivores indirectly alters ant diversity and promotes resource monopolisation. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6226. [PMID: 30648021 PMCID: PMC6330944 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In savannas, grazing is an important disturbance that modifies the grass layer structure and composition. Habitat structural complexity influences species diversity and assemblage functioning. By using a combination of natural sites and manipulated experiments, we explored how habitat structure (grazing lawns and adjacent bunch grass) affects ant diversity and foraging behaviour, specifically the efficiency of resource acquisition, resource monopolisation and ant body size. We found that in the natural sites there was no difference in the amount of time ants took to locate resources, but in the manipulated experiments, ants were faster at locating resources and were more abundant in the simple treatments than in the more complex treatments. Ant body size was only affected by the manipulated experiments, with smaller ants found in the more complex treatments. In both the grazing lawn and bunch grass habitats there were differences in assemblage patterns of ants discovering resources and those dominating them. Seasonality, which was predicted to affect the speed at which ants discovered resources and the intensity of resource monopolisation, also played a role. We show that ants in winter monopolised more baits and discovered resources at a slower rate, but only at certain times within the experiment. Grazing in conjunction with season thus had a significant effect on ant diversity and foraging behaviour, with dominant ants promoted where habitat complexity was simplified when temperatures were low. Our results indicate that structural complexity plays a major role in determining ant assemblage structure and function in African savannas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Purdon
- Eugène Marais Chair of Wildlife Management, Centre for Invasion Biology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Catherine L Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Somers
- Eugène Marais Chair of Wildlife Management, Centre for Invasion Biology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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20
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Moving targets: determinants of nutritional preferences and habitat use in an urban ant community. Urban Ecosyst 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-018-0796-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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21
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Gray REJ, Ewers RM, Boyle MJW, Chung AYC, Gill RJ. Effect of tropical forest disturbance on the competitive interactions within a diverse ant community. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5131. [PMID: 29572517 PMCID: PMC5865194 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23272-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how anthropogenic disturbance influences patterns of community composition and the reinforcing interactive processes that structure communities is important to mitigate threats to biodiversity. Competition is considered a primary reinforcing process, yet little is known concerning disturbance effects on competitive interaction networks. We examined how differences in ant community composition between undisturbed and disturbed Bornean rainforest, is potentially reflected by changes in competitive interactions over a food resource. Comparing 10 primary forest sites to 10 in selectively-logged forest, we found higher genus richness and diversity in the primary forest, with 18.5% and 13.0% of genera endemic to primary and logged respectively. From 180 hours of filming bait cards, we assessed ant-ant interactions, finding that despite considered aggression over food sources, the majority of ant interactions were neutral. Proportion of competitive interactions at bait cards did not differ between forest type, however, the rate and per capita number of competitive interactions was significantly lower in logged forest. Furthermore, the majority of genera showed large changes in aggression-score with often inverse relationships to their occupancy rank. This provides evidence of a shuffled competitive network, and these unexpected changes in aggressive relationships could be considered a type of competitive network re-wiring after disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross E J Gray
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK.
| | - Robert M Ewers
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Michael J W Boyle
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Arthur Y C Chung
- Forest Research Centre, Forestry Department, P.O. Box 1407, 90715, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Richard J Gill
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY, UK
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22
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23
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Oberst S, Bann G, Lai JCS, Evans TA. Cryptic termites avoid predatory ants by eavesdropping on vibrational cues from their footsteps. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:212-221. [PMID: 28111901 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Eavesdropping has evolved in many predator-prey relationships. Communication signals of social species may be particularly vulnerable to eavesdropping, such as pheromones produced by ants, which are predators of termites. Termites communicate mostly by way of substrate-borne vibrations, which suggest they may be able to eavesdrop, using two possible mechanisms: ant chemicals or ant vibrations. We observed termites foraging within millimetres of ants in the field, suggesting the evolution of specialised detection behaviours. We found the termite Coptotermes acinaciformis detected their major predator, the ant Iridomyrmex purpureus, through thin wood using only vibrational cues from walking, and not chemical signals. Comparison of 16 termite and ant species found the ants-walking signals were up to 100 times higher than those of termites. Eavesdropping on passive walking signals explains the predator detection and foraging behaviours in this ancient relationship, which may be applicable to many other predator-prey relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Oberst
- Acoustics & Vibration Unit, School of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of New South Wales, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia.,CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Clunies Ross Street, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Glen Bann
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Joseph C S Lai
- Acoustics & Vibration Unit, School of Engineering and Information Technology, The University of New South Wales, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Theodore A Evans
- School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
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24
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Griffiths HM, Ashton LA, Walker AE, Hasan F, Evans TA, Eggleton P, Parr CL. Ants are the major agents of resource removal from tropical rainforests. J Anim Ecol 2017; 87:293-300. [PMID: 28791685 PMCID: PMC6849798 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Ants are diverse and abundant, especially in tropical ecosystems. They are often cited as the agents of key ecological processes, but their precise contributions compared with other organisms have rarely been quantified. Through the removal of food resources from the forest floor and subsequent transport to nests, ants play an important role in the redistribution of nutrients in rainforests. This is an essential ecosystem process and a key energetic link between higher trophic levels, decomposers and primary producers. We used the removal of carbohydrate, protein and seed baits as a proxy to quantify the contribution that ants, other invertebrates and vertebrates make to the redistribution of nutrients around the forest floor, and determined to what extent there is functional redundancy across ants, other invertebrate and vertebrate groups. Using a large‐scale, field‐based manipulation experiment, we suppressed ants from c. 1 ha plots in a lowland tropical rainforest in Sabah, Malaysia. Using a combination of treatment and control plots, and cages to exclude vertebrates, we made food resources available to: (i) the whole foraging community, (ii) only invertebrates and (iii) only non‐ant invertebrates. This allowed us to partition bait removal into that taken by vertebrates, non‐ant invertebrates and ants. Additionally, we examined how the non‐ant invertebrate community responded to ant exclusion. When the whole foraging community had access to food resources, we found that ants were responsible for 52% of total bait removal whilst vertebrates and non‐ant invertebrates removed the remaining 48%. Where vertebrates were excluded, ants carried out 61% of invertebrate‐mediated bait removal, with all other invertebrates removing the remaining 39%. Vertebrates were responsible for just 24% of bait removal and invertebrates (including ants) collectively removed the remaining 76%. There was no compensation in bait removal rate when ants and vertebrates were excluded, indicating low functional redundancy between these groups. This study is the first to quantify the contribution of ants to the removal of food resources from rainforest floors and thus nutrient redistribution. We demonstrate that ants are functionally unique in this role because no other organisms compensated to maintain bait removal rate in their absence. As such, we strengthen a growing body of evidence establishing ants as ecosystem engineers, and provide new insights into the role of ants in maintaining key ecosystem processes. In this way, we further our basic understanding of the functioning of tropical rainforest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Griffiths
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Louise A Ashton
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Alice E Walker
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Fevziye Hasan
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Theodore A Evans
- School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Paul Eggleton
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Catherine L Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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