Ant Assemblages and Co-Occurrence Patterns in Cypress-Tupelo Swamp

Chen, Xuan; Adams, Benjamin J.; Sabo, Alexander; Crupi, Theresa; Hooper‐Bùi, Linda M.

doi:10.1007/s13157-016-0795-y

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 99 publications

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“…Conversely in dense areas, more species in the regional pool have the potential to colonize roots due to the more benign environment leading to more variation among communities (e.g., Chase 2007). Similarity in b diversity detected between arboreal ant communities in dense and sparse environments is likely due to a small species pool, limited nesting sites, and a high frequency of generalist ant species (Chen et al 2016;L. Hooper-B ui, unpublished data).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarity in β diversity detected between arboreal ant communities in dense and sparse environments is likely due to a small species pool, limited nesting sites, and a high frequency of generalist ant species (Chen et al. ; L. Hooper‐Bùi, unpublished data ). For example, wax myrtles may offer similar nesting condition for ants in both sparse and dense sites due to the relatively small crown size, which generates small variations in ant community composition regardless of isolation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of isolation on ant assemblages depend on microhabitat

et al. 2017

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How isolation affects biological communities is a fundamental question in ecology and conservation biology. Local diversity (α) and regional diversity (γ) are consistently lower in insular areas. The pattern of species turnover (β diversity) and the influence of isolation on competitive interactions are less predictable. Differences in communities across microhabitats within an isolated patch could contribute to the variability in patterns related to isolation. Trees form characteristically dense and sparse patches (low vs. high isolation) in floating marshes in coastal Louisiana, and canopy and root areas around these trees could support distinct ant communities. Consequently, trees in floating marshes provide an ideal environment to study the effects of isolation on community assemblages in different microhabitats. We sampled ant communities in 120 trees during the summer of 2016. We found ant α diversity was not different between the canopy and roots, and the magnitude and directional effects of isolation on ants were inconsistent between the canopy and root areas. In the roots of sparse sites, ant diversity (α, β, and γ) was lower, species composition was changed, and the signature of interspecific competition was more prominent compared to dense sites. In the canopy, however, significant differences between dense and sparse sites were only detected in α and γ diversity, and ant species co‐occurrence was not significantly different from a random distribution. The inconsistent responses of ants in canopy and root areas to isolation may be due to the differences of species pool size, environmental harshness, and species interactions between strata. In addition, these findings indicate that communities in distinct microenvironments can respond differentially to habitat isolation. We suggest incorporating organisms from different microhabitats into future research to better understand the influence of isolation on the assembly of biological communities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of isolation on ant assemblages depend on microhabitat

et al. 2017

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“…Brigić et al (27) recorded 16 ant species from one peatland and found that wetlandupland edges were favored habitats. Chen et al (38) collected 21 species of ants from 11 genera in three swamps of Louisiana, with distinctly different arboreal and ground-dwelling communities. Three species of ants coexist in Northeastern China peatlands, with the density and size of their mounds differing for Lasius flavus, Lasius niger, and Formica candida (146).…”

Section: Formicidaementioning

confidence: 99%

Ecology of Terrestrial Arthropods in Freshwater Wetlands

Batzer

2020

Annu. Rev. Entomol.

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The terrestrial arthropod fauna of wetlands has been largely ignored by scientists compared to other ecological elements, yet these organisms are among the most important influences on the ecology of these systems, with the vast majority of the biodiversity in wetlands found among the terrestrial arthropods. Wetlands present a range of habitat for terrestrial arthropods, with unique faunas being associated with soils and ground litter, living-plant substrates, and peatlands. Myriapoda, Araneae, Collembola, Carabidae, Formicidae, and assorted herbivorous Coleoptera and Lepidoptera are the terrestrial arthropod groups that most influence the ecology of wetlands. Despite their success, most terrestrial arthropods possess fairly rudimentary adaptations for life in wetlands, with most simply moving to higher ground or up vegetation during floods, although some species can tolerate immersion. Many terrestrial arthropods are environmentally sensitive and show considerable promise as bioindicators of wetland ecological conditions.

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“…Ants occupy different microhabitats including the subsoil, soil, litter, trunks and canopy of different plant species, where they can act as defoliators, predators of arthropods and small vertebrates, and participate in mutualistic interactions with some plants and other animal species (Davidson et al, 2003;Fagundes et al, 2005;Ribas et al, 2003). Therefore, ants play important ecological functions such as structuring natural communities, stabilizing food webs and maintenance of terrestrial ecosystem services (Chen et al, 2016;Dyer & Letourneau, 1999). In addition, ants are very sensitive to environmental changes, being suitable bioindicators of habitat quality to evaluate how natural or anthropogenic disturbances affect ecosystem services (Prado-Junior et al, 2020;Queiroz et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community structure of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in an open habitat: the importance of environmental heterogeneity and interspecific interactions

2022

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Ant species are highly sensitive to environmental changes, and ant community structure can be shaped by environmental heterogeneity and interspecific interactions. We tested 2 hypotheses: (1) vegetation structure negatively affecting ant diversity in simplified habitats and (2) interspecific interactions shaping ant communities. We collected ants on shrubs distributed in 16 sampling units of 100 m2 using the entomological umbrella and beating technique in a regenerating Cerrado area of Brazil. The richness, abundance and average height of the plants were used as a measure of environmental heterogeneity. A total of 457 ants belonging to 17 species were sampled. We observed higher ant species richness in plots with greater plant abundance and lower plant height. We observed a negative relationship between ant abundance and plant height per plot. These results corroborate that vegetation structure negatively affects ant diversity in simplified habitats. The observed values of co-occurrence index differed from the expected values of simulated matrices, suggesting that competition shaping ant community in simplified habitats. We highlight the importance of conserving small trees, especially in structurally less complex habitats, because they represent key elements that harbor high ant species diversity.

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Ant Assemblages and Co-Occurrence Patterns in Cypress-Tupelo Swamp

Cited by 8 publications

References 99 publications

Effects of isolation on ant assemblages depend on microhabitat

Effects of isolation on ant assemblages depend on microhabitat

Ecology of Terrestrial Arthropods in Freshwater Wetlands

Community structure of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in an open habitat: the importance of environmental heterogeneity and interspecific interactions

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