Biogeostatistics confirm: Even a low total number of red wood ant nests provide new information on tectonics in the East Carpathian Orogen (Romania)

Berberich, Gabriele M.; Klimetzek, D.; Paraschiv, Marius; Stăncioiu, Petru Tudor; Grumpe, A.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.01.005

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In 2018, however, we found a pronounced shift to broadleaves, mostly due to reduction of the site-inappropriate conifers. While RWA are generally considered to avoid hardwoods [53], such occurrence is common in Romania [52,54,55]. In our study, RWA were usually close to adjacent openings such as canopy gaps, roads, forest boundaries, or grasslands.…”

Section: Changes In Habitat Suitabilitymentioning

confidence: 57%

Ecological Monitoring with Spy Satellite Images—The Case of Red Wood Ants in Romania

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dynamics of habitat conditions drive important changes in distribution and abundance of animal species making monitoring an important but also a challenging task when data from the past are scarce. We compared the distribution of ant mounds in the 1960s with recent inventories (2018), looking at changes in canopy cover over time, in a managed forest. Both historical and recent sources of information were used. Habitat suitability at present was determined using a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) image as a proxy for stand canopy cover. The NDVI product was obtained using Google Earth Engine and Sentinel 2 repository. For past conditions (no spectral information available), presence of edges and more open canopies was assessed on a Corona spy-satellite image and based on information from old forest management plans. A threshold distance of 30 m was used to assess location of ant nests compared to favorable habitats. Both old and new information sources showed that ants prefer intermediate canopy cover conditions in their vicinity. Nests remained clustered because of the heterogeneous habitat conditions, but spatial distribution has changed due to canopy alteration along time. The analysis on the NDVI was effective for 82% of cases (i.e., nests occurred within 30 m from favorable habitats). For all the remaining nests (18%), the Google Earth high resolution satellite image revealed in their vicinity the presence of small canopy gaps (undetected by the NDVI). These results show that historical satellite images are very useful for explaining the long-term dynamics of ant colonies. In addition, the use of modern remote sensing techniques provides a reliable and expedite method in determining the presence of favorable small-scale habitat, offering a very useful tool for ecological monitoring across large landscapes and in very different areas, especially in the context of ecosystem dynamics driven and exacerbated by climate change.

show abstract

Section: Changes In Habitat Suitabilitymentioning

confidence: 57%

Ecological Monitoring with Spy Satellite Images—The Case of Red Wood Ants in Romania

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Recent studies focusing on GeoBio-Interactions, e.g., in Germany and Romania, alternatively postulated spatial distribution patterns of RWA to be governed by degassing tectonic fault systems. The large-scale spatial distribution of RWA nests directly reflects significant tectonic components of the present-day stress field and its accompanying conjugated shear systems (Berberich et al 2016a; Del Toro et al 2017; Berberich et al 2019). Furthermore, a double-blind study on Jutland (Denmark) showed that RWA nests were eight times more likely to be found within 60 m of known tectonic faults than were random points in the same region but without nests (Del Toro et al 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent studies, which investigated a combination of geoscientific and biological factors (also known as “GeoBio-Interactions”), developed RWA as biological indicators for otherwise undetected tectonic activity and showed that RWA nests were eight times more likely to be found within 60 m of known tectonic faults (Berberich et al 2016a; Del Toro et al 2017; Berberich et al 2019). Furthermore, geogenic gases (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Red Wood Ants prefer mature Pine Forests in Variscan Granite Environments (Formica rufa-group)

Mb²,

Gibhardt

2020

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

0AbstractWe used presence/absence data of 5,160 red wood ant nests (RWA; Formica polyctena) acquired in a systematic large-scale area-wide survey in two study areas (≈350 ha) in the Oberpfalz, NE Bavaria, Germany to explore for the first time the influence of variable (e.g., forest type, tree age) and quasi-invariant factors (e.g., tectonics, geochemical composition of the bedrock) on nest size, spatial distribution and nest density for Variscan granites. A combination of the forest type (mature pine-dominated forests (≥80–140 years) as main variable factor and the geochemical property of the Variscan granites with their high natural Radon potential and moderate heat production as main quasi-invariant factor could explain the high nest numbers in both study areas. In addition, the spatially clustered distribution patterns of the observed nests suggest a strong interaction between nests and their quasi-invariant environment, especially the directionality of the present-day stress field and the direction of the tectonically formed “Erbendorfer Line”. In general, such a combination of variable and quasi-invariant factors can be addressed as particularly favorable RWA habitats.

show abstract

“…A recent research approach, "GeoBio-Interactions", that examined a combination of geoscientific and biological factors, found that red wood ants (F. rufa-group; hereafter RWA) can be used as a tool and biological indicators for otherwise undetected degassing systems and faults [10,11]. RWA nests were eight times more likely to be found within 60 m of known tectonic faults [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of geogases in Cenozoic sedimentary environments

Berberich¹,

Berberich²

2022

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We investigated fault gases (helium, radon, CO2) in two seismically active Cenozoic sedimentary environments: a) Meinweg (in 2015) at a tectonically quiet horst structure in the Lower Rhine Embayment and b) Bodanrück (in 2012; Lake of Constance) at the Molasse Basin and part of the Freiburg–Bonndorf–Bodensee Fault Zone (FBBFZ). Both study areas were selected because recent “GeoBio-Interactions” findings showed, that red wood ants (RWA) are biological indicators of otherwise undetected degassing systems. A total of 817 soil gas samples was analyzed. Currently, Meinweg can be considered “no ants land” due to the very low background-level geogas concentrations. Thus, anomalies (Rn-CO2) weakly trending in NE-SW extension direction emerged. This could probably indicate the onset of (re)activation of the NE-SW trending (Variscan) structures or the development of new fractures as an aftershock process of the 1992 Roermond earthquake that occurred about 15 km to the west. Results at Bodanrück (3 RWA clusters and two RWA-free corridors) revealed degassing patterns in NW-SE and NNE-SSW directions in the clusters corresponding to re-activated and recent strike-slip fault systems. No gas anomalies were found in RWA-free corridors. The RWA nest distribution was shown to be a valuable tool for identifying areas of even actively degassing spotty anomalies caused by macro- and microscale brittle deformation masked by sediment cover.

show abstract

Biogeostatistics confirm: Even a low total number of red wood ant nests provide new information on tectonics in the East Carpathian Orogen (Romania)

Cited by 9 publications

References 28 publications

Ecological Monitoring with Spy Satellite Images—The Case of Red Wood Ants in Romania

Ecological Monitoring with Spy Satellite Images—The Case of Red Wood Ants in Romania

Red Wood Ants prefer mature Pine Forests in Variscan Granite Environments (Formica rufa-group)

Comparison of geogases in Cenozoic sedimentary environments

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About