Nest-mounds of the yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus) at the “Alter Gleisberg”, Central Germany: Hot or cold spots in nutrient cycling?

Bierbaß, Peggy; Gutknecht, Jessica; Michalzik, Beate

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.09.020

Cited by 21 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…To date, the few studies that have examined the impacts of ants on quality and quantity of dissolved organic matter have been conducted on Formica (Stadler, Schramm, & Kalbitz, ) and Lasius ant species (Bierbass, Gutknecht, & Michalzik, ) or underground nesting ant species (Wang, Wang, Li, & Zhang, ), and not on leaf‐cutter ants. These studies found that the presence of ants affects the amount and chemical composition of dissolved organic matter.…”

Section: Knowledge Gap 5—transport Of Dissolved Organic Mattermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This suggests that dissolved organic matter is strongly dependent on the chemical properties of the organic material that the ant species collect (Ehrle et al, ; Stadler et al, ; Wang et al, ). In the yellow ant Lasius flavus, higher dissolved organic carbon was associated with the import of easily decomposable honeydew via trophobiosis from honeydew‐producing root aphids (Bierbass et al, ; Ehrle et al, ).…”

Section: Knowledge Gap 5—transport Of Dissolved Organic Mattermentioning

confidence: 99%

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Welcome to the Atta world: A framework for understanding the effects of leaf‐cutter ants on ecosystem functions

et al. 2019

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Leaf‐cutter ants are a prominent feature in Neotropical ecosystems, but a comprehensive assessment of their effects on ecosystem functions is lacking. We reviewed the literature and used our own recent findings to identify knowledge gaps and develop a framework to quantify the effects of leaf‐cutter ants on ecosystem processes. Leaf‐cutter ants disturb the soil structure during nest excavation changing soil aeration and temperature. They mix relatively nutrient‐poor soil from deeper layers with the upper organic‐rich layers increasing the heterogeneity of carbon and nutrients within nest soils. Leaf‐cutter ants account for about 25% of all herbivory in Neotropical forest ecosystems, moving 10%–15% of leaves in their foraging range to their nests. Fungal symbionts transform the fresh, nutrient‐rich vegetative material to produce hyphal nodules to feed the ants. Organic material from roots and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhances carbon and nutrient turnover in nest soils and creates biogeochemical hot spots. Breakdown of organic matter, microbial and ant respiration, and nest waste material decomposition result in increased CO2, CH4, and N2O production, but the build‐up of gases and heat within the nest is mitigated by the tunnel network ventilation system. Nest ventilation dynamics are challenging to measure without bias, and improved sensor systems would likely solve this problem. Canopy gaps above leaf‐cutter ant nests change the light, wind and temperature regimes, which affects ecosystem processes. Nests differ in density and size depending on colony age, forest type and disturbance level and change over time resulting in spatial and temporal changes of ecosystem processes. These characteristics remain a challenge to evaluate rapidly and non‐destructively. Addressing the knowledge gaps identified in this synthesis will bring insights into physical and biological processes driving biogeochemical cycles at the nest and ecosystem scale and will improve our understanding of ecosystem biogeochemical heterogeneity and larger scale ecological phenomena. A plain language summary is available for this article.

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Section: Knowledge Gap 5—transport Of Dissolved Organic Mattermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Knowledge Gap 5—transport Of Dissolved Organic Mattermentioning

confidence: 99%

Welcome to the Atta world: A framework for understanding the effects of leaf‐cutter ants on ecosystem functions

et al. 2019

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“…As consumers and ecosystem engineers, ants can redistribute food resources within a habitat and concentrate these resources within nest structures (Cammeraat andRisch 2008, Frouz et al 2008), which may alter the diversity and abundance of soil microbes and arthropods (Boulton and Amberman 2006). By altering soil conditions and associated bottom-up effects, ants can increase nutrient availability to plants (Frouz et al 2008, Bierbaß et al 2015. However, ants can also exert strong top-down control of invertebrates in many terrestrial systems (Sanders and Platner 2006, Parr et al 2016, Wills and Landis 2018 with the potential to affect ecosystem processes such as decomposition, especially in northern temperate regions (Nemec 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

No evidence of top‐down effects by ants on litter decomposition in a temperate grassland

et al. 2021

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Ants play multiple roles in ecosystems, but their ability to affect decomposition processes in temperate grasslands is relatively unknown. We investigated whether the suppression of ant populations influenced litter decomposition in grasslands via predation of some decomposers (e.g., mites and springtails) and/or microbial activity and composition. We performed two successful ant suppression treatments (seven weeks, 37% suppression, year 1, 10 weeks, 70% suppression, year 2) over the course of a 59-week experiment. We then assayed the effects of ant suppression using coarse-and fine-mesh litterbags and evaluated litter chemistry, microbial and arthropod communities, and microbial enzyme activity. Ant suppression efforts reduced ant abundance and altered ant, arthropod decomposer, and non-ant predator community composition. However, ant suppression did not affect decomposer arthropod abundance, litter mass loss, microbial composition, or enzyme activity in litterbags. Litterbag mesh size did not alter microbial composition, perhaps due to a failure to exclude decomposers, as mites and springtails were more or equally abundant in fine-mesh bags. Nevertheless, mesh size did change litter chemistry, suggesting that mesh size-mediated microenvironments affect decomposition environment regardless of invertebrate exclusion. Coarse-mesh litterbags had higher concentrations of microbial sugars, lignin, and N and lower concentrations of litter C and crystalline cellulose than fine-mesh litterbags. Litterbag mesh size may alter decomposition processes irrespective of invertebrate abundance. We found no evidence that ant predation was an important driver of decomposer populations or decomposition in these systems, and we suspect redundancy at the top of the detrital food web dilutes the role of ants.

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“…These factors greatly reduce the digging effort for initiating the tunnel. Not only the physical characteristics in and around the mound are specific, but also the chemical constituents (Bierbaß et al 2015) - pH is frequently higher (King and Woodell 1975) and the microbiological - bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and micro-arthropod communities differ (Sharma and Sumbali 2013). The last may have an indirect impact creating a cleaner micro-environment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of ant nests in European ground squirrel’s (Spermophilus citellus) post-reintroduction adaptation in two Bulgarian mountains

Kachamakova

Antonova

Koshev

2019

BDJ

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The European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) is a vulnerable species, whose populations are declining throughout its entire range in Central and South-Eastern Europe. To a great extent, its conservation depends on habitat restoration, maintenance and protection. In order to improve the conservation status of the species, reintroductions are increasingly applied. Therefore, researchers focus their attention on factors that facilitate these activities and contribute to their success. In addition to the well-known factors like grass height and exposition, others, related to the underground characteristics, are more difficult to evaluate. The presence of other digging species could help this evaluation. Here, we present two reintroduced ground squirrel colonies, where the vast majority of the burrows are located in the base of anthills, mainly of yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus). This interspecies relationship offers numerous advantages for the ground squirrel and is mostly neutral for the ants. The benefits for the ground squirrel, including reduced energy demand for digging, as well as additional surveillance and hiding places available, could greatly enhance the post-reintroduction adaptation process.

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Nest-mounds of the yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus) at the “Alter Gleisberg”, Central Germany: Hot or cold spots in nutrient cycling?

Cited by 21 publications

References 49 publications

Welcome to the Atta world: A framework for understanding the effects of leaf‐cutter ants on ecosystem functions

Welcome to the Atta world: A framework for understanding the effects of leaf‐cutter ants on ecosystem functions

No evidence of top‐down effects by ants on litter decomposition in a temperate grassland

The role of ant nests in European ground squirrel’s (Spermophilus citellus) post-reintroduction adaptation in two Bulgarian mountains

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