Seed selection by an exceptionally rich community of harvester ants in the Australian seasonal tropics

Andersen, Alan N.; Azcárate, Francisco M.; Cowie, I. D.

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2656.2000.00452.x

Cited by 31 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Cerdá and Retana (1994), for example, observed that diet overlap (calculated at seed specific level) within and between two Messor species (M. bouvieri Bondroit and M. capitatus Latreille) and for the same colony during two different days, was very low, with a maximum observed intraspecific overlap of 35.6% and interspecific overlap of 24.0%. An alternative possibility, also supported by our investigation, is that harvester ants may have flexible preferences and adopt competitive strategies that are shaped by interactions with cooccurring species (Andersen et al, 2000). A possible explanation for such dietary partitioning could be the occurrence of a species-specific seed preference that would limit coexistence to those species with divergent preferences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

“…Their diet is composed almost exclusively of seeds and generally limited to a restricted number of plant species (Whitford, 1978;Andersen et al, 2000;Azcárate et al, 2005;Pirk & Lopez de Casenave, 2006). Their diet is composed almost exclusively of seeds and generally limited to a restricted number of plant species (Whitford, 1978;Andersen et al, 2000;Azcárate et al, 2005;Pirk & Lopez de Casenave, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Competition for foraging resources and coexistence of two syntopic species of Messor harvester ants in Mediterranean grassland

Solida

Celant

Luiselli³

et al. 2011

Ecological Entomology

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1. Diet composition of two syntopic species of Messor seed-harvester ants (M. wasmanni Krausse and M. minor André) was evaluated during different periods over the year (May, July, October), by analysing food type (plant parts and species) and food size (weight, length, width). Morphological traits of foragers (head width and femur length) considered important features promoting diet partitioning were measured.2. We used two robust randomisation algorithms (RA2 and RA3), adopted in niche overlap studies, to check for random vs non random utilisation of resources at intraand interspecific level for the different periods.3. Analyses showed high levels of overlap in the diet of the two species and no evidence of interspecific competition during most of the activity season. In particular, there was an aggregated use of resources in summer, whilst niche partitioning and evidence of competition when resources decreased in autumn. Intraspecifically, no evidence of competition was found. 4. Results suggest two different mechanisms for minimising competition: when food resources are abundant (summer), ants collected the same plant species but selected different sizes; when food resource is scarce (autumn), ants foraged on different plants.5. The importance of different factors (morphological, behavioural, ecological) possibly affecting competition and coexistence are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competition for foraging resources and coexistence of two syntopic species of Messor harvester ants in Mediterranean grassland

Solida

Celant

Luiselli³

et al. 2011

Ecological Entomology

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“…Invertebrates contribute the bulk of species diversity in tropical savannas, and regulate many processes fundamental to savanna structure and function (Gillon 1983;Andersen & Lonsdale 1990), as they do in most biomes throughout the world (Wilson 1987). They have major effects on soil structure and function (de Bruyn & Conacher 1990), energy flow (Matthews & Kitching 1984) and seed dynamics (Andersen & Morrison 1998;Andersen et al . They have major effects on soil structure and function (de Bruyn & Conacher 1990), energy flow (Matthews & Kitching 1984) and seed dynamics (Andersen & Morrison 1998;Andersen et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response of ant and terrestrial spider assemblages to pastoral and military land use, and to landscape position, in a tropical savanna woodland in northern Australia

et al. 2002

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This study aims primarily to assess the response of two invertebrate groups to the effects of pastoralism and military training, at one site in the tropical savanna of north-eastern Queensland. The richness and species composition of ants and terrestrial spiders were examined at two contrasting times of year across three land use treatments (pastoralism, military training and undisturbed) and four landscape positions (upper slope to riparian). Ant species richness was least in the grazed sites, and a high proportion of the ant species recorded varied significantly in frequency between the grazed and the two ungrazed land uses. This variation was generally greater than that associated with landscape position. Although variation in the richness of spiders was significantly related to land-use type, this effect was less pronounced than for ants, was less marked than variation associated with landscape position and was confounded by a strong interaction between land use and landscape position. Quadratscale variation in the composition of spider assemblages was influenced most by season of sampling. For both spiders and ants, there were few differences in richness or species composition between undisturbed land and that managed for military use.

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“…The granivore guild is well represented in both grazed and abandoned systems. Each land use contains seven species (eight when combining both systems), an amount comparable to studies conducted in North American deserts (five species; Gordon & Kulig, 1996), the South African Karoo (nine species; Milton & Dean, 1993), and Australian deserts (10 species; Briese, 1982), but less than that reported in the Australian tropics (>15; Andersen et al. , 2000).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Abandonment of grazing in a mediterranean grassland area: consequences for ant assemblages

Azcárate

Peco

2011

Insect Conserv Diversity

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Abstract. 1. Abandonment of traditional activities in the rural areas is widespread in the developed world, and in the case of grazing, it is known to have negative consequences on the diversity of plant communities. Few studies have examined the impact of grazing abandonment on fauna, which in the case of ants is of considerable interest, given their usefulness as an indicator for monitoring environmental change. 2. Here, we present the results of a study conducted in Mediterranean grasslands of central Spain. Using pitfall traps, ants were sampled from 10 40 m× 20 m plots; five of them located in grazed systems and five in abandoned grazing systems. Descriptors used for the ant assemblage were ant species composition, ant species richness, ant functional groups, and subguilds of granivores. We used a seed bait test to discriminate between granivorous and non‐granivorous ant species. 3. Our results show that abandoned grazing systems have more ant species and more heterogeneous ant assemblages. Changes in ant species composition and ant functional groups are more pronounced in habitats where woody encroachment progresses more rapidly (i.e. dry sectors and tree islands). Specialised granivores have reduced importance in the same habitat types. Conversely, facultative granivores increase their presence in abandoned grazing systems. 4. The increased functional and species ant diversity observed with grazing abandonment can be explained by the generation of a more heterogeneous environment at the smaller scales, in spite of being more homogenous at the larger scales, because the latter are less significant for the organisms studied.

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Seed selection by an exceptionally rich community of harvester ants in the Australian seasonal tropics

Cited by 31 publications

References 39 publications

Competition for foraging resources and coexistence of two syntopic species of Messor harvester ants in Mediterranean grassland

Competition for foraging resources and coexistence of two syntopic species of Messor harvester ants in Mediterranean grassland

Response of ant and terrestrial spider assemblages to pastoral and military land use, and to landscape position, in a tropical savanna woodland in northern Australia

Abandonment of grazing in a mediterranean grassland area: consequences for ant assemblages

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