The effects of harvester ant (Messor ebeninus Forel) nests on vegetation and soil properties in a desert dwarf shrub community in north-eastern Arabia

Brown, Gary M.; Scherber, Christoph; Ramos, Proceso; Ebrahim, Ebrahim K.

doi:10.1016/j.flora.2012.06.009

Cited by 29 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(56 reference statements)

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“…Several studied nests were located < 50 m from the reference steppe, so workers may have prospected in the reference steppe. Second, the nest itself may have acted as a passive trap for seeds due to its coarse texture and/or its height (Brown et al, 2012). Contrary to the reference steppe, with stone cover of > 50% of the total surface area, the restored site contains very few pebbles.…”

Section: Effects On Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harvester ants as ecological engineers for Mediterranean grassland restoration: Impacts on soil and vegetation

Almeida

Blight

Mesléard

et al. 2020

Biological Conservation

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Although not widely used, ecosystem engineers represent a promising and sustainable tool in nature-based ecosystem management and restoration. In grassland ecosystems, a few invertebrates that engineer soils have been identified as key species regulating soil nutrients and plant communities' diversity and dynamics. Here, we assessed the role of the harvester ant Messor barbarus, an ecological engineer, in a Mediterranean dry grassland under restoration by characterising its nest environment, particularly the soil and vegetation. We found profound differences in soil physical and chemical variables and plant community structure between nests and antfree patches in the restored grassland. Messor barbarus has improved soil fertility, driven the seed bank towards the reference grassland and significantly increased plant biomass, species richness and micro-local-heterogeneity. As biological filters, M. barbarus has driven plant communities towards a new trajectory in the restored site. Ant patches are characterised by mesotrophic species, whereas ant-free patches are dominated by species characteristic of compacted soils. They have accelerated the ecological recovery of Mediterranean dry grassland plants by directly and indirectly facilitating their re-establishment. These results illustrate the potential key role of ants as ecological engineers for the conservation and restoration of Mediterranean grasslands.

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Section: Effects On Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harvester ants as ecological engineers for Mediterranean grassland restoration: Impacts on soil and vegetation

Almeida

Blight

Mesléard

et al. 2020

Biological Conservation

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“…The higher concentration of available P in ant patches can be explained by food collected in the nests and the subsequent increase in organic matter mineralization [23,48,50]. Their lower concentration of total N and other cations could be due to higher mineralization rates of organic matter [51], assimilation of N by plants and microbes [52] and/or replacement of the upper horizon with subsoil usually poor in organic matter [48,53]. Ant bioturbation may also lead to reduced Na 2 O content [53].…”

Section: (A) Impacts On the Environmental Filtermentioning

confidence: 99%

Above- and below-ground effects of an ecosystem engineer ant in Mediterranean dry grasslands

et al. 2020

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Within a local assemblage, ecosystem engineers can have major impacts on population dynamics, community composition and ecosystem functions by transforming or creating new habitats. They act as an ecological filter altering community composition through a set of environmental variables. The impact of ants on their environment has been widely studied, but their multi-component effects (both trophic and non-trophic) have been rarely addressed. We investigated the roles of Messor barbarus , one of the commonest harvester ant species in south-western European Mediterranean grasslands. We analysed soil physico-chemical parameters, above-ground vegetation (e.g. species richness, plant community, micro-local heterogeneity, plant biomass) and above- and below-ground fauna (macrofauna, Collembola, Acari and nematodes). A clear and strong local impact of M. barbarus on soil, vegetation and fauna compartments emerges. The environmental filter is altered by modifications to soil physico-chemical properties, and the biotic filter by changes to plant communities and altered above- and below-ground fauna abundance, occurrence and community structure. The engineering activity of M. barbarus affects not only these separate ecosystem components but also the trophic and non-trophic relationships between them. By altering ecological filters at a local scale, M. barbarus creates habitat heterogeneity that may in turn increase ecological niches in these highly diverse ecosystems.

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“…Appropriate disturbances can result in heterogeneous patches that enhance biodiversity, ecological niche, and complexity (Zhang et al, 1995;Li, 2000). Ants can alter the assemblages in plant communities (Brown et al, 2012). For example, harvester ants form underground colonies leading to the establishment of patches with different plant species composition compared with those in the surrounding areas (Jones et al, 1997;Cammeraat et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Ant Mounds on the Plant and Soil Microbial Community in an Alpine Meadow of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Wang

et al. 2017

Land Degrad Dev

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Ants are important soil engineers, affecting the structure and function of ecosystems. To address the impacts of ants (Camponotus herculeanus) on the properties of an alpine meadow ecosystem of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, we investigated the effects of ant mounds on plant biomass, soil physicochemical properties, microbial diversity, and functions. We found that the total biomass of plant community was significantly greater in ant mound periphery. Plant species richness in ant mounds was reduced compared with that of control plots without ant mounds. Significant changes in physicochemical properties of soil were also observed. Soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, total potassium, and available potassium increased in ant mound soil due to the excavation activities by ants as well as the accumulation of organic matter and other nutrients during mound construction. For example, roots/soil contents (g/g) and soil moisture in ant mound soils were lower than those in controls. Microbial community composition and microbial biomass were clearly changed in ant mound soils. BIOLOG analysis further indicated that the functional diversity of the microbial community of ant mound soil increased and differed from that of controls. This study indicates that ant‐induced modification of soil properties indirectly influences plant biomass and species composition, and ant mounds have different microbial communities from those of control soil. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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The effects of harvester ant (Messor ebeninus Forel) nests on vegetation and soil properties in a desert dwarf shrub community in north-eastern Arabia

Cited by 29 publications

References 44 publications

Harvester ants as ecological engineers for Mediterranean grassland restoration: Impacts on soil and vegetation

Harvester ants as ecological engineers for Mediterranean grassland restoration: Impacts on soil and vegetation

Above- and below-ground effects of an ecosystem engineer ant in Mediterranean dry grasslands

Effects of Ant Mounds on the Plant and Soil Microbial Community in an Alpine Meadow of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

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