A positive relationship between ant biodiversity (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and rate of scavenger-mediated nutrient redistribution along a disturbance gradient in a south-east Asian rain forest

OESTERREICHISCHE GESELL ENTOMOFAUNISTIK, C/O NATURHISTOR MUSEUM WIEN, ZWEITE ZOOLOGISCHE ABTEILUNG (INSEKTEN), BURGRING 7, WIEN, AUSTRIA,2011
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Human modification of pristine habitats almost always leads to the local extinction of a subset of the species present. This means that the ecosystem processes carried out by the remaining species may change. It is well documented that particular species of ants carry out important ecosystem processes. However, while much work has been carried out to investigate the link between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in other taxa, this has received relatively little attention for ant communities. In particular, no attempt has been made to link levels of ant diversity with the rates of nutrient redistribution carried out by scavenging species. Here we investigate the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on the rate of scavenger-mediated nutrient redistribution, using bait-removal rate as a surrogate measure. We found that although ant species richness, diversity, biomass and rates of bait removal did not change systematically across the disturbance gradient, the rate of bait removal was related to ant species richness. Sites with more ant species experienced a faster rate of bait removal. This is the first documented positive relationship between ant species richness and the rate of an ecosystem process. If these results are applicable at larger spatial scales for a wider range of nutrient sources, loss of ant species could lead to important changes in the way that ecosystems function.

Bakker, LienekeUniversity Putra Malaysia (författare)
Mui Ching, TanUniversity Putra Malaysia (författare)
Davey, AlexandraNew Guinea Binatang Research Centre (författare)
Earl, AdamTmn Kingfisher (författare)
Hyland, SteveLinköpings universitet,Hälsouniversitetet (författare)
Ligtermoet, EmmaDanum Valley Field Centre (författare)
Kai Lin, LingUniversity Malaysia Sabah (författare)
Phouthakone, LuangyothaWildlife Conservation Society (författare)
Herlander Martins, BrunoWildlife Conservation Society (författare)
Kepfer Rojas, SebastianNew Guinea Binatang Research Centre (författare)
Phuong Thi, Thanh SamBogor Agriculture University (författare)
Wahyudi, AgusDipterocarp Research Centre (författare)
Walsh, JudyMalahide Co (författare)
Weigl, StefanieUniversity of Bristol (författare)
Jehle, RobertUniversity of Salford (författare)
Metcalfe, DanCSIRO Sustainable Ecosyst, Atherton (författare)
Trevelyan, RosieTrop Biol Association (författare)
University Museum Zoology, CambridgeUniversity Putra Malaysia (creator_code:org_t)

Ingår i:MYRMECOLOGICAL NEWS: OESTERREICHISCHE GESELL ENTOMOFAUNISTIK, C/O NATURHISTOR MUSEUM WIEN, ZWEITE ZOOLOGISCHE ABTEILUNG (INSEKTEN), BURGRING 7, WIEN, AUSTRIA14, s. 5-121994-4136

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