Suppression of savanna ants alters invertebrate composition and influences key ecosystem processes.

Abstract:

:In almost every ecosystem, ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are the dominant terrestrial invertebrate group. Their functional value was highlighted by Wilson (1987) who famously declared that invertebrates are the "little things that run the world." However, while it is generally accepted that ants fulfil important functions, few studies have tested these assumptions and demonstrated what happens in their absence. We report on a novel large-scale field experiment in undisturbed savanna habitat where we examined how ants influence the abundance of other invertebrate taxa in the system, and affect the key processes of decomposition and herbivory. Our experiment demonstrated that ants suppressed the abundance and activity of beetles, millipedes, and termites, and also influenced decomposition rates and levels of herbivory. Our study is the first to show that top-down control of termites by ants can have important ecosystem consequences. Further studies are needed to elucidate the effects ant communities have on other aspects of the ecosystem (e.g., soils, nutrient cycling, the microbial community) and how their relative importance for ecosystem function varies among ecosystem types (e.g., savanna vs. forest).

journal_name

Ecology

journal_title

Ecology

authors

Parr CL,Eggleton P,Davies AB,Evans TA,Holdsworth S

doi

10.1890/15-1713.1

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2016-06-01 00:00:00

pages

1611-7

issue

6

eissn

0012-9658

issn

1939-9170

journal_volume

97

pub_type

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