TY - JOUR
T1 - Homogenization of ant communities in mediterranean California
T2 - The effects of urbanization and invasion
AU - Holway, David A.
AU - Suarez, Andrew V.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank I. Kay for permission to work at the University of California Elliot Chaparral Reserve and J. Richmond for help mapping ant nests. T.J. Case provided intellectual support and lab space throughout the course of this project. The paper was improved by comments from N.J. Sanders and an anonymous reviewer. This research was made possible through grants from the USDA (NRIGCP award 99-35302-8675 to D.A.H.) and NSF (INT-0305660 to D.A.H. and A.V.S.).
PY - 2006/1
Y1 - 2006/1
N2 - In coastal California, the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) displaces nearly all above ground foraging native ant species. The loss of native ants following invasion by Argentine ants homogenizes these faunas; natural habitats invaded by L. humile have lower beta diversity compared to comparable uninvaded areas. Argentine ant abundance in the seasonally dry mediterranean environments of this region correlates strongly and positively with soil moisture. For this reason, the displacement of native ants across natural and artificial moisture gradients often resembles an edge effect, the magnitude of which is inversely proportional to the suitability of the physical environment from the perspective of L. humile. The direct effects of Argentine ant invasions in natural environments are therefore amplified by inputs of urban and agricultural run off. Indirect ecological effects of these invasions arise from the loss of large-bodied ants, arid adapted ants, and behavioral repertoires unique to particular native ant species. Further research is needed to quantify how these aspects of functional homogenization affect invaded communities. The close association between L. humile and moist soils suggests that, at least in arid regions, control strategies might be aimed at reducing urban run off in order to maintain functionally diverse communities of native ants.
AB - In coastal California, the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) displaces nearly all above ground foraging native ant species. The loss of native ants following invasion by Argentine ants homogenizes these faunas; natural habitats invaded by L. humile have lower beta diversity compared to comparable uninvaded areas. Argentine ant abundance in the seasonally dry mediterranean environments of this region correlates strongly and positively with soil moisture. For this reason, the displacement of native ants across natural and artificial moisture gradients often resembles an edge effect, the magnitude of which is inversely proportional to the suitability of the physical environment from the perspective of L. humile. The direct effects of Argentine ant invasions in natural environments are therefore amplified by inputs of urban and agricultural run off. Indirect ecological effects of these invasions arise from the loss of large-bodied ants, arid adapted ants, and behavioral repertoires unique to particular native ant species. Further research is needed to quantify how these aspects of functional homogenization affect invaded communities. The close association between L. humile and moist soils suggests that, at least in arid regions, control strategies might be aimed at reducing urban run off in order to maintain functionally diverse communities of native ants.
KW - Argentine ants
KW - Biological invasions
KW - Biotic homogenization
KW - Linepithema humile
KW - Urbanization
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U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2005.05.016
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2005.05.016
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:28444491829
SN - 0006-3207
VL - 127
SP - 319
EP - 326
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
IS - 3
ER -