Distribution and habitat requirements of red wood ants in Switzerland: Implications for conservation

Vandegehuchte, Martijn L.; Wermelinger, Beat; Fraefel, Marielle; Baltensweiler, Andri; Düggelin, Christoph; Brändli, Urs-Beat; Freitag, Anne; Bernasconi, Christian; Cherix, Daniel; Risch, Anita C.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2017.06.008

Cited by 21 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Food searching behavior of the red wood ants is primarily related to the distribution of aphids on conifers [6,34,46,47]. In the absence of enough coniferous trees, ants used Q. cerris trees (42% of the searching trees) to fulfil their needs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consequences of Climate Change-Induced Habitat Conversions on Red Wood Ants in a Central European Mountain: A Case Study

Juhász

Fürjes-Mikó

Tenyér

et al. 2020

Animals

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The consequences of anthropogenic climate change are one of the major concerns of conservation biology. A cascade of negative effects is expected to affect various ecosystems, one of which is Central European coniferous forests and their unique biota. These coniferous forests are the primary habitat of many forest specialist species such as red wood ants. Climate change-induced rising of temperature allows trees to skip winter hibernation, making them more vulnerable to storms that cause wind felling, and in turn, promotes bark beetle infestations that results in unscheduled clear-cuttings. Red wood ants can also be exposed to such habitat changes. We investigated the effects of bark beetle-induced clear-cutting and the absence of coniferous trees on colonies of Formica polyctena, including a mixed-coniferous forest as a reference. Our aim was to investigate how these habitat features affect the nest characteristics and nesting habits of F. polyctena. Our results indicate that, in the absence of conifers, F. polyctena tend to use different alternatives for nest material, colony structure, and food sources. However, the vitality of F. polyctena colonies significantly decreased (smaller nest mound volumes). Our study highlights the ecological flexibility of this forest specialist and its potential to survive under extreme conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consequences of Climate Change-Induced Habitat Conversions on Red Wood Ants in a Central European Mountain: A Case Study

Juhász

Fürjes-Mikó

Tenyér

et al. 2020

Animals

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“…However, the studies in Switzerland have shown no dependence in the distribution of red wood ants on the size of forests and distances from the edges and, on the contrary, dependence on the structure of the forest, the abundance of conifers and climate [1]. The dependence of ambient temperature and humidity on nesting activity of red wood ants is shown on the example of Finland [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Red wood ants (Formica rufa-group) is a widespread group of Holarctic, serves as the most important component of a greater part of terrestrial ecosystems [1]. They are able to quickly mobilize a large number of foragers in the presence of available food [2], thereby suppressing the outbreak of forest pests.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological Traits of Formica Aquilonia Yarrow (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Environmental System of the Coal Mining Region

2019

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The ecological traits of the settlement of ants Formica aqiulonia Yarrow were studied in areas influenced by various anthropogenic factors (recreation, coal industry, increasing road traffic). We have revealed that ants are sensitive to any effects and in the overwhelming cases disappear from the contaminated area. Anthills with a dome diameter of 0.65-0.80 appeared to be the most resistant to various anthropogenic factors. No changes in the diet of F. aquilonia have been detected in the zone of coalmine impact. On the contrary, in the areas with a high recreational impact, the proportion first and second instar larvae of the Colorado beetle is increasing, which makes it possible to consider this species as a biological defense.

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“…In contrast, dispersal of M-type wood ants by flying means they are more able to colonize younger forests and can survive in smaller forest fragments, though there is an inherent risk that smaller areas may not provide long-term habitat stability. Habitat fragmentation can lead to inbreeding, which reduces genetic variation and population viability while increasing hybridization [10,16,17].…”

Section: ▶ Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wood Ants (Formica rufa Species Group)

Robinson¹,

Stockan²

2020

Encyclopedia of Social Insects

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Thatch Ants The Formica rufa group, known as wood ants, red wood ants, or thatch ants, are mound-dwelling formicines occupying a dominant role in many boreal and northern temperate forest ecosystems. The group can be divided into two main sections: the Palearctic and Nearctic species. The Palearctic species are relatively well studied and include a core of six species (Formica rufa, F. polyctena, F. lugubris, F. paralugubris, F. pratensis, and F. aquilonia), a clade (including F. truncorum and F. frontalis), and the more phylogenetically distinct F. uralensis. The Nearctic species are thought to be a sister group to the Palearctic species and include Formica obscuripes, F. obscuriventris, and F. integra. A related group of ants, the Formica microgyna complex, may also belong to the Nearctic F. rufa group, but the phylogenetic relationships among these species are as yet unknown [15]. Beyond this group, other related species such as F.

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Distribution and habitat requirements of red wood ants in Switzerland: Implications for conservation

Cited by 21 publications

References 41 publications

Consequences of Climate Change-Induced Habitat Conversions on Red Wood Ants in a Central European Mountain: A Case Study

Consequences of Climate Change-Induced Habitat Conversions on Red Wood Ants in a Central European Mountain: A Case Study

Ecological Traits of Formica Aquilonia Yarrow (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Environmental System of the Coal Mining Region

Wood Ants (Formica rufa Species Group)

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