Wood ant nests as potential hot spots for carbon and nitrogen mineralisation

Lenoir, Lisette; Persson, Tryggve; Bengtsson, Jan

doi:10.1007/s003740100405

Cited by 77 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The strength of this type of natural experiment is that it is possible to simultaneously investigate the longterm and large-scale effects of ants on soil fauna. More studies are needed to test the hypothesis that wood ants, in addition to their obvious effects as ecosystem engineers (Folgarait 1998;Swenson et al 1999;Lenoir et al 2001), are also important predators on soil fauna.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Formica ants on soil fauna-results from a short-term exclusion and a long-term natural experiment

2003

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Wood ants (Formica spp.) were hypothesised to affect the composition and greatly reduce the abundance of large-sized soil fauna by predation. This was tested in two ways. Firstly, a 4-year-long experimental study was carried out in a mixed forest. Five ant-free 1.3-m(2) plots were created by fenced exclosures within an ant territory. Five nearby plots had fences with entrances for the ants. In addition, five non-fenced control plots were selected. Soil fauna (e.g. Coleoptera, Diptera larvae, Collembola and Araneae) was sampled during the summers of 1997-2000. The soil fauna was affected by the exclosures but there was no detectable effect of ants on the soil fauna. Secondly, soil fauna was studied within a large-scale natural experiment in which the long-term (30 years) effects of red wood ants could be assessed inside and outside ant territories. This long-term natural experiment revealed no significant effects of ants on the abundance or composition of soil fauna. The results from the two studies indicate that the effects of wood ants on soil fauna are fairly small. The hypothesis that wood ants are key-stone predators on soil fauna could, thus, not be supported.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Formica ants on soil fauna-results from a short-term exclusion and a long-term natural experiment

2003

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Pokarzhevskij 1981), in cycling and relocating carbon and nutrients (e.g. Lenoir et al 2001, Kilpeläinen et al 2007, in plant dispersal (e.g. Buckley 1982a, 1982b, Hölldo-bler & Wilson 1990) and, through their involve-ment in mutualism with sap-sucking aphids and preying upon leaf-chewing insects, they apparently affect tree growth and plant production (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of Mound-Building Ant Species (Formicaspp., Hymenoptera) in Finland: Preliminary Results of a National Survey

Punttila

Kilpeläinen

2009

Annales Zoologici Fennici

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Previous studies have shown that RWA mounds are suitable habitats for earthworms and decomposer microbes, which are more abundant inside mounds than in the forest fl oor (Laakso and Setälä 1997;Frouz et al 1997;Stadler et al 2006). As a result, carbon (C) and nutrient concentrations are also signifi cantly higher in RWA mounds compared with the surrounding forest fl oor (Folgarait 1998;Frouz et al 1997;Laakso and Setälä 1998;Lenoir et al 2001;Risch et al 2005). Furthermore, RWAs maintain the temperature inside their mounds at a relatively high level during summer (Coenen-Staß et al 1980;Rosengren et al 1987;Frouz 2000), and increase soil aeration by constructing chambers and galleries under the mounds and mixing soil with the mound material.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of red wood ant (Formica rufagroup) mounds on root biomass, density, and nutrient concentrations in boreal managed forests

Ohashi

Kilpeläinen

Finér

et al. 2007

Journal of Forest Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Red wood ants (Formica rufa group, RWAs) are common insects in boreal forests in Fennoscandia, and they build large, long-lived mounds as their nests. RWA mounds are enriched with carbon and nutrients, but little information is available about how they affect root distribution and the nutrient uptake of trees. In this study, we investigated the biomass, biomass density, nutrient concentrations, and amounts of fi ne (<2 mm) and coarse (>2 mm) roots in RWA mounds, and compared them with those of surrounding forest soil in mixed coniferous stands of different age classes in Finland. Neither fi ne nor coarse root biomasses differed signifi cantly between the aboveground parts of the mounds and the organic layer of the soil. Root biomass density was lower in mounds than in the organic layer. However, fi ne root biomass and biomass density were higher in the belowground parts of mounds than in the surrounding mineral soil. Macroelement (N, Ca, K, P, S, Mg) and Zn and Cu concentrations in roots in the mounds were signifi cantly higher than those in the organic layer. Root biomass and biomass density did not differ between stands of different age classes. The results of this study indicate that RWA mounds increase heterogeneity in root distribution in forest ecosystems, and also increase the availability of nutrients for plants that extend their roots inside RWA mounds.

show abstract

Wood ant nests as potential hot spots for carbon and nitrogen mineralisation

Cited by 77 publications

References 12 publications

Effects of Formica ants on soil fauna-results from a short-term exclusion and a long-term natural experiment

Effects of Formica ants on soil fauna-results from a short-term exclusion and a long-term natural experiment

Distribution of Mound-Building Ant Species (Formicaspp., Hymenoptera) in Finland: Preliminary Results of a National Survey

The effect of red wood ant (Formica rufagroup) mounds on root biomass, density, and nutrient concentrations in boreal managed forests

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About