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Harvard Forest REU Symposium Abstract 2015
- Title: Population Density and Biodiversity in Ant Species of the Harvard Forest
- Author: Roxanne M Hoorn (Eckerd College)
- Abstract:
Ants play an instrumental part in the forests of New England by aerating the soil and promoting habitat biodiversity. These essential services are not carried out by one genus alone. Rather, it takes a collection of colonies of various species functioning together to sustain a healthy forest. In order to deepen our understanding of the variety and distribution of ant species and their contribution to the local ecosystem, I examined the population density and biodiversity of ant species in the secondary growth deciduous forest of Harvard Forest in Central Massachusetts. To do this, I surveyed ants in five thirty-six square meter plots, and identified all colonies were according to species and habitat type. Colonies were mapped to illustrate their relation to one another within the area of study. The mapping and analysis of these plots showed the presence of four genera and six main species, among which their prevalence varied greatly. Lasius nearticus was found most commonly with a population density of 0.51 colonies of per square meter; Apheanagaster picea was less than half as frequent at a density of 0.23/m2; Lasius umbratus and Myrmica punctiventris were both present at a density of 0.4/m2; with very few occurrences of Lasius alienus at 0.02/m2 and Formica neogagates at 0.01/m2. These findings suggest that there is a combination of factors specific to individual specie preferences, including habitat type and availability, which shape the population density and biodiversity of ants present on the forest floor.
- Research Category: Biodiversity Studies
