Effects of ants on plant diversity in semi-natural grasslands

Arthropod-Plant Interactions

Volumn 3, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 163-172

  Lenoir, Lisette ^a  

^a SWEDISH UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES   (Sweden)

Author keywords

Grassland management; Lasius flavus; Lasius niger; Plant species richness; Rhizomatous species

Indexed keywords

ANT; GRASSLAND; GRAZING MANAGEMENT; PLANT-INSECT INTERACTION; SPECIES DIVERSITY; SPECIES RICHNESS; VEGETATION COVER;

FORMICIDAE; LASIUS FLAVUS; LASIUS NIGER;

EID: 68349117263     PISSN: 18728855     EISSN: 18728847     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s11829-009-9066-7     Document Type: Article

References (54)

1. Anthelme F, Grossi JL, Brun JJ, Didier L (2001) Consequences of green alder expansion on vegetation changes and arthropod communities removal in the northern French Alps. For Ecol Manage 145:57-65
2. Berg M (1995) De Mierenpissebed Platyarthrus hoffmannseggi een mysterieuze gast in mierennesten. Natura 3:62-65 (in Dutch)
3. Boulton AM, Davies KF, Ward PS (2005) Species richness, abundance, and composition of ground-dwelling ants in northern California grasslands: role of plants, soil, and grazing. Environ Entomol 34:96-104
4. Clapperton MJ, Kanashiro DA, Behan-Pelletier VM (2002) Changes in abundance and diversity of micro-arthropods associated with Fescue prairie grazing regimes. Pedobiologia 46:496-511
5. Cousins SAO (2001) Analysis of land-cover transitions on 17th and 18th century cadastral maps and aerial photographs. Landscape Ecol 14:441-460
6. Cousins SAO, Eriksson Å (2002) The influence of management history and habitat on plant species richness in a rural hemiboreal landscape in Sweden. Landscape Ecol 17:517-529
7. Dauber J, Wolters V (2000) Microbial activity and functional diversity in the mounds of three different ant species. Soil Biol Biochem 32:93-99
8. Dauber J, Wolters V (2001) Species specific effects of ants on microbial activity and N-availability in the soil of an old-field. Eur J Soil Biol 37:93-99
9. Dauber J, Rommeler A, Wolters V (2006) The ant Lasius flavus alters the viable seed bank in pastures. Eur J Soil Biol 42:157-163
10. Dean WRJ, Milton SJ, Klotz S (1997) The role of ant nest-mounds in maintaining small-scale patchiness in dry grasslands in Central Germany. Biodivers Conserv 6:1293-1307
11. Dennis P, Doering J, Stockan JA, Jones JR, Rees ME, Vale JE, Sibbald AR (2004) Consequences for biodiversity of reducing inputs to upland temperature pastures: Effects on beetles (Coleoptera) of cessation of nitrogen fertilizer application and reductions in stocking rates of sheep. Grass Forage Sci 59:121-135
12. Di Giulio M, Edwards PJ, Meister E (2001) Enhancing insect diversity in agricultural grasslands: The roles of management and landscape structure. J Appl Ecol 38:310-319
13. Dostál P, Breznová M, Kozlícková V, Herben T, Kovár P (2005) Ant-induced soil modification and its effect on plant below-ground biomass. Pedobiologia 49:127-137
14. Ellenberg H, Weber HE, Düll R, Wirth V, Werner W, Paulissen D (1991) Zeigerwerte von pflanzen in Mitteleuropa. Scripta Geobotanica 18:1-258
15. Eriksson O (1986) Mobility and space capture in the stoloniferous plant Potentilla anserine. Oikos 46:82-87
16. Eriksson Å, Eriksson O (1997) Seedling recruitment in semi-natural pastures: The effects of disturbance, seed size, phenology and seed bank. Nord J Bot 17:469-482
17. Eriksson O, Cousins SAO, Bruun HH (2002) Land-use history and fragmentation of traditionally managed grasslands in Scandinavia. J Veg Sci 13:743-748
18. Firbank LG (2005) Striking a new balance between agricultural production and biodiversity. Ann Appl Biol 146:163-175
19. Folgarait PJ, Perelman S, Gorosito N, Pizzio R, Fernández J (2002) Effects of Camponotus punctulatus ants on plant community composition and soil properties across land-use histories. Plant Ecol 163:1-13
20. Frouz J (1996) The role of nest moisture in thermoregulation of ant (Formica polyctena Hymenoptera Formicidae) nests. Biologia (Bratisl) 51:541-547
21. Fuller RM (1987) The changing extent and conservation interest of lowland grasslands in England and Wales - a review of grassland surveys 1930-84. Biol Conserv 40:281-300
22. Giralt D, Brotons L, Valera F, Kristín A (2008) The role of natural habitats in agricultural systems for bird conservation: The case of the threatened Lesser Grey Shrike. Biodivers Conserv 17:1997-2012
23. Henderson IG, Vickery JA, Carter N (2004) The use of winter bird crops by farmland birds in lowland England. Biol Conserv 118:21-32
24. Holec M, Frouz J (2006) The effect of two ant species Lasius niger and Lasius flavus on soil properties in two contrasting habitats. Eur J Soil Biol 42:213-217
25. Hölldobler B, Wilson EO (1990) The ants. Springer, Berlin
26. Hulugalle NK (1995) Effects of ant hills on soil physical properties of a Vertisol. Pedobiologia 39:34-41
27. Kemp DR, Michalk DL (2007) Towards sustainable grassland and livestock management. J Agric Sci 145:543-564
28. King TJ (1977a) The plant ecology of ant-hills in calcareous grasslands I. Patterns of species in relation to ant-hills in southern England. J Ecol 65:235-256
29. King TJ (1977b) The plant ecology of ant-hills in calcareous grasslands II. Succession on the mound. J Ecol 65:257-278
30. King TJ (1977c) The plant ecology of ant-hills in calcareous grasslands III. Factors affecting the population sizes of selected species. J Ecol 65:279-315
31. Kovár P, Kovárová M, Dostál P, Herben T (2000) Vegetation of ant-hills in a mountain grassland: Effects of mound history and of dominant ant species. Plant Ecol 156:215-227
32. Kumm KI (2003) Sustainable management of Swedish seminatural pastures with high species diversity. J Nat Conserv 11:117-125
33. Laakso J, Setälä H (1997) Nest mounds of red wood ants (Formica aquilonia): Hot spots for litter-dwelling earthworms. Oecologia 111:565-569
34. Länstyrelsen U (1993) Meadows and pastures in Uppsala county. Allmän del länstyrelsen meddelandeserie 1993:3. Gävle Offset AB, Gävle, Sweden (in Swedish)
35. Lenoir L, Persson T, Bengtsson J (2001) Wood ant nests as potential hot spots for carbon and nitrogen mineralisation. Biol Fertil Soils 34:235-240
36. Lesica P, Kannowski PB (1998) Ants create hummocks and alter structure and vegetation of a Montana fen. Am Midl Nat 139:58-68
37. Lobry de Bruyn LA, Conacher AJ (1990) The role of Termites and ants in soil modification: A review. Aust J Soil Res 28:55-93
38. Marini L, Scotton M, Klimek S, Pecile A (2008) Patterns of plant species richness in Alpine hay meadows: Local vs. landscape controls. Basic Appl Ecol 9:365-372
39. Martin TG, McIntye S (2007) Impacts of livestock grazing and tree clearing on birds of woodland and riparian habitats. Conserv Biol 21:505-514
40. Mossberg B, Stenberg L (2003) Den nya nordiska floran. Wahlström and Widstrand, Tangen Norway (In Swedish)
41. Nicolai N, Smeins FE, Cook JL (2008) Harvester ant nests improve recovery performance of drought impacted vegetation in grazing regimes of semiarid savanna, Taxas. Am Midl Nat 160:29-40
42. Pärt T, Söderström B (1999) Conservation value of semi-natural pastures in Sweden: Contrasting botanical and avian measures. Conserv Biol 13:755-765
43. Rogers LE, Lavigne RJ (1974) Environmental effects of western harvester ants on the shortgrass plain ecosystem. Environ Entomol 3:994-997
44. Seifert B (1996) Ameisen beobachten bestimmen. Naturbuch Verlag, Augsburg, Germany (In German)
45. Söderström B, Svensson B, Vessby K, Glimskär A (2001) Plants, insects and birds in semi-natural pastures in relation to local habitat and landscape factors. Biodivers Conserv 10:1839-1863
46. Southwood TRE, Henderson PA (2000) Ecological methods. Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK
47. Stadler B, Schtamm A, Kalbitz K (2005) Ant-mediated effects on spruce litter decomposition solution chemistry and microbial activity. Soil Biol Biochem 38:561-572
48. Umbanhowar CE (1991) Abundance, vegetation, and environment of four patch types in a northern mixed prairie. Can J Bot 70:277-284
49. Wagner D (1997) The influence of ant nests on Acacia seed production herbivory and soil nutrients. J Ecol 85:83-93
50. Wallis-DeVries MF (2004) A quantitative conservation approach for the endangered butterfly Maculinea alcon. Conserv Biol 18:489-499
51. Watkinson AR, Ormerod SJ (2001) Grasslands, grazing and biodiversity: editors' introduction. J Appl Ecol 38:233-237
52. Whitford GW (1988) Effects of harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex rugosus) nests on soils and a spring annual, Erodium texanum. Southwestern Nat 33:482-485
53. Whitford GW, DiMarco R (1995) Variability in soils and vegetation associated with harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex rugosus) nests on a Chihuahuan Desert watershed. Biol Fertil Soils 20:169-173
54. Wright JP, Jones CG (2004) Predicting effects of ecosystem engineers on patch-scale species richness from primary productivity. Ecology 85:2071-2208