Impacts of disturbance on ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) food preferences and dominance in a Mexican temperate forest
This study examines the impact of disturbance on the food preferences and dominance of an ant community in a temperate ecosystem in Mexico. The study focused on 2 types of vegetation: native oak forest and induced grassland (disturbed vegetation). Observations were conducted to record the food elem...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad |
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| Online Access: | https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/5523 |
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| author | Meghan I. Zolá-Rodríguez Mariana Cuautle Marco Daniel Rodríguez-Flores Citlalli Castillo-Guevara |
| author_facet | Meghan I. Zolá-Rodríguez Mariana Cuautle Marco Daniel Rodríguez-Flores Citlalli Castillo-Guevara |
| author_sort | Meghan I. Zolá-Rodríguez |
| collection | DOAJ |
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This study examines the impact of disturbance on the food preferences and dominance of an ant community in a temperate ecosystem in Mexico. The study focused on 2 types of vegetation: native oak forest and induced grassland (disturbed vegetation). Observations were conducted to record the food elements carried by ants to their nests. These data were analyzed using x2 tests. Tuna and honey baits were placed near the nests to record the presence of ants in 5-minute periods. We used a binomial model to determine whether the probability of finding an ant foraging at the baits was affected by vegetation type, bait type, and/or ant species. Additional baits were used to determine the ant
dominance indices. T-tests and ANOVAs were used to compare dominance indices between vegetation types, baits, and ant species. No significant differences were observed in food preferences between vegetations. However, some species showed a preference for honey (i.e., carbohydrates), which could be limited in ground-level environments. Ants showed a submissive behavior in both vegetation types. This research shows that ants could optimize their nutrient intake, enabling them to survive efficiently even when facing disturbances, instead of increasing dominance.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e6a62cd05cd64eec9e17db655af308d1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1870-3453 2007-8706 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad |
| spelling | doaj-art-e6a62cd05cd64eec9e17db655af308d12025-08-20T03:53:01ZengUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoRevista Mexicana de Biodiversidad1870-34532007-87062024-12-019510.22201/ib.20078706e.2024.95.5523Impacts of disturbance on ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) food preferences and dominance in a Mexican temperate forestMeghan I. Zolá-Rodríguez0Mariana Cuautle1Marco Daniel Rodríguez-Flores2Citlalli Castillo-Guevara3Akumal Monkey Sanctuary & Rescued AnimalsUniversidad Autónoma de TlaxcalaBlue Marlin Conservation Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala This study examines the impact of disturbance on the food preferences and dominance of an ant community in a temperate ecosystem in Mexico. The study focused on 2 types of vegetation: native oak forest and induced grassland (disturbed vegetation). Observations were conducted to record the food elements carried by ants to their nests. These data were analyzed using x2 tests. Tuna and honey baits were placed near the nests to record the presence of ants in 5-minute periods. We used a binomial model to determine whether the probability of finding an ant foraging at the baits was affected by vegetation type, bait type, and/or ant species. Additional baits were used to determine the ant dominance indices. T-tests and ANOVAs were used to compare dominance indices between vegetation types, baits, and ant species. No significant differences were observed in food preferences between vegetations. However, some species showed a preference for honey (i.e., carbohydrates), which could be limited in ground-level environments. Ants showed a submissive behavior in both vegetation types. This research shows that ants could optimize their nutrient intake, enabling them to survive efficiently even when facing disturbances, instead of increasing dominance. https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/5523Ant nestDominance indexFeeding habitsCompensation hypothesisCarbohydratesProteins |
| spellingShingle | Meghan I. Zolá-Rodríguez Mariana Cuautle Marco Daniel Rodríguez-Flores Citlalli Castillo-Guevara Impacts of disturbance on ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) food preferences and dominance in a Mexican temperate forest Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad Ant nest Dominance index Feeding habits Compensation hypothesis Carbohydrates Proteins |
| title | Impacts of disturbance on ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) food preferences and dominance in a Mexican temperate forest |
| title_full | Impacts of disturbance on ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) food preferences and dominance in a Mexican temperate forest |
| title_fullStr | Impacts of disturbance on ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) food preferences and dominance in a Mexican temperate forest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impacts of disturbance on ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) food preferences and dominance in a Mexican temperate forest |
| title_short | Impacts of disturbance on ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) food preferences and dominance in a Mexican temperate forest |
| title_sort | impacts of disturbance on ant hymenoptera formicidae food preferences and dominance in a mexican temperate forest |
| topic | Ant nest Dominance index Feeding habits Compensation hypothesis Carbohydrates Proteins |
| url | https://revista.ib.unam.mx/index.php/bio/article/view/5523 |
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