Woodland Ants Save Forests
“There are so many interesting, intricate parts of this interaction depending on the types of seeds ants prefer so that you can get this beautiful mixing of flower species in forests,” Buono says.
This relationship is especially pronounced in old-growth forests with a greater diversity of species, which secondary forests, created on former agricultural land, often lack because of their different topography. The floor of these newer forests tends to be littered with pits left by the roots of toppled trees lifted out of the ground and mounds created by extracted root and soil.
“Species within the two types of forest are also different, with quick colonizers moving into younger woodlands. An established forest often features a greater number of shade-tolerant plants in the understory,” the scientists behind the research say.
Among those colonizers in regenerated forests are invasive slugs with which woodland ants need to compete for fatty seed appendages. These slugs often live near the edges of forests near open meadows and farmland.
“There are slightly fewer woodland ants in secondary forests, perhaps owing to their displacement during years of agricultural use. Differences in forest canopies and the amount of light that reaches the forest floor could also play a role, but that has yet to be explored,” the scientists say.
Insights such as these are crucial for effective conservation efforts, which is why we should not overlook the role of insects such as ants in biodiversity.
“Ants are beneficial,” Buono stresses. “They’re not as charismatic as butterflies or bees that help pollinate flowers, but they are just as important.”
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