Abstract

Fragmented natural habitats within human-transformed landscapes play a key role in preserving biodiversity. Ants as keystone species are essential elements of terrestrial ecosystems; thus, it is important to understand the factors influencing their presence. In a large-scale multi-site study, we surveyed ant assemblages using sweep netting and D-vac sampling on 158 ancient burial mounds preserving grassland habitats in agricultural landscapes in East-Hungary. We asked the following questions: (1) How do habitat factors and landscape composition affect species richness and functional diversity of ants? (2) Which ant traits are affected by habitat factors and landscape composition? Despite their small sizes, mounds as permanent and relatively undisturbed landscape elements could provide safe havens for diverse ant assemblages even in transformed agricultural landscapes. The complex habitat structure of wooded mounds supported high species and functional diversity of ant assemblages. Ant species on wooded mounds had small or medium-sized colonies, enabling the co-existence of more species. The effect of landscape composition on ant assemblages was mediated by habitat factors: steep slopes buffered the negative effect of the cropland matrix and enabled higher ant diversity.

Details

Title
Functional composition of ant assemblages in habitat islands is driven by habitat factors and landscape composition
Author
Deák Balázs 1 ; Báthori Ferenc 2 ; Lőrinczi Gábor 3 ; Végvári Zsolt 4 ; Nagy, Dávid D 5 ; Mizser Szabolcs 6 ; Torma Attila 7 ; Valkó Orsolya 8 ; Tóthmérész Béla 9 

 Lendület Seed Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary (GRID:grid.424945.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0636 012X); Lendület Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Center for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary (GRID:grid.424945.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0636 012X) 
 Lendület Seed Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary (GRID:grid.424945.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0636 012X); Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary (GRID:grid.424945.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0636 012X) 
 University of Szeged, Department of Ecology, Szeged, Hungary (GRID:grid.9008.1) (ISNI:0000 0001 1016 9625) 
 Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary (GRID:grid.481817.3); Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Müncheberg, Germany (GRID:grid.500071.3) (ISNI:0000 0000 9114 1714) 
 MTA-DE Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary (GRID:grid.500071.3) 
 MTA-DE Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary (GRID:grid.500071.3); University of Debrecen, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Debrecen, Hungary (GRID:grid.7122.6) (ISNI:0000 0001 1088 8582) 
 Lendület Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Center for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary (GRID:grid.424945.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0636 012X); University of Szeged, Department of Ecology, Szeged, Hungary (GRID:grid.9008.1) (ISNI:0000 0001 1016 9625) 
 Lendület Seed Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary (GRID:grid.424945.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0636 012X) 
 MTA-DE Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary (GRID:grid.424945.a); University of Debrecen, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Debrecen, Hungary (GRID:grid.7122.6) (ISNI:0000 0001 1088 8582) 
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2585638940
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.