ANT BIODIVERSITY PROJECT
The conversion of natural habitat for human use is considered a leading threat to the persistence of native species and has become a focal area of research in ecology and conservation. Island biogeographic and related metapopulation models predict that landscape changes associated with habitat loss, such as decreasing area and increasing isolation of natural habitat patches, will result in a decrease in the abundance and diversity of native organisms. Species are likely to differ in their susceptibility to such landscape changes. Recently there has been increased interest in understanding the potential implications of variable responses to landscape changes for different taxa, especially in the face of climate change. To understand these responses, biologists need to monitor local diversity to gain a baseline understanding. Taken literally, the aim of biodiversity monitoring is to track changes in the biological integrity of ecosystems. Given the overwhelmingly dominant contribution of invertebrates to biodiversity, no biodiversity monitoring program can be considered credible if invertebrates are not effectively addressed. One of the most dominant invertebrates on the planet is ants.
Ants are known for their roles in alteration of soil composition, seed dispersal, and decomposition, making them extremely important components of ecosystems. Ants have also been successfully used as bioindicators, for example, to assess restoration success after mitigation of mining and grazing impacts on local landscapes. Available data suggest that ants adequately reflect changes in other invertebrate groups, and thus can be an overall predictor of biodiversity.
A Checklist of the Ants (Formicidae) of Unity College Campus Properties
A Checklist of the Ants (Formicidae) of 7 Coastal Maine Islands
Map of Ant Species on the Unity College Campus
