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Biodiversity below ground: probing the subterranean ant fauna of Amazonia

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Abstract

Ants are abundant, diverse, and ecologically dominant in tropical forests. Subterranean ants in particular are thought to have a significant environmental impact, although difficulties associated with collecting ants underground and examining their ecology and behavior have limited research. In this paper, we present the results of a study of subterranean ant diversity in Amazonian Ecuador that employs a novel probe to facilitate the discovery of species inhabiting the soil horizon. Forty-seven species of ants in 19 genera, including new and apparently rare species, were collected in probes. Approximately 19% of the species collected at different depths in the soil were unique to probe samples. Analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) results showed that the species composition of ants collected with the probe was significantly different from samples collected using other techniques. Additionally, ANOSIM computations indicated the species assemblage of ants collected 12.5 cm below the surface was significantly different from those found at 25, 37.5, and 50 cm. Ant diversity and species accumulation rates decreased with increasing depth. There were no species unique to the lowest depths, suggesting that subterranean ants may not be distributed deep in the soil in Amazonia due to the high water table. The technique we describe could be used to gain new insights into the distribution and biology of subterranean ant species and other members of the species-rich soil invertebrate macrofauna.

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Acknowledgement

We thank the directors and staff of Tiputini Biodiversity Station; Dr. Gary Alpert for his insights; Brian Henry, Noah Reid, and Scott Appleby for assistance in the field; David Donoso, Pablo Araujo, Paulina Rosero, Van Le, Helen Mary Sheridan, and Winston McDonald for laboratory assistance; Dr. Terry Erwin for kindly providing canopy fogging samples; Dr. John Longino for identifying Wasmannia and Crematogaster specimens; and Stefan Cover for identifying Solenopsis specimens, as well as providing valuable assistance with ant taxonomy and access to the MCZ ant room. Samples were collected and transported under permit number 16-IC-FAU-RSO-MA issued to Kari Ryder and number 017-IC-FA-PNY-MA issued to Amy Mertl by the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment. The experiments comply with the current laws of the US and Ecuador.

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  1. Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Kari T. Ryder Wilkie, Amy L. Mertl & James F. A. Traniello

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  1. Kari T. Ryder Wilkie
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  2. Amy L. Mertl
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  3. James F. A. Traniello
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Correspondence to Kari T. Ryder Wilkie.

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Ryder Wilkie, K.T., Mertl, A.L. & Traniello, J.F.A. Biodiversity below ground: probing the subterranean ant fauna of Amazonia. Naturwissenschaften 94, 725–731 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-007-0250-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-007-0250-2

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