The relative influences of long‐term fire management and woody cover on termite abundance and activity in an Australian tropical savanna

Journal of Applied Ecology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Фев. 21, 2025

Abstract Tropical savannas typically experience high fire frequencies, with prescribed commonly used as a management tool. Termites play an important role in the ecological functioning of tropical savannas, yet we have limited understanding how affects these ecosystem engineers. To account for effects on structure and function, need to understand links between termite communities. This study long‐term (18‐year) experiment savanna near Darwin, northern Australia, investigate different regimes species composition, abundance activity. We measured activity using combination baiting reduced transect survey methods compared (summarised frequency intensity) woody cover. Termite richness was similar across all treatments, level had minimal effect which more strongly influenced by Wood‐feeding consumption wood baits were negatively correlated positively Soil/wood interface‐feeding termites showed no correlation but positive Significant negative mediation through cover detected wood‐ soil/wood interface feeders straw bait consumption. Grass‐feeding encountered too infrequently draw conclusions about their cover; however, Synthesis applications . The are primarily indirect, mediated changes vegetation structure. As is associated cover, maintaining frequent, high‐intensity fires over long term has potential affect function. While minimising occurrence high‐intensity, late dry season consistent goals care still required avoid consequences frequencies.

Язык: Английский

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Large-scale pyrodiversity is not needed to beget ant diversity in an Australian tropical savanna

Oecologia, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 207(3)

Опубликована: Фев. 28, 2025

Abstract The hypothesis that pyrodiversity begets biodiversity is foundational to conservation management in fire-prone ecosystems and has received extensive research attention. However, empirical evidence for the remains ambivalent. Moreover, few studies directly assess key question of how much needed conserve all species within a community. A novel way addressing this use biodiversity–maximisation approach developed reserve selection as part strategic planning. We apply an ant dataset from long-term fire experiment northern Australia establish many six experimental treatments are required represent local diversity. identified treatment combinations maximise richness geometric mean abundance. repeated fire-activity classes based on cumulative intensity experienced by plots over course experiment. found very limited number or activity were highly diverse abundance ants. attribute substantial small-scale heterogeneity behaviour vegetation structure individual treatments. conclude high at larger spatial scales not sustaining our study system. believe powerful method assessing recommend it be applied other taxa ecosystems.

Язык: Английский

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Bringing Fire Back: How Prescribed Fires Shape Ant Communities in a Fire-Suppressed Neotropical Savanna

Diversity, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 17(4), С. 276 - 276

Опубликована: Апрель 15, 2025

We evaluated the effects of different fire regimes on ground-ant community from a savanna (Cerrado) reserve in southern Brazil, where process woody encroachment has been taking place. Ants are dominant faunal group tropical savannas. Over ~8 years, experimental plots were protected or burned every one two years. An additional treatment (adaptive) included annual fires and reduction biomass to increase fuel loads. collected prior first prescribed again four times. expected that would diversity overall abundance open-savanna ant specialists, depending extent changes vegetation structure. Changes litter depth, grass cover bare ground most evident 88 months after did not differ between regimes. Similarly, species richness occurrence neither differed treatments nor control. However, showed significant open decrease typical dense dry forests. As responses annual, biennial, adaptive treatments, we suggest return interval years is enough for reverting loss specialists areas have decades.

Язык: Английский

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Testing a Hump-Shaped Pattern with Increasing Elevation for Ant Species Richness in Daliang Mountain, Sichuan, China

Diversity, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 17(5), С. 308 - 308

Опубликована: Апрель 24, 2025

Ants have long been regarded as ubiquitous insects that are indicators of environmental change and ecosystems. Understanding the patterns ant species richness along elevational gradients is crucial for elucidating their ecological functions within However, there currently no comprehensive consensus on pattern. In this study, we explored pattern an gradient in Mt. Daliang region (Sichuan, China), a biodiversity conservation hotspot China. The was investigated using 115 plots 50 × m size, distributed across 12 elevation bands 250 interval between 750 to 3500 a.s.l. We identified 157 from 51 genera seven subfamilies. Myrmicinae most diverse subfamily, consisting 20 84 species, followed by Formicinae, Dolichoderinae, Ponerinae, Dorylinae, Amblyoponinae, Proceratiinae. found unimodal distribution gradient, with highest occurring at mid-elevations. This hump-shaped presented alongside temperature variation. Furthermore, our results indicated ground-foraging were abundant ants prefer nest soil. Our findings highlight importance influencing Mountain, Sichuan, China, provide novel insights into potential drivers communities.

Язык: Английский

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The influence of fire and termites on tree hollow development in an Australian tropical savanna

Forest Ecology and Management, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 577, С. 122403 - 122403

Опубликована: Ноя. 26, 2024

Язык: Английский

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