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A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
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Dominance-diversity relationships in ant communities differ with invasion
Xavier Arnan1, Alan N Andersen2, Heloise Gibb3
1CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalunya, Spain.
Global Change Biology
|June 1, 2018
Summary
The dominance-impoverishment rule doesn't always hold for ant communities. Native dominant ants can increase diversity, while non-native species decrease it, especially in warmer climates.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Community Ecology
- Biodiversity Research
Background:
- The relationship between species dominance and richness is debated, particularly in ant communities.
- The dominance-impoverishment rule suggests high dominance occurs only in species-poor communities, but exceptions exist.
- The role of dominant species in limiting local richness via competitive exclusion is not fully understood, especially the distinction between native and non-native dominants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct the first global analysis of the relationship between behavioral dominance and species richness in ground-dwelling ants.
- To test the generality of the dominance-impoverishment rule across diverse ant assemblages.
- To identify biotic and abiotic factors influencing the dominance-diversity relationship.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed data from 1,293 local ground-dwelling ant assemblages across five continents.
- Examined the influence of native vs. non-native dominant species on the dominance-diversity relationship.
- Assessed the impact of dominance measured by occurrence and relative abundance, and mean annual temperature.
Main Results:
- The behavioral dominance-diversity relationship is highly variable, influenced by dominant species' origin (native/non-native), dominance metric, and mean annual temperature.
- Invaded communities showed decreased diversity with increased dominance, while native communities exhibited increased diversity with increased dominance.
- These patterns were most pronounced in hotter sites, and climate differentially regulated behavioral dominance and species richness.
Conclusions:
- Competitive exclusion is not a primary driver of local richness in native ant communities, despite strong interspecific competition.
- The dominance-impoverishment rule is applicable to invaded communities.
- A 'dominance-diversification' rule is proposed for native ant communities.
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