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Ant community shifts over 60 years in a montane ecosystem
As temperature changes, organisms may shift their ranges in response. Ectotherms, specifically ants, are useful organisms to study temperature variability due to their sensitivity to environmental conditions. Historical studies on distributions when paired with contemporary collections and environmental data can provide a unique opportunity to examine how climate change has affected community composition and predict future responses. Browne and Gregg (1969) examined the distributions of ants in Gregory Canyon near Boulder, CO in 1957. In 2021 and 2022 we resampled Browne and Gregg's study to determine if the community composition of ants had shifted locally and if species persisted at sites where they had been documented historically. We found high community turnover and biotic homogenization. |
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Ant Distributions: Physiology and Competition
Temperature is a structuring force in ant communities and species thermal physiology is commonly used to predict their distributions. However, thermal physiology has been found to be important in shaping distributions in environmentally stressful habitats, while competition plays a larger role in less environmentally stressful habitats. We are determining whether ants’ physiology and foraging traits predict their persistence under altered temperatures and to what extent species compensate behaviorally for warming by combining variation in thermal traits with information on foraging behavior and diet. We hope to gain insight on the underlying mechanisms shaping species geographic variation/abundance and pinpoint if certain species may fair better under climate change. |
