Impact of vegetation removal on the temperature and moisture content of red wood ant nests |
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Authors: | A Véle J Holu?a |
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Institution: | (1) Forestry and Game Management Research Institute Jílovište-Strnady, Office Frydek-Místek, Nádražní 2811, CZ-73802 Frydek-Místek, Czech Republic;(2) Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Palacky University in Olomouc, tř Svobody 26, CZ-77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic;(3) Department of Forest Protection, Faculty of Forestry, Wildlife and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamycká 1176, CZ-16521 Praha 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic |
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Abstract: | We studied the influence of vegetation growing on red wood ant, Formica polyctena, hills and its removal, by cutting, on the temperature and moisture content of the nests. Vegetation was removed from half
of nests (n = 10) in June and August. Generally, ant hills were small (0.1–1.1 m3) and their daily temperature fluctuations and moisture (16–38%) were low. The centre temperature of ant hills was positively
correlated with ambient air temperature. Daily temperatures peaked at 13:00 and slowly decreased until 09:00 then increased
again until 13:00. Nest moisture content was not related to nest volume. All the ant hills were covered with Reed Grass (Calamagrostis arundinacea) that grows through nests and reaches about 185–1085 g/dcm2 of dry matter. Dry vegetation matter (g/dcm2 of anthill surface) was the same on cut and uncut nests as well because all ant hills were under long-term management (vegetation
removal) for at least 10 years.
Although vegetation removal did not result in an immediate increase in the temperature of denuded ant hills removal did results
in higher daily and night temperatures during the July-September period. The moisture content of nests with undisturbed and
intact vegetation was the same. The dry matter content of vegetation strongly affected their moisture content. However, temperature
at the inside centre of nests decreased as vegetation dry matter increased, i.e. there was a statistically negative correlation
between temperature and moisture. The results support removing grass as a suitable management tool to facilitate the survival
of wood ants.
Received 30 December 2007; revised 22 April 2008; accepted 10 June 2008. |
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Keywords: | :" target="_blank">: Ant nests thermoregulation Formica polyctena vegetation removal |
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