Effects of Urban Development on Ant Communities: Implications for Ecosystem Services and Management

• Published in: Conservation biology Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 131 - 141
• Main Authors: SANFORD, MONTE P, MANLEY, PATRICIA N, MURPHY, DENNIS D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.02.2009; Wiley-Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Animal populations; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Ants; Ants - physiology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; California; Conservation; Conservation biology; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Ecosystem; Ecosystem services; Ecosystems; Forest insects; forest management; Formicidae; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Habitat conservation; hormigas; infiltración de agua; Insect communities; Insect development; Insects; Lago tahoe; Lake Tahoe; Land development; manejo de bosques; Nevada; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Population Density; Population Dynamics; Regression Analysis; service-providing units; servicios del ecosistema; Species; Species Specificity; Sus; unidades proveedoras de servicio; Urban development; Urban Renewal; urbanización; Urbanization; water infiltration; California; Nevada; Lake Tahoe; USA, Tahoe L. basin; Water infiltration; ants; Formicidae; Insecta; Forest management; Social insect; Formicoidea; Environmental management; service-providing units; Infiltration water; Freshwater environment; Urban development; Arthropoda; Ecosystem; Lake Tahoe; Urbanization; Ecosystem services; Hymenoptera; Invertebrata; Community; Aculeata; Environmental protection
• ISSN: 0888-8892; 1523-1739
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.01040.x

Research that connects the effects of urbanization on biodiversity and ecosystem services is lacking. Ants perform multifarious ecological functions that stabilize ecosystems and contribute to a number of ecosystem services. We studied responses of ant communities to urbanization in the Lake Tahoe basin by sampling sites along a gradient of urban land development. We sampled ant communities, measured vegetation characteristics, quantified human activities, and evaluated ant-community responses by grouping ants into service-providing units (SPUs), defined as a group of organisms and their populations that perform specific ecosystem services, to provide an understanding of urbanization impacts on biodiversity and their delivery of ecosystem services. Species richness and abundance peaked at intermediate levels of urban development, as did the richness of 3 types of ant SPUs (aerators, decomposers, and compilers). With increasing land development aerator and decomposer ants significantly declined in abundance, whereas compiler ants significantly increased in abundance. Competing models demonstrated that precipitation was frequently among the strongest influences on ant community structure; however, urban development and human activities also had a strong, negative influence on ants, appearing in most models with ΔAICc < 2 for species richness and abundance patterns of SPUs and generalists. Response diversity was observed within SPUs, which suggests that the corresponding ecosystem services were maintained until development reached 30-40%. Our data provide evidence that ecosystem functions, such as water infiltration and soil productivity, may be diminished at sites subject to greater levels of urbanization and that conserving ant communities and the ecosystem services they provide could be an important target in land-use planning and conservation efforts.