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The Distribution of Carpenter Ant Colonies in the Spruce‐Fir Forests of Northwestern Ontario
Author(s) -
Sanders C. J.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1933979
Subject(s) - ecology , abundance (ecology) , acre , population , geography , biology , forestry , agroforestry , demography , sociology
Colonies and underground tunnel systems of carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) were mapped in three 1—acre plots (0.4 hectares), respectively of successional stages of the spruce—fir forest in northwestern Ontario. The youngest stand with the most intensively tunneled and contained the most colonies and the highest worker population. This was attributed to the greater abundance of stumps and logs for nesting sites than in the more mature stands. However, such sites lacked permanence and many colonies were decadent. It is postulated that carpenter ants reproduced more successfully in the mature stands where large living trees provide more permanent nesting sites.