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Species Packing in Caribbean and North Temperate Ant Communities
Author(s) -
Culver David C.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1940349
Subject(s) - ecology , foraging , competition (biology) , niche , habitat , ecological niche , biology , nest (protein structural motif) , niche differentiation , geography , biochemistry
Short—term competition was examined in ant communities in West Virginia, Michigan, Puerto Rico, and St. John (U.S. Virgin Islands), by baiting with tuna fish. Species in Puerto Rico, where resource accrual was more rapid, had broader niches than in West Virginia. Niche breadths were not related to colony size, worker size, or aggressiveness. In forest areas, there was good agreement between observed and expected numbers of species per area estimated from the mean value of the competition coefficients (α) and the covariance of α. Niche breadths of ant communities in grassy areas were reduced by aggression between species. Given lack of aggression, competition coefficients predicted more species than observed in the grassy areas, an indication that aggression reduced species diversity. Competition for nest sites increased between—habitat diversity and foraging niche breadth.