干旱区生态环境知识资源中心(Arid): Plant community dynamics in arid lands: the role of desert ants

Arid

	Plant community dynamics in arid lands: the role of desert ants
	Sharafatmandrad Mohsen; Khosravi Mashizi Azam
来源期刊	干旱区科学
ISSN	1674-6767
出版年	2021
卷号	13 期号:3 页码:1674-6767
英文摘要	Ants (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) play an important role in seed bank, seedling establishment and plant composition of arid ecosystems. Thus, knowing plant-ant interaction provides useful information for managers to design restoration and conservation plans. In this study, the roles of desert harvester ants (Messor intermedius and Messor melancholicus) and scavenger ants (Cataglyphis nodus and Lepisiota semenovi) on plant communities were investigated in arid ecosystems of southeastern Iran. Two vegetation types were distinguished in the study area and the nest density of ant species was determined. Furthermore, plant composition and soil seed bank were estimated at different distances from the ant nests. Results showed that the density of M. intermedius and M. melancholicus nests was higher in dwarf shrub-shrub vegetation type and the density of C. nodus and L. semenovi nests was higher in dwarf shrub vegetation type. The harvester and scavenger ants had enhanced the seed bank to 55% and 70%, respectively. Therefore, the role of scavenger ants on the plant communities' seed bank was greater than that of harvester ants. Although the scavenger ants were more influential on the annuals and the invasive plant species, the radius impact of the harvester ants on the perennials was greater, i.e., a positive interaction existed between the perennial plants and the harvester ants. C. nodus and L. semenovi played an important role in enhancing the ecosystem's potential for restoration through establishment of pioneer species in early stage of succession. The activity of M. intermedius is crucial for the development and maintenance of climax plant communities in arid ecosystems through assisting the plant species' establishment in late stage of succession. It is essential to preserve the diversity of these key ant species for the maintenance and sustainability of shrubs in arid ecosystems.
英文关键词	ants ecological succession ecosystem rangelands shrubs vegetation
类型	Article
语种	英语
国家	中国
收录类别	CSCD
WOS类目	Plant Sciences
CSCD记录号	CSCD:6955766
资源类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.177/qdio/handle/2XILL650/365041
作者单位	Sharafatmandrad Mohsen, Department of Ecological Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, 7867161167, Iran.; Khosravi Mashizi Azam, Department of Ecological Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, 7867161167, Iran.
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Sharafatmandrad Mohsen,Khosravi Mashizi Azam. Plant community dynamics in arid lands: the role of desert ants[J],2021,13(3):1674-6767.
APA	Sharafatmandrad Mohsen,&Khosravi Mashizi Azam.(2021).Plant community dynamics in arid lands: the role of desert ants.干旱区科学,13(3),1674-6767.
MLA	Sharafatmandrad Mohsen,et al."Plant community dynamics in arid lands: the role of desert ants".干旱区科学 13.3(2021):1674-6767.