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Ecosystem Engineering of Harvester Ants: Effects on Vegetation in a Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystem

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Ecosystem Engineering of Harvester Ants: Effects on Vegetation in a Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystem Western North American Naturalist Volume 76 Number 1 Article 8 3-31-2016 Ecosystem engineering of harvester ants: effects on vegetation in a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem Elyce N. Gosselin University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, [email protected] Joseph D. Holbrook University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, [email protected] Katey Huggler University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, [email protected] Emily Brown University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, [email protected] Kerri T. Vierling University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, [email protected] See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan Part of the Anatomy Commons, Botany Commons, Physiology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Gosselin, Elyce N.; Holbrook, Joseph D.; Huggler, Katey; Brown, Emily; Vierling, Kerri T.; Arkle, Robert S.; and Pilliod, David S. (2016) "Ecosystem engineering of harvester ants: effects on vegetation in a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem," Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 76 : No. 1 , Article 8. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol76/iss1/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Western North American Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Ecosystem engineering of harvester ants: effects on vegetation in a sagebrush- steppe ecosystem Authors Elyce N. Gosselin, Joseph D. Holbrook, Katey Huggler, Emily Brown, Kerri T. Vierling, Robert S. Arkle, and David S. Pilliod This article is available in Western North American Naturalist: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol76/iss1/8 Western North American Naturalist 76(1), © 2016, pp. 82–89 ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERING OF HARVESTER ANTS: EFFECTS ON VEGETATION IN A SAGEBRUSH-STEPPE ECOSYSTEM Elyce N. Gosselin1, Joseph D. Holbrook1,3, Katey Huggler1, Emily Brown1, Kerri T. Vierling1, Robert S. Arkle2, and David S. Pilliod2 ABSTRACT.—Harvester ants are influential in many ecosystems because they distribute and consume seeds, remove vegetation, and redistribute soil particles and nutrients. Understanding the interaction between harvester ants and plant communities is important for management and restoration efforts, particularly in systems altered by fire and invasive species such as the sagebrush-steppe. Our objective was to evaluate how vegetation cover changed as a function of dis- tance from Owyhee harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex salinus) nests within a sagebrush-steppe ecosystem. We sampled 105 harvester ant nests within southern Idaho, USA, that occurred in different habitats: annual grassland, perennial grass- land, and native shrubland. The influence of Owyhee harvester ants on vegetation was larger at the edge of ant nests, but the relationship was inconsistent among plant species. Percent cover was positively associated with distance from harvester ant nests for plant species that were considered undesirable food sources and were densely distributed. How- ever, percent cover was negatively associated with distance-from-nests for patchily distributed and desirable plant species. For some plant species, there was no change in cover associated with distance-from-nests. Total vegetation cover was associated with distance-from-nests in the shrubland habitat but not in the 2 grasslands. The dominant plant species in the shrubland habitat was a densely distributed shrub (winterfat, Krascheninnikovia lanata) that was defoliated by harvester ants. Our results suggest that Owyhee harvester ants increase spatial heterogeneity in plant communities through plant clearing, but the direction and magnitude of effect will likely be contingent on the dominant vegetation groups. This information may inform future management and plant restoration efforts in sagebrush-steppe by directly considering the islands of influence associated with harvester ant engineering. RESUMEN.—Las hormigas cosechadoras tienen influencia en muchos ecosistemas, ya que distribuyen y consumen semillas, eliminan vegetación, y redistribuyen partículas del suelo y nutrientes. Es importante entender las interac- ciones entre las hormigas cosechadoras y las comunidades vegetales para el esfuerzo de manejo y la restauración, en particular en los sistemas alterados por el fuego y especies invasoras, como la estepa de artemisa. Nuestro objetivo se centró en evaluar cómo ha cambiado la cobertura vegetal en función a la distancia de los hormigueros de Pogonomyrmex salinus en un ecosistema de estepa de artemisas. Muestreamos 105 hormigueros de hormigas cosechadoras en el sur de Idaho, Estados Unidos. Las hormigas se distribuyen en diferentes hábitats: pastizales anuales, pastos perennes y matorrales nativos. La influencia de las hormigas cosechadoras de Owyhee en la vegetación fue mayor en el borde de los hormi- gueros, pero la relación fue inconsistente entre las especies de plantas. El porcentaje de cobertura se asoció positiva- mente con la distancia a los hormigueros para las especies de plantas que se consideraban fuentes de alimento indeseable y que estaban distribuidas densamente. Sin embargo, el porcentaje de cobertura se asoció negativamente con la distancia a los hormigueros en especies de plantas deseables y distribuidas en parches. Para algunas especies de plantas, no hubo cambio en la cobertura vegetal asociado con la distancia a los hormigueros. La cobertura vegetal total se asoció con la distancia a los hormigueros en el matorral, pero no en los pastizales. Las especies vegetales dominantes en el hábitat de matorral constituían arbustos densamente distribuidos (Krascheninnikovia lanata) que fueron defoliados por hormigas cosechadoras. Nuestros resultados sugieren que las hormigas cosechadoras Owyhee aumentan la heterogeneidad espa- cial en las comunidades de plantas a través de la limpieza de plantas, pero la dirección y la magnitud de su efecto es probable que sea contingente a los grupos de vegetación dominante. Esta información puede resultar útil para futuras tareas de manejo y restauración de plantas artemisas en la estepa de artemisas al considerar directamente las islas de influencia asociadas a la ingeniería de la hormigas cosechadoras. In many ecosystems, burrowing animals act that directly or indirectly alters its surround- as ecosystem engineers, physically modifying ings by modifying biotic or abiotic materials, habitat and increasing spatial heterogeneity and thus alters resource availability for other (Whitford and Kay 1999, Eldridge and Whit- species (Jones et al. 1994, 1997, 2010). Burrow- ford 2009, Davidson et al. 2012, Fleming et al. ing animals aerate soils and redistribute soil 2014). An ecosystem engineer is an organism particles and nutrients by creating underground 1Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-1136. 2U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID 83706. 3Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] 82 2016] HARVESTER ANTS ENGINEER HABITAT 83 tunnel systems (Jones et al. 1994, Whitford and and Keyel 2006) found throughout southwest- DiMarco 1995, Eldridge and Whitford 2009). ern Canada and the western United States These activities create patches of disturbed (Rust 1988). Like the nests of other members ground that influence vegetation growth and of the genus Pogonomyrmex (MacMahon et al. contribute to spatial heterogeneity in plant 2000), nests of Owyhee harvester ants are sur- communities (Whicker and Detling 1988, rounded by a disk that is generally cleared of Davidson et al. 2012). all vegetation. Density of Owyhee harvester Harvester ants (i.e., Pogonomyrmex and ants can range up to 164 nests per hectare Messor spp.) are burrowing animals that influ- (Blom et al. 1991), and foragers from closely ence vegetation through ecosystem engineer- spaced colonies forage within nonoverlapping ing and trophic pathways. Harvester ants alter boundaries to avoid encounters with neigh- soil properties through burrowing, which in - boring colonies (Howell 2015). creases soil nutrients and water absorption on Our research objective was to assess the and near nests (Mandel and Sorenson 1982, influence of Owyhee harvester ants (hereafter, Whitford 1988, Wagner et al. 1997, Wilby et harvester ants) on vegetation at the nest scale al. 2001, Wagner and Jones 2006, Brown et al. (i.e., 0–3 m) within the sagebrush-steppe. We 2012). Consequently, vegetation abundance selected 3 habitats to include in our sample, generally increases near nests (e.g., Golley and which consisted of (1) an annual grassland site Gentry 1964, Whitford 1988, Brown et al. that was dominated by a densely distributed 2012). Additionally, harvester ants collect, con- invasive grass, (2) a perennial grassland site sume, and store seeds underground, and as a that was dominated by patchy native and result, move seeds throughout the landscape introduced bunchgrasses, and (3) a shrubland (MacMahon et al. 2000). Finally, harvester site that was dominated by a comparatively ants selectively defoliate or maintain vegeta- dense native shrub. Harvester ants remove tion on and around nests, which influences the plants near their nests to increase soil mois- plant cover and species composition of some ture and sun exposure (Wight and Nichols landscapes in fairly large proportions (Carlson 1966, Bucy and Breed 2006), which are impor- and Whitford 1991, Holbrook
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