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Influence of the Sugar-Loving Ant, Camponotus Compressus (Fabricius, 1787) on Soil Physico-Chemical Characteristics

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Influence of the Sugar-Loving Ant, Camponotus Compressus (Fabricius, 1787) on Soil Physico-Chemical Characteristics ISSN 0973-1555(Print) ISSN 2348-7372(Online) HALTERES, Volume 7, 163-174, 2016 © SUDHA KUMARI, HEMA SINGH AND NEELKAMAL RASTOGI doi: 10.5281/zenodo.192341 Influence of the sugar-loving ant, Camponotus compressus (Fabricius, 1787) on soil physico-chemical characteristics Sudha Kumari1, Hema Singh2 and Neelkamal Rastogi1* 1Insect Behavioural Ecology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221 005, (U.P.), India 2Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, U.P., India (Email: [email protected]) Abstract The present study focuses on the physico-chemical characteristics of the nest rim debris soil of a common, abundant, plant-visiting ant, Camponotus compressus (Fabricius, 1787). The results reveal that the colonies influence the nutrient content and the texture of the debris soil. The nest debris had significantly higher proportion of large-sized soil particles, along with higher total N, P, NO3-N, and moisture content but lower concentrations of total C and NH4-N as compared to the control soil. Camponotus compressus nests annually contributed about 3.1361 Kg of C, 1.5482 Kg of N, 0.05853 Kg of P, 0.14457 Kg of NO3-N and 0.1744 Kg of NH4-N per hectare via the debris soil of the long-lived primary nests. The short-lived satellite nests contributed, 1.7868 Kg of C, 0.7955 Kg of N, 0.0318 Kg of P, 0.0559 Kg NO3-N and 0.09623 Kg of NH4-N per hectare, annually. Thus, the activities of C. compressus colonies contribute to soil nutrient enhancement, alter the soil particle size distribution, shift the soil pH towards neutral and through their frequent satellite nest construction activities and enhance soil porosity. Since C. compressus is abundant in a variety of ecosystems including annual cropping systems, its nesting activities are suggested to enhance ecosystem productivity. Keywords: Ant nests, soil texture, soil nutrients, nutrient content. Received: 2 July 2016; Revised: 27 October 2016; Online: 2 December 2016. Introduction Soil health is essential for proper structural modification of the soil by these ecosystem functioning, for providing supporting ecosystem engineers. Significant increase in the ecosystem services (McBratney et al., 2014) and mineralogical properties of mounds/nests built increasing agricultural productivity. The role of by termites and ants has been reported (Leprun soil fauna in influencing the quality of nutrient and Roy-Nöel, 1976; Boyer, 1982; Mahaney et cycling, soil nutrients, water use efficiencies and al., 1999). Nest excavation activities of ground - agricultural sustainability has recently gained a nesting ant species modify the soil by inversion great deal of attention (Brussaard et al., 2007; of the soil layers while the nest chambers and Bender and van der Heijden, 2014). An impor- galleries enhance soil porosity and aeration. tant challenge in agro-ecosystem research is to Further, the colonies of many ant species dump understand the role of soil organisms as plant and/or animal based refuse along with ecosystem engineers (Folgarait, 1998; Sanders et excreta, outside the nests (Frouz and Jilková, al., 2014). Many ground-dwelling invertebrates 2008; Shukla et al., 2013). Moreover, one of the such as earthworms, termites and ants, are most conspicuous nest cleaning activities of ant ecosystem engineers which influence the food colonies is the removal and dumping of dead web structure and soil nutrients (Frouz and nest-mates outside the nest (Wheeler, 1926; Jílková, 2008; Blouin, et al., 2013; Shukla et al., Wilson et al., 1958; Banik et al., 2010) which 2013). Extensive studies have been carried out further enriches the nest rim debris soil. The on nutrient recycling, soil formation and debris generating activities of ant colonies in 163 Sudha Kumari, Hema Singh and Neelkamal Rastogi concert with the organic matter decomposing A question very frequently raised (Frouz soil microorganisms regulate the physical and and Jílková, 2008) is: do ants really alter the soil chemical processes which affect soil fertility and or do they select soil spots with specific counteract the processes of soil degradation (Lee conditions to build their nests? Hence, in the and Foster, 1991; Eldridge and Pickard, 1994). present study we selected 3 study sites to find While the physical changes are related to the soil how the nest excavation and maintenance texture, the chemical changes vary with the soil activities of Camponotus compressus colonies characteristics or the ant species involved (Mc influence the soil in different areas. The Ginley et al., 1994). Since many ant species following questions were addressed: i) What is relocate their nest sites infrequently (Gordon, the nutrient content of the debris soil from the 3 1992) the nutrient accumulation continues for study areas? ii) What are the physical changes in decades and sometimes even persist for a the debris soil, in terms of the soil particle size? considerable time after nest abandonment iii) What would be the annual contribution of (Wagner et al., 1997, 2004). In deciduous temp- Camponotus compressus nests in influencing erate forests, the influence of the European red soil nutrients? wood ant, Formica polyctena, a mound-forming species with below-ground nests, on soil Materials and Methods nutrients was detectable >20 years after Study site and system abandonment (Kristiansen and Amelung, 2001). The study on the physico-chemical Such species can therefore have a lasting impact characteristics of ant nest debris soil (hereafter on nutrient heterogeneity in the landscape. referred to as the debris soil) was conducted Majority of investigations related to ant nest soil from samples collected from 3 study sites: the characteristics have documented the modifica- Ayurvedic garden (AG), the Botanical garden tions in the nest chamber soil (Farji- Brener and (BG), and the unpaved roadside areas (RS). All Silva, 1995; Wagner, 1997; Kristiansen and the 3 sites are rich in plant diversity (Dubey, Amelung, 2001; Moutinho et al., 2003; Verchot 2004) and are located within Banaras Hindu et al., 2003; Dostál et al., 2005; Cerdà and University campus of Varanasi, (25°18’ N, Jurgensen, 2011; Jílková et al., 2011; Kotova et 83°01’ E) in Uttar Pradesh, India. al., 2015), and very few have studied the impact Camponotus compressus colonies make of their activities on the physico-chemical underground nests but the worker ants visit the properties of the external debris pile soil extrafloral nectary-bearing plants for collecting (Gordon, 1992; Shukla et al., 2013). nectar and honeydew, produced by plant - The present study focuses on the associated homopterans (Way, 1963; Agarwal physico-chemical characteristics of the ant nest and Rastogi, 2008, 2009). crater rim debris soil of a locally common and abundant, plant-visiting carpenter ant, Soil sample collection Camponotus compressus (Fabricius, 1787). Debris soil samples of the primary and Carpenter ants belong to the hyperdispersed the satellite nests were collected from the genus Camponotus which includes polydomous entrance rim of the active nests of C. species (Pfeiffer and Linsenmair, 1998; compressus, from each of the 3 study sites. The Buczkowski, 2011). Carpenter ant colonies are soil samples (approximately 500 gm of each) known to construct two types of nests: the were collected from the control site nest rim primary nests and the associated satellite nests debris piles of the primary and satellite nests and (Orr et al., 1996). Camponotus compressus is put inside plastic bags. The control soil samples common in South and Southeast Asia, including were collected from areas (n = 5) located at least India (Veena and Ganeshaiah, 1991; Bharti,et 5 m away from any ant nest and was free from al., 2016; Nettimi and Iyer, 2015). The nests of any type of vegetation. The control samples this species are found to occur in a wide variety collected from a particular site were thoroughly of ecosystems including annual and perennial mixed to yield one composite sample per study agroecosystems (Rastogi, 2004; Agarwal et al., site. 2007). 164 Influence of the sugar-loving ant, Camponotus compressus on soil physico-chemical characteristics Determination of the physico-chemical Data analysis characteristics of soil Analysis of variance (one way ANOVA) Soil samples were passed through a 2 followed by Dunnett’s post-hoc test was used to mm sieve and analyzed according to the assess variations in the physical and chemical following methods: Fresh soil was used for properties of the nest debris soil and also the analysis of ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N), variations in the soil properties due to site nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), pH and moisture differences. The statistical software SPSS-16 content (MC) However, only dry soil was used was used. for determination of the total Carbon, total Nitrogen (Kjeldahl N), and total Phosphorus. Results Particle size distribution in experimental Nest location and control soil samples were analyzed by using Primary nests were found at or near a a simple and rapid quantitative method plant (shrub/tree) base while the satellite nests developed by Kettler et al. (2001), and a were located at a distance (range: 0.25 to 5 m) combination of sieving (4 different mesh sizes: around each primary nest. The numbers of 2.0, 1.0, 0.5 and 0.2 mm of sieves used) method. associated satellite nests per primary nest varied Soil pH was measured in 1:2.5 mixture of soil from 1 to 14. The life span of a primary nest was and distilled water. Soil and water were mixed 6 month to 4 years (Some nests are active from and after 30 minutes pH was recorded using a June 2011 till date) while that of a satellite nest pH meter. was 15 days to 4 months. Total Nitrogen was determined by the micro-Kjeldahl method (Jackson, 1958). Physico-chemical characteristics of the debris Ammonium Nitrogen (NH4-N) was extracted by soil KCl and analyzed by the phenate method Soil particle size (APHA, 1985).
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