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The impact of wood ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on the structure of invertebrate community on mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii)

Annales zoologici fennici, 2004-01, Vol.41 (2), p.429-446 [Peer Reviewed Journal]

Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2004 ;ISSN: 0003-455X ;EISSN: 1797-2450

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  • Title:
    The impact of wood ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on the structure of invertebrate community on mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii)
  • Author: Punttila, Pekka ; Niemelä, Pekka ; Karhu, Kari
  • Subjects: Altitude ; Ants ; Aphididae ; Beetles ; Betula pubescens czerepanovii ; Epirrita autumnata ; Formica aquilonia ; Formicidae ; Geometridae ; Hardwood trees ; Herbivores ; Insect colonies ; Insect communities ; Insect larvae ; Invertebrates ; Phytophagous insects ; Symydobius oblongus
  • Is Part Of: Annales zoologici fennici, 2004-01, Vol.41 (2), p.429-446
  • Description: We studied the effect of wood ants on the mountain birch canopy-invertebrate community by sampling a total of 840 trees at different altitudes on the mountain slopes in northeastern Lapland, Finland. We also estimated the degree of herbivory on birch leaves, and monitored the prey of the wood ants. We addressed three questions: (1) How invertebrates are distributed along the altitudinal gradient and on a larger regional scale, (2) how wood ants (Formica aquilonia) affect the distribution of herbivores and predators in the mountain birch canopy, and (3) how the potential prey of wood ants vary in relation to altitude, season and year. Our results demonstrate that the number of sawfly larvae and the degree of herbivory on birch leaves increases with elevation, with the largest impact on mid elevation areas previously damaged during autumnal-moth (Epirrita autumnata) outbreaks. Wood ants and ant-tended aphids (Symydobius oblongus) were most abundant at lower elevations. Wood ants affected most invertebrate groups negatively at all elevations where the wood ants existed, and the effect was quite stable in time. Further, herbivores were found to comprise a large proportion of prey of wood ants. Because birches are often killed during the outbreak years of moths, trees gain long-term protection by wood ants at reasonably low yearly costs —growth reduction owing to sap sucking by ant-tended aphids. Through this protection, wood ants may prevent the recession of the timberline during outbreak years. Further, defoliated forests may recover substantially faster when birch propagules spread from the green islands of birches surviving around the ant mounds.
  • Publisher: Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board
  • Language: English
  • Identifier: ISSN: 0003-455X
    EISSN: 1797-2450
  • Source: Open Access: Freely Accessible Journals by multiple vendors
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