Survival of transplanted nests of the red wood ant Formica aquilonia （Hymenoptera： Formicidae）： The effects of intraspecific competition and forest clear-cutting  

作　　者：Jouni Sorvari Esa Huhta Harri Hakkarainen 

机构地区：[1]1 Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, FI-20014 University of Turku, Finland [2]Department of Environmental Science, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland [3]Finnish Forest Research Institute, Rovaniemi Research Unit, P.O. Box 16, FI-96301 Rovaniemi, Finland

出　　处：《Insect Science》2014年第4期486-492,共7页昆虫科学（英文版）

摘　　要：The fitness and survival of ant colonies depend on the resources near their nests. These resources may be limited due to poor habitat quality or by intra- and interspecific competitions, which in extreme cases may cause the ant colony to perish. We tested the effect of intraspecific competition and habitat degradation （forest clear-cutting） on colony survival by transplanting 26 nests of the red wood ant （Formica aquilonia Yarrow, 1955） in 26 different forest areas that contained 0-11 conspecific alien nests per hectare. F. aquilonia is highly dependent on canopy-dwelling aphids, thus the removal of trees should cause food limitation. During the course of the 4-year experiment, 9 of the forests were partially clear- cut. We found that while forest clear-cutting significantly decreased the colonies＇ survival, intraspecific competition did not. As a highly polygynous and polydomous species, E aquilonia seems to tolerate the presence of alien conspecific colonies to a certain extent.The fitness and survival of ant colonies depend on the resources near their nests. These resources may be limited due to poor habitat quality or by intra- and interspecific competitions, which in extreme cases may cause the ant colony to perish. We tested the effect of intraspecific competition and habitat degradation （forest clear-cutting） on colony survival by transplanting 26 nests of the red wood ant （Formica aquilonia Yarrow, 1955） in 26 different forest areas that contained 0-11 conspecific alien nests per hectare. F. aquilonia is highly dependent on canopy-dwelling aphids, thus the removal of trees should cause food limitation. During the course of the 4-year experiment, 9 of the forests were partially clear- cut. We found that while forest clear-cutting significantly decreased the colonies＇ survival, intraspecific competition did not. As a highly polygynous and polydomous species, E aquilonia seems to tolerate the presence of alien conspecific colonies to a certain extent.

关 键 词：colony survival habitat degradation polydomy red wood ants relocationexperiment 

分 类 号：Q948.122.1[生物学—植物学] X24[环境科学与工程—环境科学]