Event Title
A Survey of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Grand Rapids Parks Representing an Urban Gradient
Presentation Type
Poster/Portfolio
Presenter Major(s)
Biology
Mentor Information
James Dunn
Department
Biology
Location
Henry Hall Atrium 36
Start Date
10-4-2013 2:00 PM
End Date
10-4-2013 3:00 PM
Keywords
Environment
Abstract
Ants have been shown to be a useful bioindicator taxon for environmental quality and biodiversity. In order to test sensitivity to environmental quality within urban areas, three parks were surveyed along an urban to rural gradient. A total of 23 ant species representing 14 genera were collected. Species and genus richness were found to be lowest at urban sites and increased with distance from the urban center. Furthermore, the proportion of both the number of species and number of individuals collected from the subfamily Formicinae at each site was found to be directly related to urban density, while that of subfamily Myrmicinae was inversely related. L. neoniger represented 38% of individuals collected and appeared to be locally dominant throughout the region. However, this behavior was most pronounced at the urban site. These results suggest a stable relationship between urban density and ant community structure at a citywide scale.
A Survey of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Grand Rapids Parks Representing an Urban Gradient
Henry Hall Atrium 36
Ants have been shown to be a useful bioindicator taxon for environmental quality and biodiversity. In order to test sensitivity to environmental quality within urban areas, three parks were surveyed along an urban to rural gradient. A total of 23 ant species representing 14 genera were collected. Species and genus richness were found to be lowest at urban sites and increased with distance from the urban center. Furthermore, the proportion of both the number of species and number of individuals collected from the subfamily Formicinae at each site was found to be directly related to urban density, while that of subfamily Myrmicinae was inversely related. L. neoniger represented 38% of individuals collected and appeared to be locally dominant throughout the region. However, this behavior was most pronounced at the urban site. These results suggest a stable relationship between urban density and ant community structure at a citywide scale.