Spatial patterns and influencing factors of ground ant species diversity on the land-bridge islands in the Thousand Island Lake, China

doi:10.17520/biods.2019213

Abstract

Abstract:

To explore spatial patterns and environmental factors affecting ground ant species diversity in the Thousand Island Lake, China, we surveyed ground ants using pitfall traps, leaf litter extraction and hand collecting on 33 islands from May to August in 2017 and 2018. We divided all ground ants into predator or omnivore ants and then used the regression models to analyze relationships between ant species diversity and island attributes. Island area had positive effects on species richness of total ants, predator ants and omnivore ants; but isolation had no significant effects. The β diversity of ants was dominated by spatial turnover component. Difference in island area had positive effects on the nestedness-resultant component of total ants, predator ants and omnivore ants communities. Difference in isolation had significant positive effects on the total β diversity of omnivore ants. Island area was the main factor affecting spatial patterns of ant species richness. In addition, island area affected the β diversity of ants via changing nestedness-resultant component, which indicates a selective extinction process in ant community assembly. Different responses of predator ants and omnivore ants to island attributes may be due to variation of dispersal ability.

Key words: Thousand Island Lake, habitat fragmentation, ant diet, species richness, β diversity

Zhou Haonan, Zhao Yuhao, Zeng Di, Liu Juan, Jin Tinghao, Ding Ping. Spatial patterns and influencing factors of ground ant species diversity on the land-bridge islands in the Thousand Island Lake, China[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2019, 27(10): 1101-1111.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2019213

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2019/V27/I10/1101

Figures/Tables 6

Fig. 1 Map of the 33 studied islands in the Thousand Island Lake, China

Fig. 2 Relationship of island area and isolation with species richness of total ants, predator ants and omnivore ants. Solid line indicates significant relationship at P < 0.05. Dashed line indicates no significant relationship.

Fig. 3 The multiple-site Sørensen dissimilarity (βsor) and its components of turnover (βsim) and nestedness-resultant (βsne) of total ants, predator ants and omnivore ants on the study islands in the Thousand Island Lake. βratio = βsne/βsor.

Fig. 4 The relationship of overall beta diversity (βsor) and its components of turnover (βsim) and nestedness-resultant (βsne), with difference in island area and isolation of total ant communities on study islands in Thousand Island Lake. Solid line shows the significant relationship at P < 0.05, and dashed line shows no significant relationship. a, slope of multiple regression model; b, intercept of multiple regression model; r, Pearson correlation coefficient; p, p-value of Mantel permutation test.

Fig. 5 The relationship of overall beta diversity (βsor) and its components of turnover (βsim) and nestedness-resultant (βsne), with difference in island area and isolation of predator ant communities on study islands in Thousand Island Lake. Solid line shows the significant relationship at P < 0.05, and dashed line shows no significant relationship. a, slope of multiple regression model; b, intercept of multiple regression model; r, Pearson correlation coefficient; p, p-value of Mantel permutation test.

Fig. 6 The relationship of overall beta diversity (βsor) and its components of turnover (βsim) and nestedness-resultant (βsne), with difference in island area and isolation of omnivore ant communities on study islands in Thousand Island Lake. Solid line shows the significant relationship at P < 0.05, and dashed line shows no significant relationship. a, slope of multiple regression model; b, intercept of multiple regression model; r, Pearson correlation coefficient; p, p-value of Mantel permutation test.

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