@book {JRN55181, title = {Exploring a Desert Experiences of an Ecologist/Naturalist in a New Mexico Desert}, year = {2017}, pages = {189}, abstract = {

The book focuses on the ecology of the northern Chihuahuan Desert with chapters on geomorphology, landscapes, climate, vegetation,(special chapters on Creosotebush and Mesquite) mammals, reptiles, ephemeral aquatic systems, ants, termites, insects on plants, ground dwelling arthropods, and soil fauna. Descriptions of studies and field experiments are provided to show how the information was obtained.

}, keywords = {ants, climate, creosotebush, ecology, ephemeral aquatic systems, geomorphology, ground dwelling arthropods, insects on plants, landscapes, mammals, mesquite, northern Chihuahuan Desert, reptiles, soil fauna., termites, vegetation}, url = {files/bibliography/17-Whitford_Exploring-a-Desert.pdf}, author = {Walter G. Whitford} } @article {50208, title = {Effects of harvester ant (Messor spp.) activity on soil properties and microbial communities in a Negev Desert ecosystem}, journal = {Biology and Fertility of Soils}, number = {45}, year = {2008}, month = {12/2008}, pages = {165-173}, chapter = {165}, abstract = {

Harvester ants (Messor spp.) function as an essential link between aboveground resources and belowground biota such as the microbial community. We examine changes in soil microbial biomass and functional diversity resulting from harvester ant (Messor spp.) activity in the Negev Desert, Israel. Abiotic and biotic soil parameters were recorded during two seasons {\textendash} wet and dry {\textendash} also representing food availability periods for the ants (low and high seed availability, respectively). Soil samples were collected monthly from the 0- to 10- and 10- to 20-cm soil layers: (1) near the nest entrance, (2) under chaff piles, and (3) at a 2-m radius from the nest entrance (control). Harvester ant activity increased the percentage of organic matter, total soluble nitrogen, and microbial activity in nest-modified soils in comparison to the control soils. Higher CO2 evolution was recorded in the low-seed season in ant nest soils than in the control soils. During the high-seed season, higher carbon dioxide evolution was recorded only at the nest entrance locations. There were no differences in microbial biomass between the low- and high-seed seasons, but highest microbial biomass was found under chaff in low-seed season and in nest soils in high-seed season. Microbial function diversity was higher in nest-modified soils than in the control soils. This study suggests that the effect of harvester ant nests on soil fertility is due to increased microbial biomass and microbial activity in ant nest-modified soils.

}, keywords = {ants, desert system, diversity, Harvester ants, microbial biomass, Negev Desert, soil moisture, soil organic mater}, doi = {10.1007/s00374-008-0309-z}, url = {/files/bibliography/08-042.pdf}, author = {O. Ginzburg and Walter G. Whitford and Yosef Steinberger} } @article {50693, title = {Understanding an ecological system: an example of temporal and spatial variability of Dorymyrmex (Conomyrma) insana in a stressed system}, journal = {Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {9}, year = {2004}, month = {September 1, 200}, pages = {631-637}, abstract = {The responses of pyramid ants Dorymyrmex (Conomyrma) insana (Buckley) to structural change (removal of an invasive shrub species) and to an environmental stress (short-term, intense grazing by cattle) are presented from an experiment study in Chihuahuan Desert grassland. Spatial and temporal responses of D. insana were examined by analysis of variances, kriging maps, and regression analyses. There were no significant responses of D. insana to grazing. The numerical and spatial responses of ants recorded from pitfall trap data were the same as those recorded from mapping ant nests. The spatial distribution of D. insana nests was a function of the canopy cover of the invasive, woody shrub, honey mesquite (Fabaceae: Prosopis glandulosa Torrey) (r = 0.82) and explained 68\% of the variability in nest distribution. The dominant, liquid-feeding ant species (D. insana) responded numerically and spatially to structural change and environmental stress. Spatially referenced data are as important or more important for monitoring ecosystem change than are numerical data.}, keywords = {ANOVA, ants, biological indicator, grazing, kriging, mesquite shrub, multiple stressor, spatial and temporal variability}, url = {/files/bibliography/04-002.pdf}, author = {M. S. Nash and Walter G. Whitford} } @article {50969, title = {Ant biodiversity in semiarid landscape mosaics: The consequences of grazing vs. natural heterogeneity}, journal = {Ecological Applications}, volume = {11}, number = {4}, year = {2001}, month = {August 1, 2001}, pages = {1123-1140}, abstract = {

Conservation of biodiversity in landscape mosaics requires us to understand the impacts of human land use within mosaic elements and an evaluation of the biological uniqueness of different elements. We examined patterns of ant diversity in three semiarid rangeland landscapes used predominantly for grazing. Within each landscape, we compared the effects of grazing and natural variation in soils and vegetation on ant diversity and community composition. Grazing had little effect on ant richness, diversity, or composition at the transitional zone or the desert grassland site; but, ungrazed areas at the shortgrass steppe site had a higher overall richness and favored the abundance of some species. Some samples of saltbush (Atriplex canescens) shrubland were similar to ungrazed samples in richness and species composition. In both the transitional zone and the desert grassland, creosotebush (Larrea tridentata)-dominated habitats harbored comparatively species-rich and distinct ant communities. Also, mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) coppice dunes at the desert grassland site favored the abundance of several rare species. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that variation in soil hardness and texture best explained community variation at the shortgrass steppe site, whereas soil texture and associated differences in shrub density best explained differences in composition at the transitional and desert grassland sites. While habitat characterization based on vegetation classification did not adequately reflect environmental variation important to ants in shortgrass steppe, it reflected important soil textural variation in the transitional and desert grassland sites. This suggests that ant conservation in these semiarid rangelands should emphasize patterns of variation in soil properties.

}, keywords = {ants, canonical correspondence analysis, desert grassland, diversity, formicidae, grazing, habitat classification, shortgrass steppe, soil texture}, doi = {10.1890/1051-0761(2001)011[1123:ABISLM]2.0.CO;2}, url = {/files/bibliography/01-014.pdf}, author = {Brandon T Bestelmeyer and J.A. Wiens} } @article {50974, title = {Local and regional-scale responses of ant diversity to a semiarid biome transition}, journal = {Ecography}, volume = {24}, number = {4}, year = {2001}, month = {December 1, 2001}, pages = {381-392}, abstract = {

The locations of biome transitions and ecotones are frequently defined by the rapid shift from one form of dominant vegetation to another. The composition of animal taxa is predicted to shift parallel with that of dominant plants, and species diversity is predicted to be greater in transitional zones than in adjacent areas. We asked whether ant species diversity and composition supported these predictions across a biome transition between shortgrass steppe and Chihuahuan Desert vegetation. Neither species richness nor diversity was highest at the biome transition region as a whole or within habitats in the biome transition. The biome transition region was not intermediate in ant species composition or in the representation of different faunal complexes. The community similarity between matched habitats shared between the biome transition zone and adjacent regions was less than that between distinct habitats occurring within regions. A zoogeographic transition for ants may occur to the nort of the phytogeographic transition and may be coincident with the northern limits of monsoonal precipitation patterns. In contrast, the phytogeographic transition may be related to less extreme climatic variation within the monsoonal region occurring further south.

}, keywords = {ants, Desert insects, grasslands, Habitats, Insect communities, shrublands, species diversity, Steppes, Taxa}, doi = {10.1034/j.1600-0587.2001.d01-194.x}, url = {/files/bibliography/01-015.pdf}, author = {Brandon T Bestelmeyer and J.A. Wiens} } @article {51378, title = {The importance of the biodiversity of soil biota in arid ecosystems}, journal = {Biodiversity and Conservation}, volume = {5}, year = {1996}, month = {1996}, pages = {185-195}, abstract = {

The importance of soil biota in maintaining ecosytem integrity is examined by a review of studies of soil processes and soil biota in arid ecosystems. In decomposition and mineralization processes, there is a temporal succession of microarthropod and nematode species. Tydeid mites are keystone species in the early stages of decomposition. Soil pore neck size variation affects the spatial distribution of soil biota and requires that species differ in size to provide efficient processing of organic matter. In arid ecosystems, the sub-set of soil biota that is active at any point in time is determined by the soil water potential and soil temperature. The structure of soil microarthropod assemblages is similar in several arid regions of the world and abundance and diversity are directly related to quantity of litter accumulations and soil organic matter. The unique life histories and behavioural characteristics of desert soil macrofauna (termites and ants) determine the effects of these organisms on soil properties and soil formation. The soil biota, by affecting the spatial and temporal distribution of essential sesources (water and nutrients), are essential to the maintenance of the ecosystem integrity of arid ecosystems.

}, keywords = {ants, diversity, functional groups, keystone species, microarthropods, nematodes, protozoans, termites}, doi = {DOI: 10.1007/BF00055829}, url = {/files/bibliography/504.pdf}, author = {Walter G. Whitford} }