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Science Daily —
Many species of ants scavenge for the same kinds of food. Why then
doesn't the single most efficient species drive the others to
extinction? A research group based at the University of Utah conducted
a detailed study of ants in the mountains of southeastern Arizona to
identify exactly how they manage to share the same environment. The
study appears in the March issue of the American Naturalist.
They found that some species are better at finding food resources (dead
crickets left by researchers) while others are better at defending
them. This so-called dominance-discovery tradeoff is complicated by the
size of the cricket because small crickets can be collected so quickly
that defense is unimportant.
For both large and small crickets, two ant species are adept at both
finding and defending resources, and would be predicted to outcompete
the others because they violate the tradeoff. But it is precisely these
ants that are beset by parasitoid flies which lay their eggs
specifically on these types of ant, eventually causing a gruesome death
by decapitation. When the target ants see the flies hovering around,
they run away and are unable to effectively defend resources.
Using
mathematical models, the team showed that this combination of factors
is indeed sufficient to explain how five of the six most common species
manage to survive, with the sixth remaining a bit of a mystery. "Just
like people, different ants have different strengths and weaknesses,
and these differences allow them to coexist, although not peacefully,"
says Ed LeBrun. "Developing a quantitative understanding of the
mechanisms by which species coexist is essential to knowing how to
preserve biodiversity," adds Fred Adler. "Our quantitative approach
should be useful in modeling the potential success or failure of
invasive ant species," concludes Don Feener.
Founded in 1867, The
American Naturalist is one of the world's most renowned, peer-reviewed
publications in ecology, evolution, and population and integrative
biology research. AN emphasizes sophisticated methodologies and
innovative theoretical syntheses--all in an effort to advance the
knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles.
F.
R. Adler (University of Utah), E. G. LeBrun (University of Texas,
Austin), and D. H. Feener Jr. (University of Utah), "Maintaining
diversity in an ant community: modeling, extending, and testing the
dominance-discovery tradeoff"
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of Chicago Press Journals.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070210170640.htm
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