Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/10413
Title: Habitat characteristics may override climatic influences on ant assemblage composition: a study using a 300-km climatic gradient
Contributor(s): Yates, Michelle (author); Gibb, Heloise  (author); Andrew, Nigel R  (author)orcid 
Publication Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1071/ZO11096
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/10413
Abstract: We assessed the relative importance of a variety of climatic and habitat variables in structuring ant communities along a 300-km climatic gradient. Sampling was conducted in semiarid, transitional and cool temperate climatic zones in New South wales, Australia. Ants were sampled at three paired sites of two habitats (pastures and conservation 'remnants') in each of the climatic zones (herein referred to as 'zones') using pitfall traps. Remnants represented original open forests, while pastures were a mix of grassland vegetation and cleared woodland. We tested the effects of habitat type, region (representing different climatic zones) and environmental variables on assemblages using distance-based similarity measures (PERMANOVA and PERMDISP) and canonical analysis of principal coordinates. Assemblage composition differed between habitats and zones, but we found no interaction effects. Assemblage dispersion (between-site heterogeneity) differed between habitats but not among zones. Pasture habitats supported more homogeneous assemblages than remnant habitats. Our findings suggest that habitat type, and structure, homogenise assemblages in pastures, thus overriding the effects of local climate apparent in remnants. As remnants are isolated within the biologically homogeneous pastures, movement of unique species between remnants in response to climate changes may be limited, thus landscape connectivity is likely to be important in reducing species loss.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: Australian Journal of Zoology, 59(5), p. 332-338
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Place of Publication: Australia
ISSN: 1446-5698
0004-959X
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 060899 Zoology not elsewhere classified
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 960805 Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity at Regional or Larger Scales
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Environmental and Rural Science

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