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https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/16645
Title: | Does morphology predict trophic position and habitat use of ant species and assemblages? | Contributor(s): | Gibb, Heloise (author); Stoklosa, Jakub (author); Warton, David I (author); Brown, A M (author); Andrew, Nigel R (author) ; Cunningham, S M (author) | Publication Date: | 2015 | Open Access: | Yes | DOI: | 10.1007/s00442-014-3101-9 | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/16645 | Abstract: | A functional traits-based theory of organismal communities is critical for understanding the principles underlying community assembly, and predicting responses to environmental change. This is particularly true for terrestrial arthropods, of which only 20 % are described. Using epigaeic ant assemblages, we asked: (1) can we use morphological variation among species to predict trophic position or preferred microhabitat; (2) does the strength of morphological associations suggest recent trait divergence; (3) do environmental variables at site scale predict trait sets for whole assemblages? We pitfall-trapped ants from a revegetation chronosequence and measured their morphology, trophic position [using C:N stoichiometry and stable isotope ratios (δ)] and characteristics of microhabitat and macrohabitat. We found strong associations between high trophic position (low C:N and high δ¹⁵N) in body tissue and morphological traits: predators were larger, had more laterally positioned eyes, more physical protection and tended to be monomorphic. In addition, morphological traits were associated with certain microhabitat features, e.g. smaller heads were associated with the bare ground microhabitat. Trait-microhabitat relationships were more pronounced when phylogenetic adjustments were used, indicating a strong influence of recent trait divergences. At the assemblage level, our fourth corner analysis revealed associations between the prevalence of traits and macrohabitat, although these associations were not the same as those based on microhabitat associations. This study shows direct links between species-level traits and both diet and habitat preference. Trait-based prediction of ecological roles and community structure is thus achievable when integrating stoichiometry, morphology and phylogeny, but scale is an important consideration in such predictions. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Grant Details: | ARC/DP0985886 | Source of Publication: | Oecologia, 177(2), p. 519-531 | Publisher: | Springer | Place of Publication: | Germany | ISSN: | 1432-1939 0029-8549 |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 060808 Invertebrate Biology 060208 Terrestrial Ecology |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: | 310913 Invertebrate biology 310308 Terrestrial ecology |
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: | 280102 Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences | Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal |
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Appears in Collections: | Journal Article |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
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open/SOURCE03.pdf | Post-peer review version | 708.97 kB | Adobe PDF Download Adobe | View/Open |
open/FULLTEXT_SOURCE03.txt | Post-peer review version | 67.97 kB | Text | View/Open |
open/PREMIS_SOURCE03.xml | PREMIS Metadata | 920 B | Unknown | View/Open |
open/THUMBNAIL_SOURCE03.jpg | Thumbnail | 15 kB | JPEG | View/Open |
open/JHOVE_SOURCE03.xml | JHOVE Technical Metadata | 596 B | Unknown | View/Open |
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