Effects of ants (Tetramorium sp.) on eastern Qilian Mountains alpine grassland ecosystem

Abstract

Abstract: The creation of small-scale vegetation mosaics by building mound is an important aspect of ant activity in grasslands. In order to clear the impacts the alpine grassland by ant mound building, an investigation was made on ants nesting activities to the soil water content, soil bulk density, soil seed bank and soil nutrition in Tianzhu Alpine grassland. Comparing with the adjacent soil, the soil water content of ant nest is significantly lower in depth of soil from 0 to 10 cm than CK, and soil bulk density of ant hill from 0 to 10 cm is lower 59% than CK. Ant has the roll that enrichment soil nutrients and collection seeds to ant hill. The total density of the soil seed of ant hill was the highest in soil from 0 to 10 cm, the second was ant hill soil from 10 to 20 cm, the lowest was at a distance of 1 m from ant nest, as well as seed diversity. The organic matter, total N, total P, available K of the soil in ant nest soil from 0 to 10 cm depth is significantly higher than that around the ant nest, except available N in ant hill soil was lower that CK. The middle of ant hill is bare land, and the grass production near ant nests is significantly lower than non-ant nests.

CLC Number:

YU Xiao-jun, PU Xiao-peng, HUANG Shi-jie, FANG Qiang-en, XU Ning, XU Chang-lin. Effects of ants (Tetramorium sp.) on eastern Qilian Mountains alpine grassland ecosystem[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2010, 19(2): 140-145.

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