Journal
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
Volume 14, Issue -, Pages 73-80Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2016.02.001
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Funding
- NSF DEB [1442103]
- Division Of Environmental Biology
- Direct For Biological Sciences [1442103] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Ants are keystone predators in terrestrial trophic cascades. Addressing ants' roles in multitrophic interactions across regional gradients is important for understanding mechanisms behind range limits of species. We present four hypotheses of trophic dynamics occurring when ants are rare: first, there is a shift in predator communities; second, plants decrease investments in ant attraction and increase production of secondary metabolites; third, lower herbivory at high elevations allows plants to tolerate herbivory; and fourth, distribution of ant-plants can be limited based on ant abundance. Conducting experiments on multitrophic effects of ants across elevational gradients, and incorporating these results to ecological niche modeling (ENM) will improve our knowledge of the impacts of global change on ants, trophic interactions, and biodiversity.
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