Ant abundance in pitfall traps, subterranean traps, arboreal traps, and Winkler samples at the Territory Wildlife Park experiment
Data files
Jul 30, 2024 version files 1.12 MB
-
README.md
2.60 KB
-
TWP_ants_dryad_vert.strat.csv
1.12 MB
Abstract
Fire is a powerful tool for conservation management at a landscape scale, but a rigorous evidence base is often lacking for understanding its impacts on biodiversity in different biomes. Fire-induced changes to habitat openness have been identified as an underlying driver of responses of faunal communities, including ants. However, most studies of the impacts of fire on ant communities consider only epigaeic (foraging on the soil surface) species, which may not reflect the responses of species inhabiting other vertical strata. Here, we examine how responses of ant communities vary among vertical strata in a highly fire-prone biome. We use a long-term field experiment to quantify the effects of fire on the abundance, richness, and composition of ant assemblages of four vertical strata (subterranean, leaf litter, epigaeic, and arboreal) in an Australian tropical savanna. We first document the extent to which each stratum harbours distinct assemblages. We then assess how the assemblage of each stratum responds to three fire-related predictors: fire frequency, fire activity, and vegetation cover. Each stratum harboured a distinct ant assemblage and showed different responses to fire. Leaf-litter and epigaeic ants were most sensitive to fire because it directly affects their microhabitats, but they showed contrasting negative and positive responses, respectively. Subterranean ants were the least sensitive because of the insulating effects of soil. Our results show that co-occurring species of the same taxonomic group differ in the strength and direction of their response to fire depending on the stratum they inhabit. As such, effective fire management for biodiversity conservation requires consideration of species in all vertical strata.
README: Ant abundance in pitfall traps, subterranean traps, arboreal traps, and Winkler samples at the Territory Wildlife Park experiment
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.08kprr57z
This dataset contains ant species abundance collected in subterranean traps, leaf litter extractions, pitfall traps, and arboreal traps in the 18 plots of a fire experiment in Australia. For each method, there were 3 collection events, done between 2021-2022. All traps were placed in a grid at the center of a plot, consisting of three transects with 5 trapping stations each (5 x 3). Stations were separated by a distance of 10m. The total sampling effort was 855 pitfall traps, 855 arboreal traps, 1664 subterranean traps, and 168 leaf litter extractions (with Winkler sacs). The site is a tropical savanna, where experimental fire began in 2004.
Description of the data and file structure
Following is a description of each column in the dataset.
- plot: the identity of the plot in which the trap was placed.
- specimen_code: the unique identifier for each trap species record.
- method: the type of collection method used to obtain the species in the selected row.
- trap_nb: the trap number for a method and a plot.
- transect_nb: the transect number for that trap (3 transects per plot).
- month: the month of sampling for that unique trap
- year: the year of sampling for that unique trap
- genus: the ant genus of that species' row
- epithet: the ant epithet of that species' row
- species: the ant species name
- abundance: the abundance of that species in that trap (capped at 50 individuals).
- treatment: the fire treatment of the plot. Experimental burning commenced in 2004. The treatments are burnt early (first week of June) in the dry season each one (E1), two (E2), three (E3), and five (E5) years; burnt late (first week of October) in the dry season every two years (L2); and unburnt (U).
- strata: the vertical stratum associated with this species' row
- block: the experimental block in which the plot was.
- sum.fire.activity: cumulated fire intensity experienced by that plot at that time since the start of the fire experiment (kW/m).
- cov_gr1m: woody cover (%) from 1 m upwards in the plot as measured by terrestrial lidar scans.
- LL_vol: leaf litter volume (ml) collected in a transect for a Winkler extraction.
Note that "NA" means not applicable. For instance, a trap with no ants would be recorded with a "0" for abundance but would have "NA" under the column species because none were found in that trap.
Sharing/Access information
NA
Methods
This dataset consists of ant sampling done in 2021-2022, using pitfall traps (n = 855), arboreal traps (n = 855), subterranean traps (n = 1664), and leaf litter extractions (n = 168). These traps were deployed over three sampling events, in 19 plots at the Territory Wildlife Park fire experiment, near Darwin, Australia. The experiment consists of 18 1-ha plots in a randomised block design, with six burning treatments in each of the three blocks (Figure S1). The treatments commenced in 2004 and are: burnt early (first week of June) in the dry season each one (E1), two (E2), three (E3), and five (E5) years; burnt late (first week of October) in the dry season every two years (L2); and unburnt (U). We also include fire activity data, which consists of the cumulated fire intensity experienced by a plot during the experiment, and woody cover data obtained with ground-based lidar scans.